Maison Law represents Visalia motorcyclists who have been bitten by dogs while on a ride. Our Motorcycle Accident Lawyers assist victims in getting the support they need to make a full recovery from a bite wound and return to the rides they enjoy. Please contact us after an accident involving a dog bite 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 Lawyer After Getting Bit by a Dog While Riding a Motorcycle?
If your injury ends up being serious and a dog owner’s carelessness is to blame, you should speak to a skilled Visalia Dog Bite Lawyer. Serious injuries include something that goes beyond minor scratches or bruising. A serious injury may include broken bones, torn ligaments, or a puncture wound.
The hospital bills can pile up quickly with this level of injury. Insurance companies can see the totals on care and become reluctant to accept full responsibility for a dog owner. They’ll look for any excuse to deny a dog bite claim. A lawyer protects you from these tactics and fights to maximize your injury claim so that you don’t have to worry about how you’ll pay your medical expenses. Motorcycle accident victims should get the very best medical care available so they can get back to the open road as soon as possible.
Who Is Responsible After a Dog Bite on a Motorcyclist?
California is a “strict liability” dog bite state. It means that in most cases, dog owners are held financially 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 rider is bitten by a dog. The liable party would usually be the dog owner.
Motorcyclists can look like a moving target to dogs and tempt them to dash off in pursuit. If dogs are on the loose where they shouldn’t be, they can read any passerby as a threat or as a plaything and give chase. Dogs can follow alongside, snapping at ankles and calves, or any hands and wrists as the rider tries to shoo the dog away. Victims can suffer bone fractures and ligament tears simply trying to escape.
That’s why dog owners are expected to keep their dogs restrained at all times. And why 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.
A dog attack that doesn’t involve a bite wound, such as a chase down that sends a motorcyclist to the road surface, isn’t covered under strict liability. However, an injury without a bite can still leave victims eligible to earn substantial compensation.
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.
Your Maison Law representative will have the evidence prepared to show liability in a dog bite and a dog knockdown case. This enables victims to get the most out of a dog bite motorcycle accident claim.
What Should I Do After Getting Bitten By a Dog While Riding My Motorcycle?
After getting bitten by a dog and perhaps falling from your motorcycle, you may be in shock and a lot of pain. But if you are left strong enough at the scene, there are some actions to take that will help you hold a dog owner fully liable for the recovery to come.
Contact 911 if you are hurt. Call for an ambulance and a Visalia Police response.
If you are able to move around, and the scene is secure, try to gather these details on the scene before they disappear:
- Take photos. Get a picture of the dog and owner if possible. Hopefully, you’ll be provided with the name and address of the dog owner, but this photo will be valuable if the dog owner tries to leave the scene. Take pictures of your bite wound and show any damage to clothing.
- Exchange information with the dog owner.
- Talk to witnesses and get their contact information.
- Scan the area for any surveillance cameras that may be nearby. Note the addresses of the business or home where the cameras reside. Your personal injury lawyer will be securing the footage later.
- Schedule an appointment with your physician. Make sure your wound is healing correctly. Follow your doctor’s recommendations including seeing specialists and attending physical therapy. Save your medical invoices.
- Keep all damaged clothing and your helmet. Don’t throw away evidence.
After contacting Maison Law, your lawyer will take your collected evidence and perform a thorough investigation. This evidence will be submitted in an injury claim to the dog owner’s homeowners or renter’s insurance. Your lawyer would be fighting to get the maximum in benefits for you while giving you time to heal, stress-free.
A settlement check that covered all of your damages would be expected. If a dog owner and insurance adjuster refuse to accept responsibility. Your lawyer would have evidence ready to file a lawsuit and take the dog owner to court.
Compensation Available for a Motorcyclist Bitten by a Dog
Your attorney demands support for not just your current medical bills, but for any care that you could need in the future. That includes estimates on surgeries necessary in the years ahead if your injury flares up. It must include money to cover every session of physical therapy to regain mobility and function in your injured limb. Perhaps learning to walk normally again or being taught how to use a damaged hand again.
Your Visalia Motorcycle Accident Lawyer asks for total compensation, including securing support for a few things you may not have realized can earn money in a dog bite injury settlement check:
- Full coverage of hospital bills and emergency response fees.
- Physical therapy costs to learn to regain the use of affected limbs.
- The estimated costs of living a life with a permanent disability or long-term disfigurement.
- Physical pain the victim has endured.
- Emotional trauma the victim has suffered through, including PTSD symptoms and anxiety.
- Loss of enjoyment of life and the inability to participate in family activities.
- Travel costs for doctor and specialist visits.
- Forfeited paychecks while the victim has missed time at work.
- Damage or destruction of property. Money for a new motorcycle, helmet, and ripped clothing.
Contact a Visalia Motorcycle Dog Bite Accident Lawyer
California law allows dog bite victims up to two years from the date of the accident to file an injury claim. Motorcyclists 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 while on a motorcycle, contact a Visalia 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 also won’t need any upfront money if you decide we can help you earn the most for your dog bite wound. We don’t get paid unless we win your case for you. Then our fee comes out of the insurance settlement check you receive.
