Maison Law represents Visalia bicyclists who have been bitten by dogs. California law holds dog owners liable. 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.
Do I Need a Lawyer After Getting Bit While on a Bike?
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 cycling, you should speak to a Maison Law bicycle accident lawyer about your best options.
When injuries are serious, like an ankle fracture or a deep puncture wound, 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 After a Dog Bite on a Bicyclist?
Cyclists can appear as a moving target to dogs. And if those dogs aren’t on leashes or behind fences, they might give chase out of a protective instinct, or even just because they want to play. The result can be a severe bite on a rider’s legs, or perhaps a puncture wound on hands and arms as bicyclists try to fend off a dog attack.
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.
This clear-cut law makes it much easier to determine who is liable after a bicyclist is bitten by a dog. The liable party would usually be the dog owner.
Dog owners are responsible for bite injuries except in these and a few other circumstances:
- The victim can’t have been trespassing.
- The victim must not have provoked the dog.
- The victim must have suffered a bite. That can include a bite that doesn’t break the skin but causes damage internally from the crushing force.
In cases involving a bite, Strict liability may make it easier to pin the blame on the right party, but that doesn’t mean dog owners will willingly accept responsibility.
Your Visalia dog bite lawyer collects all evidence and investigates the dog owner to make sure you have the proof necessary to demand compensation through an injury claim. Your lawyer would seek full support by filing a claim with the dog owner’s homeowner’s insurance provider or renter’s insurance provider.
What If I’m Knocked Down by a Dog While Riding?
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.
In the case of a dog knocking a cyclist to the ground or causing a frightened biker to run into an obstacle, different personal injury laws would apply. A dog in pursuit could even force a rider out into traffic to suffer an injury. The dog owner could be held accountable.
In these cases, the burden of proof for those injuries will be higher, than in a strict liability dog bite accident. 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 is ready to prove who really caused a bicycle accident and demand the support you need to recover. Our Visalia Bicycle Accident Lawyers handle the frustrating aspects of the claims process while allowing you to focus on healing and returning to your rides again.
Compensation for Bicyclists After a Dog Bite Injury?
Cyclists ride with little protection from a dog bite or a fall to the road surface. Injuries are often severe, and sometimes life-altering. It’s critical that riders get support for every hardship they are put through.
Your Maison Law attorney would ask for compensation for things that go beyond financial concerns. Your lawyer would also seek support for the trauma a dog attack can cause.
Your dog bite lawyer makes sure that no damage 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 the physical pain endured.
- 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 or of getting back on a bike again.
- 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 Visalia 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 Visalia 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.
