Suffering an injury from a dog bite can cause you a number of serious health problems. You may have fractured bones, puncture wounds, abrasions and lacerations, tissue damage and emotional scarring from the experience. If you have suffered a dog bite injury, then you may wonder who you can hold responsible for the damage. Fortunately, California dog bite law provides extensive protection for victims of a dog bite injury.
The California Dog Bite Law (Civil Code 3342) imposes liability on dog owners if their dog bites someone. This means that you can hold the dog owner responsible and you can sue the individual who owns the dog that bit you. In California, a strict liability standard is applied to dog bites. This means that, regardless of whether the dog was known to be dangerous or had ever bitten anyone before, the dog owner is legally responsible and must pay your damages.
As long as you were bitten either in a public place or while you were an invited guest onto private property, you are entitled under the law to recover damages from the dog bite injury from the dog’s owner. However, if you were bitten at the person’s home, often their home owners insurance policy will assume the liability and either settle the case with you or defend the case in court. This means you may be dealing with the insurance company or their lawyers instead of with the private individual.
Recovering Damages for a Dog Bite
After suffering a dog bite injury, you may sue for damages for any actual medical injury you sustained. This means you can sue to recover the amount you spent on medical bills, any lost wages work for work you may have missed, and for any emotional distress you suffered as a result of the incident. If the dog bite injury will leave you with permanent scarring, you may be able to recover a larger settlement or jury verdict as a result of the dog bite incident.
Do You Need A Los Angeles Dog Bite Lawyer?
Dog bite law is a complicated field of law because many parties can be involved in one action. You want to make sure that all parties that are involved are contacted and are mentioned as parties involved in any lawsuit.
Often, you may be offered a settlement by the dog owner or their insurance company. It is essential you understand the terms of the settlement and that you do not agree to any settlement without first talking to a dog bite attorney. This ensures that you will be fully compensated you for all the dog bite injuries you suffered. Once you settle, you generally cannot sue or recover additional monetary compensation for the dog bite injury, so it is a good idea to speak with a personal injury lawyer before agreeing to any settlement or before filing a lawsuit in court.
If you have been recently a victim of a dog bite, please call our office at 1-877-702-7274 to speak with a dog bite lawyer who will give you a free consultation right over the phone.
