Maison Law represents Tulare bicyclists who have been bitten by dogs. California Civil Code 3342 explains that dog owners are generally liable anytime their dogs bite. Our Dog Bite Lawyers assist victims in getting the support they need to make a full recovery so they can get back on their bikes again. Please contact us after an accident to schedule a free case consultation. It’s a no-risk opportunity to find out what your case may be worth and how to hold dog owners responsible.
Should I Call a Lawyer After Getting Bit While on a Bike?
If your bite only results in very minor injuries, like a few knicks and scratches, you may not need a lawyer to help with your case. However, if a dog owner’s negligence led to a serious dog bite, involving something like broken bones, deep wounds, or any other injury you should speak to a Tulare dog bite lawyer about your best options.
When injuries are serious, insurance companies for dog owners will do their best to blame bicyclists 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 rides you love as soon as possible.
Who Is Responsible for My Injury If I’m Bitten by a Dog While Riding a Bike?
Tulare cyclists may be riding along with traffic on Prosperity Avenue or around a local park. They may keep a close eye on reckless drivers, but they may not see the dog chasing them down until a painful bite has occurred.
Bicyclists suffering bite wounds may need weeks or months of care and physical therapy. In our state, dog owners are held accountable for the cost of this care in most situations.
California Civil Code 3342 lays out the responsibility for dog owners:
“(a) The owner of any dog is liable for the damages suffered by any person who is bitten by the dog while in a public place or lawfully in a private place, including the property of the owner of the dog, regardless of the former viciousness of the dog or the owner’s knowledge of such viciousness.”
This liability is known as “strict liability,” because dog owners are accountable even if it’s the dog’s first incident of biting someone. The dog owner would be automatically liable unless the cyclist had been traveling on private property or had provoked the dog.
Evidence will still be needed because dog owners and their insurers will seek ways to avoid having to accept the blame. After contacting Maison Law, your lawyer will perform a thorough investigation. All evidence is collected. This often includes findings from accident reconstruction teams working on behalf of Maison Law. The evidence collected will be submitted in an injury claim to the dog owner’s homeowners or renter’s insurance. Your Tulare Bike Accident Lawyer would be fighting to get the maximum in benefits for you while giving you time to heal, stress-free.
Common Injuries for Bicyclists Bitten By Dogs
Bicyclists can suffer injuries in a dog bite incident that keeps them off their bikes for days or weeks, but there’s much more at stake. A traumatic injury might cause a permanent disability for a victim brought about by an amputation or a permanent loss of feeling in a limb.
Your lawyer will demand support for a cyclist’s current recovery costs and any expenses that could arise in the years ahead. These are just some of the most common injuries that would have to be addressed for victims:
- Punctures Wounds and Cuts. Deep wounds on legs and arms.
- Tissue Damage: Tendons, ligaments, and nerve damage.
- Bone Fractures: Ankle, foot, hand, and wrist fractures are most common.
- Head trauma. Dog attacks can also knock victims from their bikes and leave them to slam their heads on the road surface.
- Infections: Rabies, Tetanus, and other harmful bacteria might keep a wound from healing.
- Child Injuries. Children on bikes make an easier target for dogs on the loose. Their heads and necks are in the range of a dog’s mouth. A child’s organs may be closer to the skin and able to suffer harm in a bite. Children might also suffer permanent scars from bites on the face.
- Emotional Damage: Victims can develop a real fear of dogs after a bite incident. They may experience debilitating anxiety at the thought of going out for a run or visiting a park. PTSD symptoms can be long-lasting after suffering through an attack.
How Much Is My Dog Bite Case Worth?
After suffering a painful dog bite while trying to enjoy a bike ride, it’s understandable to wonder how much help you’ll get paying your medical bills and supporting your family while you can’t work.
It’s difficult for a lawyer to give you an accurate estimate of what you may earn before your lawyer hears the full details about your incident and totals the hospital bills you’ve accumulated. That’s just the start. Your attorney would also need to consider how long it’ll take you to heal and the potential for future medical costs. These must be estimated, often with the help of medical experts.
The overall effect of an injury on your quality of life and your emotional wellbeing also plays a big role in how much you’ll be demanding from a dog owner’s insurance provider.
Your lawyer will be asking for compensation for these factors and more in a dog bite settlement check:
- Hospital and rehabilitation expenses.
- Lifelong support for a permanent disability or a permanent disfigurement left by a bite wound.
- Support for the physical pain endured.
- Support for the emotional trauma victims must cope with.
- Loss of enjoyment of life. Victims unable to return to their rides may 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. Money for a new bike.
- 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 Tulare Dog Bite Bicycle Accident Lawyer
California provides cyclists who suffer dog bites up to two years to bring a claim against a dog owner. But injured bicyclists should act quickly. A lawyer should be notified soon so they can collect fresh evidence, identify the dog and the owner, and have a chance to track down witnesses.
Maison Law provides free case consultations to all cyclists who can no longer ride due to 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 Tulare Dog Bite Attorneys make sure victims have the money they need to pay for the best care available so they can return to their bike rides as soon as possible.
If you are hesitant about contacting us because of worries over finding the money you’ll need to hire us, you don’t have to be concerned. Maison Law works on a contingency basis. It means you don’t pay us anything unless we win your case for you. Then our fee comes out of a settlement money a dog owner must provide to you.
