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If you have been bitten or otherwise injured by a dog, you will need legal representation to obtain fair compensation for your damages. Our Los Angeles dog bite lawyers have years of experience litigating cases relating to dog bites and other animal attacks, and we know what it takes to win your lawsuit.
Free Consultations
Our law firm provides free consultations to all victims of personal injury. If you have been injured due to a dog bite or any other incident, please contact our law offices for a free consultation. When you contact us, a knowledgeable and compassionate attorney will speak with you regarding your case and provide you with the advice that you need. Our attorneys are kind and caring, and they want to provide you with the assistance that you need.
Zero Fee Guarantee
We guarantee that we will win, or you don't pay. It's that simple. When we first started our law firm, we had one goal in mind: To help as many people as possible. We understand that it is difficult to pay a lawyer to file a lawsuit against someone that caused you harm. Therefore, we offer our legal services on a contingency basis. That means you never have to pay anything upfront. When you hire our law firm to represent you for your personal injury lawsuit, we will do everything for free until we recover money for you. You do not have to pay anything out of pocket. If we recover money for you, then we will get paid a percentage of whatever we recovered for you. If we do not recover money for you, then you will not have to pay us. Our work is guaranteed. The guarantee is simple: We win, or you don't pay.
Getting bitten by a dog is certainly a traumatizing experience. Such accidents could leave one scarred for life, both literally and figuratively. Victims could suffer physical damages, like cuts and bruises on their body, bleeding, and even loss of fingers and limbs. Some people will have permanent scarring on their face, affecting them for the remainder of their lives. In addition to the physical trauma, victims will also suffer from emotional trauma. There are many people who loved dogs before a dog bite accident, and now they are scared of getting near any dog due to such accident. We know of someone who cannot even get near a friendly little Yorkie dog any more, because of an induced phobia of dogs. The victim could also have nightmares at night, nightmares about dogs or other related traumatic experiences. As you can see, a dog bite accident can be life changing. What the victim of a dog bite accident to do in these situations? What remedies does the law provide?
A dog bite accident falls under the category of personal injury law. The law provides various legal remedies for victims of personal injury. Whenever someone is injured as a result of the negligence, carelessness, or intentional acts of another party, the injured individual is entitled to collect damages from the responsible party. Negligence refers to the failure of a person to act in a reasonable manner. In California, negligence on behalf of the dog owner does not have to be proven in order to hold the dog owner responsible for a dog bite. Under the theory of strict liability, in the absence of some unusual circumstances, a dog owner is automatically liable in case of a dog bite.
According to data published by the Center for Disease Control, every year 4.5 million people in the United States get bitten by a dog. The authorities in the health sector believe that dog bites are a major concern because not only do they cause the victim major injuries, but also they can also cause infections and diseases to be transferred to the victim. Some infections could be difficult to treat; some are even fatal. For instance, the rabies virus attacks the nervous system, causing disease in the brain. If treatment is not administered soon after a bite, the victim dies.
The first step after a dog bite accident is to seek medical treatment. Time is of the essence here because if the dog was sick, the virus is quickly replicating and spreading throughout your body and as more time passes, it will become increasingly more difficult to treat any infection that you may have acquired. In addition, you want to take care of your primary injuries, like any lacerations or deep wounds that were caused by the dog. This is really an emergency situation and you should report to the nearest emergency room. If you are not in a condition to go to the ER yourself, you can call 911 and have an ambulance transport you to the nearest hospital.
After you have received all the necessary medical treatments, you want to start looking at your legal options. Hire a dog bite lawyer immediately because there is a time limit by when you can file a lawsuit. More information on the deadlines can be found below.
In California, the dog bite owner or their insurance company is responsible to pay for all your damages proximately resulting from the dog bite. There are many categories of damages that you want to go after, and our law firm can help you in getting the maximum amount of money possible in your specific situation.
