Dogs are known as man’s best friend, but they can bite. When they do, you could be injured in a dog bite attack. Dog bites are common in San Diego, CA, and can result in serious injuries and illnesses.
San Diego, California, dog bite incidents are usually caused when a dog is loose or unattended by its owner. If you were injured in a dog bite attack, you could have a legal right to financial compensation. An experienced San Diego dog bite lawyer can help you.
Our team also handles all California personal injury matters and has years of experience handling cases such as child accidents in San Diego, medical malpractice, wrongful death claims, catastrophic injuries, San Diego uber accidents, and more.
Even when you were hurt by a dog bite that was not your fault, the dog’s owner will usually claim it was not their fault, either. This is why you’ll need a knowledgeable legal team to gather evidence and pursue the financial recovery you deserve. The San Diego dog bite attorneys at Pines Salomon Personal Injury Lawyers have helped many in situations just like yours. Contact our office today or call (858) 551-2090.
How Pines Salomon Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help You After a Dog Bite Attack in San Diego
Dog bites happen suddenly and can leave you in shock and pain. In addition, you could be severely injured or sick. The Centers for Disease Control estimate that at least 20% of all dog bites require medical attention. As a result, you could face medical bills, lost income, out-of-pocket expenses, and other costs due to the incident. When this happens, you need to hold the dog’s owner accountable. An experienced San Diego personal injury lawyer can handle the critical legal aspects of your personal injury claims for you.
A San Diego personal injury attorney will investigate what happened and take action on your behalf.
When you hire us, our San Diego dog bite lawyers will:
- Meet you for a free consultation to talk about the facts of your claim and next steps;
- Fully investigate the incident and who was involved;
- Collect evidence such as police reports, photos, surveillance camera footage, medical reports, and physical evidence;
- Negotiate with insurance companies to discuss a financial settlement;
- File a personal injury lawsuit in court;
- Guide you through each step of a dog bite injury lawsuit;
- Take your case to a jury trial when necessary.
At Pines Salomon Personal Injury Lawyers, our San Diego dog bite injury attorneys will fight tirelessly for the payment you deserve after a dog bite incident. Contact our dedicated legal team today, and we’ll schedule your free consultation at no risk to you.
How Much Does It Cost To Hire a Lawyer in a San Diego Dog Bite Case?
In most personal injury cases, lawyers will typically work on a contingent fee basis. You would not be required to pay your lawyer a retainer fee upfront to get valuable legal help in a dog bite claim. In a contingent fee setup, your attorney will collect an agreed-upon percentage of the total financial award once your case is won.
If you do not win in a contingency case, you are not required to pay attorney’s fees. Therefore, you risk nothing by meeting with a San Diego dog bite lawyer to discuss your options.
How Do Dog Bites Happen?
Any dog can bite, regardless of breed or size. Dog bites can range from nips to full-blown vicious attacks. Children and the elderly are the most vulnerable to dog bites, sadly. Over four million dog bites happen across the country each year, many without warning. A dog’s history and behavior tend to predict attacks more than its breed. California is one of the top states in the nation for reported dog bites.
Dogs will bite for a number of reasons, but usually, they’ll bite in reaction to some trigger.
Dogs will often bite:
- In a stressful situation
- When defending itself or its territory
- When scared or startled
- When they feel threatened
- To protect something important, like their puppies, their food, or a toy
- When sick or injured
- When playing with other dogs or people.
Steps people can take to avoid dog bites include leaving dogs alone in certain situations, or observing a dog’s body language. Sometimes a person will be bitten no matter what they’ve done to avoid a bite, however.
What Are Common Injuries in a Dog Bite Incident?
Dog bites can cause injuries ranging from harmless to severe and even fatal.
Frequent injuries caused by dog bites can include:
- Lacerations
- Puncture wounds
- Nerve damage
- Broken bones
- Torn or severed tendons
- Infection of the bite area (including serious infections such as rabies, tetanus, and MRSA)
- Skull fractures
- Neck and back injuries
- Loss of limbs
- Permanent scarring and disfigurement
- Soft tissue damage
- Internal bleeding
- Emotional distress
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Wrongful death.
