Dog Bite Lawyer Bakersfield California
ANIMAL ATTACK LAW FIRM
Best Dog Bite Injury Attorneys
Dogs are smart, loyal, and protective. They can also have fears, anxieties, and behavioral problems. Dogs can attack anyone without warning, including friendly people and ones that the dog knows.
Dog bites have physical, emotional, and financial costs. They can leave you with torn muscles and disfiguring scars. They can also leave you with psychological scars that stay with you for the rest of your life. Regardless of where you go for medical treatment, dog bite victims can incur thousands of dollars in medical bills.
For a free legal consultation with a dog bite lawyer serving Bakersfield, call 800.672.5295
How Can an Attorney Help to Obtain Compensation After a Dog Bite Attack in Bakersfield?
After a vicious mauling, you will want to focus on healing, rather than a legal case. With our representation, you can do both. Every dog bite case is unique. We tailor our services to protect your interests and attain your goals.
A claim after a dog attack can seek:
- Reimbursement for medical treatment, physical and mental therapy, and medication
- Replacement of lost income and diminished earning capacity
- Compensation for non-economic losses like pain and suffering
- Payment for property losses, including injuries inflicted on your dog during the attack
California imposes strict liability on dog owners for damages inflicted when their dogs attack. This means you can hold dog owners in Bakersfield liable for dog bites, even if the dog had previously shown no vicious tendencies.
Under California law, dog owners must pay damages even if they take reasonable measures to restrain the dog and the dog escapes before attacking.
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Consultation
Dogs are smart, loyal, and protective. They can also have fears, anxieties, and behavioral problems. Dogs can attack anyone without warning, including friendly people and ones that the dog knows.
Dog bites have physical, emotional, and financial costs. They can leave you with torn muscles and disfiguring scars. They can also leave you with psychological scars that stay with you for the rest of your life. Regardless of where you go for medical treatment, dog bite victims can incur thousands of dollars in medical bills.
After a vicious mauling, you will want to focus on healing, rather than a legal case. With our representation, you can do both. Every dog bite case is unique. We tailor our services to protect your interests and attain your goals.
A claim after a dog attack can seek:
- Reimbursement for medical treatment, physical and mental therapy, and medication
- Replacement of lost income and diminished earning capacity
- Compensation for non-economic losses like pain and suffering
- Payment for property losses, including injuries inflicted on your dog during the attack
California imposes strict liability on dog owners for damages inflicted when their dogs attack. This means you can hold dog owners in Bakersfield liable for dog bites, even if the dog had previously shown no vicious tendencies.
Under California law, dog owners must pay damages even if they take reasonable measures to restrain the dog and the dog escapes before attacking.
Contact Us Today
Request a Free
Dog Bite Lawyer Consultation
Who Pays for Dog Bite Injuries?
The dog owner, the dog owner’s insurance carrier, or both parties may pay. Under California law, dog owners in Bakersfield are liable for the damage caused by their dogs. This liability extends to both injuries and property damage. If a neighbor’s dog injures you and your dog in a dog attack, the dog’s owner must pay for the injuries to you and your dog.
Homeowner’s insurance and renter’s insurance will often contain liability provisions. These liability provisions may obligate the insurer to indemnify the dog owner for dog bites. Where the dog owner has homeowner’s or renter’s insurance, your dog bite claim will begin with the insurer. The insurer will probably pay some or all of your damages. This is true even if the dog bite happened off of the owner’s property. For example, if a dog bit you in the park, the insurance policy will probably still apply.
When filing a claim against the dog owner’s insurance policy, a few limits apply:
Policy Limits—Insurance policies always have policy limits. The limit defines the maximum payout an insurance company will make for claims. Homeowner’s and renter’s liability insurance usually has policy limits ranging from $100,000 to $300,000. If your claim exceeds the policy limit, the homeowner must pay anything over the policy limit.
Exclusions—Homeowner’s and renter’s insurance sometimes exclude certain kinds of liability, including liability for dog bites. This can happen for two main reasons:
- The dog has a history of biting
- The dog is considered to be a dangerous breed
If an insurer has excluded the dog from coverage, the dog’s owner will have sole liability for the damages arising from a dog bite.
What Defenses Can the Dog's Owner Raise?
The dog owner has only two defenses to a dog bite claim under California’s strict liability standard:
Unlawful Presence—Dog bite laws do not protect trespassers. If the dog bite occurred while you trespassed on the dog owner’s property, you cannot recover compensation for the injury. But you can sue for dog bites that occur on public property or private property on which the property owner has invited you to enter.