California's Strict Liability Policy
In Los Angeles and the rest of California, we have strict liability when it comes to dog bite cases. This means that the dog owner's knowledge of the possibility of vicious behavior is irrelevant. More simply put, this means it does not matter if the dog was always friendly. It does not matter that the owner thought the dog would be nice. Many states have a one-bite rule, which refers to a policy that requires the dog to have bitten at least one other person in the past for the owner to be liable. In California, there is no one-bite rule. If a dog bites someone, the owner is liable, period. It does not matter that the dog was always nice in the past and never showed aggressive behavior. Of course, there are some defenses that the dog owner could have against you, which we will cover below.
What to do after a dog bite
In an ideal situation, the victim of a dog bite should all of the following steps. However, we do understand sometimes this is not possible because you were shaken up or misinformed. Please note that if you did not take some of the following steps, your case is not necessarily ruined. You may still be able to collect money from the responsible parties. Please contact a dog bite attorney to receive advice for your unique situation.
In general, you want to take the following steps:
What NOT to do after a dog bite
Doing the following could be detrimental to your case. Therefore, if possible,
Damages in a Dog Bite Case
A good attorney must remember to include all your damages in your lawsuit, so that you receive the maximum amount of compensation for your damages. It is unfortunate that many attorneys will oftentimes fail to consider all possible sources of damages, thereby not getting the maximum compensation that the client could have received. Our law firm always considers all possible damages that we could claim to get you as much money as possible.
In a dog bite case, there are various categories of damages. These include:
Statute of Limitations for Dog Bites in California
In every state, there is a statute of limitations to file a personal injury claim. This is a deadline by which your lawsuit must be filed. In California, normally you have two years from the date of injury to file a lawsuit. If this deadline is missed and you have not filed your lawsuit by that time, then you will be forever unable to file your lawsuit. If the victim of the accident was a minor when the accident occurred, then the statue of limitations is two years from the time that the child turns 18 years old. Since it takes a long time to investigate a case, it is highly recommended that you speak to a competent attorney immediately or nearly immediately after an accident. If you wait too long, you could miss these deadlines, which means your lawyer will never be able to file a lawsuit. These deadlines are strictly enforced and it is very rare that they would be waived. Please speak to a lawyer today.
Defenses Against Your Claim
A good attorney must always keep in mind defenses that the other side will have against your claim. This way, the attorney will be prepared come trial time. One defense is contributory negligence. Another defense is assumption of the risk. Contributory negligence means that you somehow contributed to your own injuries. For example, you provoked the dog. Assumption of the risk means that you knew and appreciated the risk that the dog might bite, but you approached the dog anyway, thereby assuming the risk that the dog would bite you. Both of these could be valid defenses, which could potentially weaken your case. A good lawyer would try to predict all the defenses that the other side would have against your claim, and take steps to overcome these defenses.
How we can help
If you have been involved in any dog bite accident, please contact our law firm for a free consultation. Our attorneys are highly knowledgeable in the field of dog bites, and they know what it takes to win your case. In addition to having a lot of experience, our attorneys are also very compassionate people. They will treat you like family, and set you up with doctors and other medical care providers to make sure that you receive the medical treatments that you need. To make legal help accessible to everyone, we never charge any upfront fees. If we accept your case, it will be fought on contingency. That means you never have to pay anything upfront. We only charge for our services if we get you money. If we do not get you money, then you do not have to pay us.
You can call or email our law offices right now for a free consultation.
Free Consultations
Our law firm provides free consultations to all victims of personal injury. If you have been injured due to a dog bite or any other incident, please contact our law offices for a free consultation. When you contact us, a knowledgeable and compassionate attorney will speak with you regarding your case and provide you with the advice that you need. Our attorneys are kind and caring, and they want to provide you with the assistance that you need.
Zero Fee Guarantee
We guarantee that we will win, or you don't pay. It's that simple. When we first started our law firm, we had one goal in mind: To help as many people as possible. We understand that it is difficult to pay a lawyer to file a lawsuit against someone that caused you harm. Therefore, we offer our legal services on a contingency basis. That means you never have to pay anything upfront. When you hire our law firm to represent you for your personal injury lawsuit, we will do everything for free until we recover money for you. You do not have to pay anything out of pocket. If we recover money for you, then we will get paid a percentage of whatever we recovered for you. If we do not recover money for you, then you will not have to pay us. Our work is guaranteed. The guarantee is simple: We win, or you don't pay.
