Maison Law can help you through the claims process after you’re injured by a dog bite in California. When something like this happens, your main focus needs to be on your health and safety. But you’re probably also worried about what will happen to the dog. There’s requirements for them and their owners, but our team can help you with an injury claim. Set up a free consultation today.
What Are the Quarantine Requirements For Dogs After a Bite Happens?
When you’re bitten by a dog in California, it’s obviously scary and traumatic. You’re just trying to get away, but it’s also a scary and traumatic time for the dog. Even the best trained dog can react poorly in a given situation, but rules are rules. When you report a dog bite, there’s a general quarantine process that kicks into place. Usually, it involves:
- 10-day quarantine. The dog is watched for at least 10 days from the date of the bite. Even if it looks completely fine, this step still happens.
- Where the dog stays. A lot of dogs can stay at home, especially if they’re vaccinated and don’t have a history of aggression. In other cases, they may be kept at a shelter or vet’s office.
- Limited contact. During quarantine, the dog should be kept away from people outside the household and other animals.
- Ongoing observation. Local animal control or a vet checks the dog for any signs of illness, especially anything that could point to rabies.
- Vaccination check. The owner needs to show proof of a rabies vaccine, or take care of that if it’s missing.
- Clearance at the end. If the dog stays healthy for the full 10 days, usually that’s it—no further rabies action is needed.
Sometimes something comes up during quarantine, and stricter steps or testing might be required. But in most cases, it’s routine. The goal isn’t to punish the dog—it’s about protecting you and making sure there’s a record of what happened. On your end though, you’re probably dealing with pain and other issues. The best way to take care of that is by filing an injury claim.
What Options Do I Have For Filing a Claim After a Dog Bite?
After a dog bite, a lot of it comes down to one thing—how you’re going to deal with the costs and everything that follows.
The good news here, relatively speaking, is that the law makes your options pretty clear: the dog’s owner has to pay for your damages because of strict liability.
There are some situations where others might be involved too—like if the bite happened at a park or a business that knew the dog could be an issue. But most of the time, it starts with the owner. From there, you’ve got two main options:
- Filing an insurance claim.
- Filing a lawsuit.
Most claims start with the owner’s homeowners’ or renters’ insurance. But those initial offers don’t always line up with what things actually cost—especially if your injuries are more serious. If that happens, taking the next step and filing a lawsuit may make more sense. It takes longer, but it can lead to a better outcome depending on the situation. One way or the other, your damages are going to include things like:
- Medical bills (now and later on)
- Lost income if you’ve missed work
- Damaged personal items
- Pain and the mental side of the experience
- Scarring or longer-term injuries
- Changes to your day-to-day life
One thing you don’t want to lose track of is timing. In California, you generally have two years to file an injury claim. And just starting a claim isn’t enough—the strength of it comes down to how well everything is put together and sometimes, you need help doing that.
How Can Maison Law’s Dog Bite Lawyers Help You?
Dog bites tend to be more than just the moment it happened. There’s usually a lot that comes after—appointments, time away from work, and just trying to get back to normal. You can handle some of it on your own. But if things start getting more serious, having help can take a lot of pressure off. Our California dog bite team at Maison Law can help you by:
- Going through the details of the bite to understand exactly how it happened and why.
- Figuring out who’s responsible and who has to pay for your injuries and other losses.
- Breaking down the kind of financial support you might be able to get and how to go after it.
Every case is a little different, but the main thing is you don’t have to figure it out by yourself. If you’re dealing with a dog bite and not sure what to do next, we can walk you through it and help you take the next step. Set up a free consultation today.