Official Duty—Dog bite laws do not protect you from bites by military or police dogs acting in the course of their duties. If the dog bite occurred while the police or military were investigating you, apprehending you, or serving a warrant on you, the police or military unit will have immunity from a lawsuit.
But if you were a bystander when a police or military dog bit you, you can file a claim or lawsuit for your injuries.
To discuss your dog bite injuries with an experienced injury lawyer, contact the team at OPO for a free consultation. During your free consultation, our lawyers will listen to your story and discuss a strategy to recover fair compensation for your injury.
How to Recover Compensation for Your Dog Bite
Our personal injury lawyers know California dog bite laws. We will shepherd your case through the insurance claim process. If no insurance policy exists or we cannot settle your case with the insurer, our dog bite attorneys will file a lawsuit against the dog’s owners.
To prepare for your compensation claim, we will investigate the dog attack. We will collect any police reports about the attack that may exist. We will interview witnesses to the dog attack. We will review any video footage that shows what happened before or during the attack.
We will also review your medical records to understand your injuries. We may even talk to your doctors about any long-term effects or permanent disabilities you may suffer.
Most importantly, our lawyers will talk to you extensively about your goals for your case. With dog attacks, you might have important goals that go beyond monetary compensation.
A dangerous dog in the hands of an irresponsible dog owner can endanger your entire neighborhood. Holding the dog and its owner to account for the damages they cause can make your community safer.
I highly recommend Owen, Patterson & Owen! They are an experienced firm that knows how to take care of their clients. Tamiko and Greg were amazing to work with when they handled my son’s dog bite case. They genuinely cared about my son and the process was flawless. — Hillary Broadwater
Statistics About Dog Bites
Dog bites occur with greater frequency than you might expect. About 1,000 people require medical treatment for a dog bite every day in the U.S. This does not include less serious dog bites that are treated at home.
Over half of all dog bites happen to victims 12 years old or younger. Dog bites happen most frequently to children between the ages of five and nine. These victims suffer the most serious injuries. When dogs attack young children, they bite the face and neck in about 50% of cases. These bites to the face and neck can lead to disfigurement or even death.
Despite the dog lovers who say all dog breeds bite equally, pit bulls bite more frequently than other breeds. Nearly 23% of dog bite injuries come from pit bull attacks. Dog breeders recognize more than 195 breeds. The fact that pit bulls are responsible for over one in five dog attacks means that the average pit bull is much more dangerous than any other breed you might encounter.
Impact of Dog Bite Injuries
Depending on the data source, dog bite victims suffer one to two billion dollars in monetary losses every year in the U.S. These costs include medical treatment, physical therapy, mental health therapy and counseling, medication, lost income, and diminished earning capacity.
The average hospital stay for a dog bite injury costs $18,200. This makes the cost of treating dog bite injuries more than 50% higher than other accident injuries.
The typical course of treatment for dog bites includes stopping any bleeding and cleaning the wound. Dog bites can become infected, so doctors will need to thoroughly clean the bite wound and treat it with antibiotics.
Dog bites can also transmit bacteria and viruses, including the microbes that cause tetanus and rabies. Doctors will often administer a tetanus shot. Doctors may also treat you for rabies if authorities cannot find the dog or they identify the dog as unvaccinated.
Serious dog bites may require surgery to repair the damage. Dog bites can tear skin, muscles, tendons, ligaments, nerves, and blood vessels. If doctors cannot repair the tissue, they may need to amputate.
Even when doctors can repair the tissue damage, you may experience significant scarring and disfigurement. Suturing dog attack wounds can reduce scarring but may increase the risk of infection. In many cases, doctors prefer to leave dog bite wounds open. But leaving the wound open increases the risk of scarring.
In addition to the physical damage of dog bites, a dog attack can cause long-lasting psychological damage. According to one study, more than half of children attacked by dogs suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder after the attack.
Overcoming the anxiety, depression, and other mental and emotional trauma from a dog attack may take time and counseling. If your child has suffered a dog bite, a dog bite attorney can help your child get the physical and psychological treatment they need.
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Learn About Your Rights and Legal Options
If you or a loved one has been the victim of a dog bite, contact the personal injury lawyers at Owen, Patterson & Owen at 800.676.5295 or contact us for your free consultation. During this free evaluation, an experienced attorney will review your case and advise your best options for a successful outcome.