Getting bitten by a dog is certainly a traumatizing experience. Such accidents could leave one scarred for life, both literally and figuratively. Victims could suffer physical damages, like cuts and bruises on their body, bleeding, and even loss of fingers and limbs. Some people will have permanent scarring on their face, affecting them for the remainder of their lives. In addition to the physical trauma, victims will also suffer from emotional trauma. There are many people who loved dogs before a dog bite accident, and now they are scared of getting near any dog due to such accident. We know of someone who cannot even get near a friendly little Yorkie dog any more, because of an induced phobia of dogs. The victim could also have nightmares at night, nightmares about dogs or other related traumatic experiences. As you can see, a dog bite accident can be life changing. What the victim of a dog bite accident to do in these situations? What remedies does the law provide?
A dog bite accident falls under the category of personal injury law. The law provides various legal remedies for victims of personal injury. Whenever someone is injured as a result of the negligence, carelessness, or intentional acts of another party, the injured individual is entitled to collect damages from the responsible party. Negligence refers to the failure of a person to act in a reasonable manner. In California, negligence on behalf of the dog owner does not have to be proven in order to hold the dog owner responsible for a dog bite. Under the theory of strict liability, in the absence of some unusual circumstances, a dog owner is automatically liable in case of a dog bite.
According to data published by the Center for Disease Control, every year 4.5 million people in the United States get bitten by a dog. The authorities in the health sector believe that dog bites are a major concern because not only do they cause the victim major injuries, but also they can also cause infections and diseases to be transferred to the victim. Some infections could be difficult to treat; some are even fatal. For instance, the rabies virus attacks the nervous system, causing disease in the brain. If treatment is not administered soon after a bite, the victim dies.
The first step after a dog bite accident is to seek medical treatment. Time is of the essence here because if the dog was sick, the virus is quickly replicating and spreading throughout your body and as more time passes, it will become increasingly more difficult to treat any infection that you may have acquired. In addition, you want to take care of your primary injuries, like any lacerations or deep wounds that were caused by the dog. This is really an emergency situation and you should report to the nearest emergency room. If you are not in a condition to go to the ER yourself, you can call 911 and have an ambulance transport you to the nearest hospital.
After you have received all the necessary medical treatments, you want to start looking at your legal options. Hire a dog bite lawyer immediately because there is a time limit by when you can file a lawsuit. More information on the deadlines can be found below.
In California, the dog bite owner or their insurance company is responsible to pay for all your damages proximately resulting from the dog bite. There are many categories of damages that you want to go after, and our law firm can help you in getting the maximum amount of money possible in your specific situation.
California's Strict Liability Policy
In Los Angeles and the rest of California, we have strict liability when it comes to dog bite cases. This means that the dog owner's knowledge of the possibility of vicious behavior is irrelevant. More simply put, this means it does not matter if the dog was always friendly. It does not matter that the owner thought the dog would be nice. Many states have a one-bite rule, which refers to a policy that requires the dog to have bitten at least one other person in the past for the owner to be liable. In California, there is no one-bite rule. If a dog bites someone, the owner is liable, period. It does not matter that the dog was always nice in the past and never showed aggressive behavior. Of course, there are some defenses that the dog owner could have against you, which we will cover below.
What to do after a dog bite
In an ideal situation, the victim of a dog bite should all of the following steps. However, we do understand sometimes this is not possible because you were shaken up or misinformed. Please note that if you did not take some of the following steps, your case is not necessarily ruined. You may still be able to collect money from the responsible parties. Please contact a dog bite attorney to receive advice for your unique situation.
In general, you want to take the following steps:
- Seek medical help. There are two reasons that you want to seek medical help. The first and more important reason is to protect your own health and safety. Time is of the essence here because if you have been inflicted with an infection, the infection could spread to the rest of your body. Therefore, you want to put a stop to the infection as soon as possible. In addition, the rabies virus should be treated as soon as possible, using PEP medication. The PEP medication is effective only for a certain period of time after the dog bite. After that, it will not be effective any more. The other reason that you want to receive medical attention is that your medical files will be used as evidence in your lawsuit. If you did not go to the doctor, if you did not go to the emergency room, the insurance company will argue that you were not injured. Therefore, it will be harder to make them pay.
