Maison Law represents Redding bicyclists who have been bitten by dogs or have been in crashes caused by dogs. We win support from dog owners so injured riders can pay their hospital bills, support their families, and get back on their bikes again.
Please contact us after an accident to schedule 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 completely responsible.
Do I Need a Lawyer After Suffering a Dog Bite While Riding My Bike?
If your accident only involves some light scratches or bruising, you may not need a lawyer’s help. But if your injuries are more serious, such as a broken bone in a wipeout, or a deep puncture wound left by a dog on the loose, it’s often a good idea to go over your case with a lawyer.
Shasta County dog owners can be held liable for bicycle accidents, but their unhelpful homeowners insurance providers can look for ways to blame the victim and restrict the support they receive.
Your lawyer acts as a safeguard to keep you from being unfairly accused of causing an accident or from being cheated out of support. A lawyer can also equal a bigger settlement check in many cases.
These are a few of the ways a lawyer positively affects the outcome of your case:
- Fully investigates the accident and the dog owner
- Has evidence ready if an insurance company tries to find ways to reject your claim
- Works with your doctors and gathers medical charts to show the extent of your injuries and the consensus on the support you’ll require to fully heal
- Files your claim for you and negotiates for the best outcome possible, while allowing you to focus on healing and getting back to your bike rides
- Often securing much more for you in compensation than you could probably earn by handling an injury claim yourself
- Ready to file a lawsuit and take an insurance company to court if you aren’t offered a fair settlement for what you’ve been through
You may not be sure if you have a case. And that’s okay. We offer a free case review in order to help you determine what’s possible. If we can’t help you earn more, we’ll tell you that and show you how to best handle it yourself. If we do feel we can fight for more on your behalf, you gain additional money for recovery. You’ll also end up with more time to focus on healing while we do the work for you.
Who Is To Blame If a Dog Gets Loose and Bites a Bicyclist?
California is a “strict liability” state when it comes to dog bites. That means, in most cases, dog owners are responsible for the actions of their pets if they get loose and bite someone. The dog’s history doesn’t matter in these bite cases. The dog doesn’t have to have a history of aggression for the dog owner to be liable.
In the case of a bicyclist taken down by a dog, it can happen almost anywhere. A dog may escape a kennel that wasn’t made secure. A dog may be set free in a neighborhood, like Shasta View, on purpose by a careless owner.
A bicyclist could head down the bike lane on Hartnell Avenue when a roaming dog gets excited and chases the rider. These are all reasons a dog owner is liable for a bite, but strict liability generally points to the owner, no matter how it happens.
Two things would need to be true for the victim to have a case:
- The cyclist wasn’t trespassing on private property when the bite occurred.
- The cyclist didn’t provoke the animal.
The dog owner’s homeowners or renters insurance would usually cover the injured victim, but this support isn’t automatic. Victims will need evidence to force insurers to do the right thing.
Riders would have to document every cost they incur while getting treatment for a bite wound. Insurance companies will try to downplay the hardships victims endure and convince them to accept as little in compensation as possible. A skilled Redding dog bite lawyer would bring strong evidence to the table to make sure victims receive settlement money to cover every cost.
Can I Seek Support If a Dog Causes Me to Crash?
Yes. Bicyclists can seek support if a dog is responsible for causing a terrible collision or crash.
A dog in pursuit can, understandably, make riders panic. They may simply topple over, suffering injuries on the pavement. A fast-approaching dog might also force a cyclist into the path of a car, risking a fatal collision. An out-of-control rider could also collide with an inanimate object like a tree or an abutment.
If no bite occurred, strict liability couldn’t be used to prove who was responsible for injuries. But other basic personal injury principles could be used to hold a dog owner accountable. At its core, the case stands on the dog owner having a legal “duty of care” to those around them. If they allow a dog too much freedom, and someone gets hurt, they could be sued.
There’s a higher standard of proof that comes with a case that doesn’t involve a bite wound. The main difference from a bite case is that more evidence would be needed to prove that a dog’s actions caused a victim to crash or collide with another vehicle.
A skilled Maison Law legal representative would investigate what happened and document the evidence needed to hold a dog owner’s insurer fully responsible.
Finding Support for Bicyclists Hurt in Accidents Involving Dogs
Your Redding Bicycle Accident Lawyer would form a complete list of your hardships since the accident. Then, it’s time to file a claim and make sure an insurance company supplies everything needed to help victims restore their normal lives.
Your lawyer would demand support for every damage, and for some things you may not have realized could make your settlement check bigger.
- Hospital and rehabilitation costs PAID
- Estimates on lifelong support for a long-term disability or a disfigurement PAID
- Totals of travel costs to and from doctor visits PAID
- Support for physical pain experienced PAID
- Totals on lost paychecks and benefits while you miss work shifts REPLACED
- Money for bicycle repairs or a replacement PAID
- Support for emotional distress endured PAID
Emotional trauma can include the anxiety and depression you experience dealing with a long recovery and months off your bike. You should also be supported if you must cope with PTSD symptoms after such a frightening dog attack.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can my family receive support if a loved one is killed in a bicycle accident involving a dog?
Yes. Families may file wrongful death claims against dog owners and seek support for the funeral costs that must be paid and the remaining medical bills that come due. The family left behind should also receive help in replacing the income the deceased may have supported a spouse and children with. Close relatives should have support for the loss of guidance and important life moments that a loved one can no longer be present for. Parents can also receive support in the tragic case of a child’s death. They’d seek support for the loss of companionship the child would have provided in the years ahead.
How long do I have to file a bicycle accident claim?
California law allows dog bite victims up to two years from the date of the accident to file an injury claim. Cyclists shouldn’t delay when looking into filing a case. It’s easier to collect evidence and track down witnesses in the early going.
What if I can’t afford to pay a dog bite accident lawyer?
If you feel Maison Law can help you earn more for your injury, you won’t need any upfront money to hire us. We don’t get paid unless we win your case for you. Then our fee is deducted from the settlement check issued by the insurance company.
Contact a Lawyer Serving Redding Bicycle Accident Victims
If you or a loved one has suffered a serious injury after a dog attack while riding a bicycle, discuss your case with a skilled Bicycle Accident Attorney as soon as possible. Dog bite victims should never be left to face the costs of recovery alone.
Reach out to Maison Law to make sure you are clear on the rights you have as a victim and the benefits that are available to you and your family.
