Maison Law represents runners who have been left injured by a dog bite incident or by a fall caused by a dog. Our runner accident lawyers assist victims in getting the support they need to make a full recovery so they can back to their runs. Please contact us after a runner accident involving a serious injury for a free, no-obligation consultation for you and your family. It’s a no-risk opportunity to find out what your case may be worth and how to hold dog owners responsible.
Do I Need a Dog Bite Lawyer After Getting Bit While on a Run?
Dog owners in California are held responsible for most dog bite incidents. If a dog owner’s negligence led to a serious dog bite wound while you were jogging, you should speak to a California runner injury lawyer about your best options.
When injuries are serious, like a hand fracture or a deep puncture wound, insurance companies covering dog owners will do their best to blame joggers for their bites and downplay the severity of a wound. They do this to save their companies money. Your lawyer battles back against these tactics and makes sure you receive the maximum in compensation possible. Maison Law wants you to heal and get back to the runs you love as soon as possible.
Can I Hold a Dog Owner Responsible If I’m Bitten While on a Run?
California is a “strict liability” dog bite state. It means that in most cases, dog owners are held responsible when their pets bite. That’s true even if the dog has no history of biting incidents.
Strict liability dog bite laws make it easier to hold dog owners responsible, but three things about your case must be true to file a case:
- Runners must not have been trespassing.
- Runners must not have provoked the dog.
- Runners must have suffered an actual bite, but a bite that doesn’t break the skin still counts as a bite.
Your dog bite lawyer would be collecting evidence and investigating the dog owner to make sure you had the evidence necessary to seek compensation through an injury claim. Your lawyer would usually file the injury claim with the dog owner’s homeowner’s insurance provider or renter’s insurance provider.
What If a Dog Knocks Me Down While I’m Jogging Causing an Injury
A dog attack that doesn’t involve a bite wound isn’t covered under strict liability. However, victims who suffer an injury other than a bite are still eligible to earn substantial compensation.
Injuries caused by dogs knocking victims down or frightening joggers and causing them to run in front of cars can leave dog owners liable. When a dog bite isn’t involved, other personal injury laws would apply.
In these cases, the burden of proof for those injuries will be higher. In other words, you’d have to show stronger proof that those non-bite injuries were indeed caused by the dog’s actions and the owner’s negligence.
Maison Law can collect evidence that shows the fault of a dog owner and assist you in maximizing your dog bite settlement check.
Compensation for Runners After a Dog Bite Injury?
Runners chased and bitten by dogs can experience a wide range of injuries. They may only suffer a few scrapes and bruises that heal in a week. Victims could also suffer broken ankle bones and head trauma after an attack and need weeks of hospital care and months of physical therapy.
Victims should get the support they need to fully recover for as long as necessary. But when dog bite victims sign off on hastily offered insurance settlements, without a lawyer looking over it, they can receive far less than they need to pay medical bills and support their families while out of work. Once that settlement is signed, there’s no going back to ask for more in support if surgeries are needed in the months ahead.
Your runner personal injury accident lawyer makes sure that nothing is left off an accident claim. This is just a brief list of some of the factors that can earn compensation:
- Hospital and rehabilitation expenses.
- Lifelong support for a permanent disability or a permanent disfigurement left by a bite wound.
- Support for Physical pain.
- Emotional trauma such as anxiety can develop during a difficult recovery. Victims might deal with PTSD symptoms after going through an attack and have uncontrollable fear around any dog.
- Loss of enjoyment of life. Victims unable to return to the sidewalks for the runs they enjoy can suffer depression and a loss of self-worth.
- Replacement of income lost while the victim can’t return to work.
- Damage or destruction of property.
- Wrongful death benefits. Families who lose a loved one to a dog attack can file a wrongful death claim against an at-fault dog owner’s insurance provider. This claim asks for help with funeral costs and remaining medical bills. It also seeks future support for the guidance and income the victim can no longer provide the family.
Contact a California Runner Personal Injury Lawyer
California provides runners who suffer dog bites up to two years to bring a claim against a dog owner. But victims should act quickly. A lawyer should be notified as soon as possible so they can collect fresh evidence and have a chance to track down witnesses.
Maison Law of California provides free case consultations to all runners and walkers injured by a serious dog bite. Schedule your free case review today. It’s a no-risk way to determine how to hold dog owners responsible for dog bites and how to maximize your compensation from an insurance provider. Our California Dog Bite Attorneys make sure victims have the money they need to pay for the best care available so they can return to their exercise routine as soon as possible.