- Take photos of your injuries. This is also evidence of your injuries, which will be included in your file to prove your case.
- Determine who is the owner of the dog. Get as much information about them as possible; for example, their name, their address, what insurance (if any) they carry.
- Get information about the dog. Has the dog attacked anyone before? When? Was the dog vaccinated? Take pictures of the dog.
- If there were witnesses to the accident, speak to them, get their names, addresses, phone numbers, and recorded statements.
- Hire a dog bite accident lawyer to sue the responsible parties.
What NOT to do after a dog bite
Doing the following could be detrimental to your case. Therefore, if possible,
- Do not speak to any insurance adjusters. The adjusters are trained to ask you questions and trick you to get you to admit fault, thereby weakening your case.
- Do not admit fault. You are not a lawyer, you do not know who was at fault. Therefore, do not admit fault.
- Do not send the dog owner letters demanding payment. You do not know the full extent of your injuries to assess the extent of your damages.
- Do not accept payments from the dog owner or anyone else. If you accept a payment, that could release the liable parties from further liability.
Damages in a Dog Bite Case
A good attorney must remember to include all your damages in your lawsuit, so that you receive the maximum amount of compensation for your damages. It is unfortunate that many attorneys will oftentimes fail to consider all possible sources of damages, thereby not getting the maximum compensation that the client could have received. Our law firm always considers all possible damages that we could claim to get you as much money as possible.
In a dog bite case, there are various categories of damages. These include:
- All medical bills that you have incurred as a result of the injuries. These include costs associated with an emergency room visit, a private physician, a hospital, and medications.
- Future medical bills that you will incur. For example, if it is estimated that you will need plastic surgery to correct a scar a year from now, the other side is responsible to pay the cost of the surgery.
- Emotional suffering
- Pain and suffering
- Lost wages, loss of current income
- Loss of future income, loss of earning capacity
- Punitive damages, if the actions of the dog owner was extremely reprehensible.
Statute of Limitations for Dog Bites in California
In every state, there is a statute of limitations to file a personal injury claim. This is a deadline by which your lawsuit must be filed. In California, normally you have two years from the date of injury to file a lawsuit. If this deadline is missed and you have not filed your lawsuit by that time, then you will be forever unable to file your lawsuit. If the victim of the accident was a minor when the accident occurred, then the statue of limitations is two years from the time that the child turns 18 years old. Since it takes a long time to investigate a case, it is highly recommended that you speak to a competent attorney immediately or nearly immediately after an accident. If you wait too long, you could miss these deadlines, which means your lawyer will never be able to file a lawsuit. These deadlines are strictly enforced and it is very rare that they would be waived. Please speak to a lawyer today.
Defenses Against Your Claim
A good attorney must always keep in mind defenses that the other side will have against your claim. This way, the attorney will be prepared come trial time. One defense is contributory negligence. Another defense is assumption of the risk. Contributory negligence means that you somehow contributed to your own injuries. For example, you provoked the dog. Assumption of the risk means that you knew and appreciated the risk that the dog might bite, but you approached the dog anyway, thereby assuming the risk that the dog would bite you. Both of these could be valid defenses, which could potentially weaken your case. A good lawyer would try to predict all the defenses that the other side would have against your claim, and take steps to overcome these defenses.
How we can help
If you have been involved in any dog bite accident, please contact our law firm for a free consultation. Our attorneys are highly knowledgeable in the field of dog bites, and they know what it takes to win your case. In addition to having a lot of experience, our attorneys are also very compassionate people. They will treat you like family, and set you up with doctors and other medical care providers to make sure that you receive the medical treatments that you need. To make legal help accessible to everyone, we never charge any upfront fees. If we accept your case, it will be fought on contingency. That means you never have to pay anything upfront. We only charge for our services if we get you money. If we do not get you money, then you do not have to pay us.
You can call or email our law offices right now for a free consultation.
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