Maison Law represents California dog bite victims. Our California Dog Bite Lawyers assist victims in getting the support they need to make a full recovery.
Whether your accident happened at a park or at a family member’s home, you should contact us for a free, no-obligation consultation. It’s a no-risk opportunity to find out what your case may be worth and how to hold insurance companies fully responsible.
Who Is Responsible After a Dog Bite in Someone’s Home or Yard?
California holds dog owners responsible for the consequences of dog bites in most cases. These bites fall under the concept of “strict liability.” It means that dog owners are generally liable for the damage a dog causes with a bite, even if the dog has never bitten anyone before.
Dog owners would be liable for the costs of recovery if you or a loved one were bitten in the owner’s home or surrounding property. It covers a situation where you or a loved one were at a friend’s or a close relative’s home and were bitten. The dog owner would usually be held accountable and would have to help you with medical bills and any lost income while you had to miss work.
The owner could be held financially responsible, but the dog bite can’t have happened…
- while the victim was trespassing.
- while the victim was provoking the dog.
In most cases, if you were at a family member’s or a friend’s house you wouldn’t be trespassing. Strict liability makes it easier for victims to hold dog owners accountable and seek financial assistance in paying for the best medical care available and any physical therapy needed.
But sometimes insurance companies representing the dog owner can attempt to slip out of responsibility by blaming the victim in some way. A California dog bite lawyer would back a claim with strong evidence showing who was responsible.
What If I Have to File a Dog Bite Claim Against a Dog Owner Who I Know Personally?
In some dog bite cases, the at-fault dog owner is a family member or close friend. It may happen at a birthday party or just during a social visit to a loved one’s house. Victims can feel conflicted about asking for financial help from the dog owner, but the pet owner isn’t really targeted in a claim.
The dog owner’s homeowners insurance or renter’s insurance would usually be called upon to provide you with financial assistance while you recover physically and financially. The policyholder usually wouldn’t face the immediate financial burden.
The friend or family member pays their premiums to be protected in situations like this. They should want someone they know to receive recovery support.
The insurance provider would be responsible for providing compensation to pay for the victim’s hospital bills and other hardships. The cost wouldn’t come from a family member’s savings. A dog bite can cause debilitating injuries and affect a patient’s ability to return to a normal life. Unfortunately, victims often have to seek full support at such a vulnerable time or face bankruptcy. Dog owners and family members would have to understand that.
What Should I Expect from an Insurance Company if My Child Is Bitten by a Dog?
You could need much more in support if your child was bitten by a dog. If it happened at a family member’s home, you would have to ask for additional support from the dog owner’s insurer.
Children are still maturing, and a bite can greatly affect their development down the road. They may enter their teen years or become a young adult when suddenly they require additional surgeries because bones and muscles damaged by a past bite aren’t growing correctly.
A California Dog Bite Lawyer would get expert recommendations on the care that could be needed for a child dog bite victim in the future. Then your lawyer would fight to get your child as much in support as possible from the insurance company involved.
What Can I Seek Compensation for After a Dog Bite Injury?
Your California dog bite attorney would be fully investigating your case and collecting all evidence available. This helps build a strong case that insurance companies can’t find ways to reject. Your family member (the dog owner) may want to help you, but an insurance adjuster could try to look for ways to limit the dog bite settlement money the company provides.
Submitted with your dog bite injury claim will be a full list of every hardship you’ve endured since receiving your bite wound. Your personal injury lawyer will include every economic and non-economic damage you’ve suffered.
This includes some factors you may not have known could earn you additional support:
- Hospital and rehabilitation expenses
- Support for a long-term disability or a disfigurement
- Travel costs to and from doctor visits
- Support for physical pain
- Support for emotional distress
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Past and future lost earnings
- Damage or destruction of property.
Unfortunately, a permanent disability or disfigurement can be the consequence of a severe bite wound. You may lose a limb, lose your mobility, lose the use of an eye, or face some other long-term effects.
This only increases the amount of support you’ll require to enjoy the most freedom possible. Enough to support you and your family over a lifetime. That includes all medical costs and equipment associated with your years of care ahead.
Contact a California Dog Bite Lawyer
California law allows dog bite victims up to two years from the date of the accident to file an injury claim. You shouldn’t delay when looking into filing a case. It’s easier to collect evidence and track down witnesses in the early going.
After you or a loved one has suffered a serious dog bite, contact a California Dog Bite Lawyer to discuss your case, free of charge. It’s a no-risk opportunity to find out about all the benefits available to you and how to hold an insurance company fully responsible.
You won’t need any upfront money if you decide we can help you earn the most for our dog bite wound and recovery. We don’t get paid unless we win your case for you. Then our fee comes out of the insurance settlement check you receive.
