Maison Law represents Turlock dog bite victims. Victims who suffer bites at Turlock dog parks can ask dog owners for financial help during recovery. Our dog bite lawyers can help victims secure the most available for their injuries.
If you or a loved one have been bitten, please 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 dog owners and insurance companies fully responsible.
When Do I Need a Dog Bite Lawyer?
If you or a loved one suffers a serious injury after getting bitten at a dog park, it’s a good idea to talk over your options with a Turlock dog bite lawyer. A serious injury may include a bone fracture or even head trauma. When the medical bills go higher than a few hundred dollars, insurance providers for dog owners start to get nervous.
Your lawyer protects you from their tactics used to escape liability including blaming you for what happened or trying to downplay your injury. Your attorney fights back and makes sure you get the support you need to heal physically, emotionally, and financially.
You should also speak to a lawyer after your child suffers a dog bite wound. Even if the wound seems minor right now, that injury can have long lasting effects on the child’s growth. A broken bone might seem healed, but damage from years ago can affect children’s development during their teen years. It’s important to have a skilled legal professional protecting your child and securing the support they need now and the support they may require in a few years.
Dog Park Bite Dangers in Turlock
Dog owners love taking their pets to dog parks and letting their best friends off the leash. Dogs may feel like anything goes in a dog park, but for dog owners, that’s not the case. Dog’s owner could be held financially responsible for any bite that happens within an enclosed field.
When dogs become frightened or play too rough at the park, humans can suffer bites. Victims may also get between two dogs who are fighting and get an injury. People can simply be petting dogs when they get bitten.
The risks are present at any park, but people are usually in closer contact with dogs while enclosed in a dog park at a city park or an apartment complex.
Dog bites are always a danger at these and other Turlock dog parks:
- Quaile Rand Norton Dog Park
- Swanson Centennial Dog Park
Who Is Liable After a Bite Wound at a Dog Park?
California follows the legal concept of “strict liability” when it comes to dog bites. That means that pet owners are usually held fully liable any time their dogs bite someone. Dog owners are financially responsible even if the dog has never shown aggression before. And it doesn’t matter if it happens at a house the victim was invited into, in the victim’s own yard, or at a dog park.
Victims can file injury claims against the dog owner’s homeowners insurance or renter’s insurance unless these few exceptions are factors:
- The victim can’t have provoked the dog.
- Victims can’t have been trespassing on the dog owner’s property at the time. This generally wouldn’t affect liability in a dog park bite incident. The dog park would usually be considered a public place.
Dog owners are usually found at fault, but victims can still have questions. Fortunately, there’s no risk in discussing your case with a skilled local dog bite lawyer. It’s a way to find out if you have a case and what you should be demanding in support from an insurance company.
Could I Sue the Dog Park Owners or the City of Turlock?
In most instances, no. City operated dog parks would be considered as “use at your own risk” locations. You wouldn’t be able to file a lawsuit against Turlock if you were injured due to a dog bite danger that could be reasonably expected while inside a fence with dogs on the loose. The same protections would probably keep a private dog park operator from being sued, like a dog park at an apartment complex.
However, if a hazard contributed to your bite went beyond the normal risks you could expect at a dog park, a lawsuit may be possible. A broken fence may allow a dog to escape a dog park enclosure and bite you or a dog owner. Your lawyer would help you collect evidence to prove that a park owner or operator was negligent in keeping visitors safe.
With a case like this, you’ll need to contact a dog bite lawyer as soon as possible. City and state governments hide behind special statutes of limitations that limit how long you can wait to file an injury claim.
Common Injuries Resulting from Dog Bites
Victims should seek to earn support to cover every hardship they’ve been through. They should receive help with all hospital bills for as long as medical care and physical therapy are necessary. They must get assistance with replacing the paychecks they lose while being unable to work.
A skilled dog bite attorney would also seek non-economic damages for the pain victims endure. They should also receive compensation for the emotional trauma they may be left with, including an understandable uneasiness around other dogs.
Support for these and other damages is critical due to the major injuries that dog bite victims may be left with. These are just a few of the injuries that doctors at Emanuel Medical Center’s Emergency Room often treat after a dog attack:
- Puncture wounds – These are common injuries in dog bites, as a dog’s teeth can easily pierce the skin, causing puncture wounds. These injuries can be deep and may require stitches.
- Lacerations – A dog’s teeth can cause deep cuts or tears in the skin, which can be difficult to repair and may require surgical intervention. Permanent disfigurement is a possibility.
- Infection – Dog bites can introduce bacteria into the body, leading to an increased risk of infection. If left untreated, infections can cause serious health problems.
- Nerve damage – Injuries to nerves in the affected area can result in numbness, tingling, or loss of function.
- Broken bones – A dog bite can cause fractures in bones, especially in the hands and feet.
Contact a Turlock 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 at a dog park, contact a Turlock 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 your dog bite wound and recovery. If you hire us, we don’t get paid unless we win your case for you. Then our fee comes out of the insurance settlement check you receive.