Any of these dog bite injuries can have long-lasting and permanent consequences. You could suffer ongoing pain and suffering, mental distress, reduced quality of life, permanent disability, and other devastating losses after a dog bite. Your San Diego dog bite lawyer will pursue compensation for your full scope of damages as you try to recover physically and emotionally.
What Is My Dog Bite Case Worth?
In a California dog bite case, you could recover economic damages and non-economic damages in a personal injury claim.
Economic damages cover your actual financial losses, including:
- Medical expenses
- Out-of-pocket expenses
- Costs to cover future medical treatment and therapy
- Lost wages due to your injuries
- Reduced future earning potential due to the incident
Non-economic damages include the “intangibles” suffered due to a dog bite. Mental anguish, pain and suffering, loss of companionship, disability, disfigurement, and PTSD can fall under non-economic damages in a dog bite claim.
Who Is Liable in a Dog Bite Case?
Many personal injury claims arise out of negligence, which requires accident victims to prove a duty of care was owed and breached, the defendant caused the injuries, and the victim suffered damages. However, California is a strict liability state for dog bites. This means dog owners can be held legally liable for any injuries their dog causes to others. This is regardless of any tendency of aggressive behavior or history of attacks.
In California, there is no “one bite” rule, giving owners a free pass from liability if their dog has never bitten someone before. As long as the dog bite victim was in a public place or was lawfully in a private place, they can seek compensation from the dog owner. The only exception would potentially be if the victim was trespassing or provoked the dog in some way.
Evidence used by your attorney to prove your case can include:
- Medical bills
- Photos
- Video footage, such as surveillance camera footage or cell phone videos.
- Eyewitness statements
- Police reports
- Pay stubs and information related to your employment
- Medical reports, including reports from counselors related to your mental distress.
Our San Diego dog bite lawyers will fight aggressively for your financial recovery using all of the evidence at hand.
Do I Still Have a Personal Injury Claim if I Was Partially At Fault for a Dog Bite in California?
California law allows you to recover financially in a personal injury claim even if you shared some fault for the incident. California follows a pure comparative negligence standard, meaning that you can recover even if you are more at fault than the other party. However, your total recovery would be reduced by your percentage of fault.
Your San Diego dog bite lawyer will seek to maximize your share of the financial settlement in a dog bite claim. If you felt the incident was partly your fault, do not let that stop you from meeting with an experienced personal injury lawyer.
How Long Do I Have to File a Claim in a California Dog Bite Case?
The statute of limitations for filing a dog bite lawsuit in California is two years in most situations.
The time period to file generally starts from the date of the incident, although some exceptions could apply. A skilled San Diego dog bite lawyer will get your claim ready to file before the deadline to give you the best chance of full financial recovery.
Contact a San Diego Dog Bite Lawyer for a Free Consultation Today
Dog bite injuries can happen quickly and cause severe injuries. The dedicated San Diego dog bite lawyers at Pines Salomon Personal Injury Lawyers have helped dog bite victims get back on their feet financially after a devastating injury in San Diego, CA. Call our experienced legal team to schedule your free consultation today.
San Diego Dog Bite Lawyer Review
https://maps.app.goo.gl/DgsSmKrHBQv9uBPcA
Read more of our client reviews here.
Highly Rated Recovery Centers in San Diego
- County of San Diego Department of Animal Services – 5821 Sweetwater Rd, Bonita, CA 91902
- San Diego Humane Society – 5500 Gaines St, San Diego, CA 92110
- Mission Valley Pet Clinic – 4329 Twain Ave, San Diego, CA 92120
- San Diego Center for Trauma Recovery – 1761 Hotel Cir S # 315, San Diego, CA 92108
*Disclaimer – we do not endorse these companies or profit from having them listed on our website.
San Diego Dog Bite Blog Posts
Additional San Diego Dog Bite Resources
Visit Our Personal Injury Law Office in San Diego, CA
We proudly serve San Diego County and its surrounding areas:
835 5th Avenue #302, San Diego, CA 92101
(858) 551-2090
Our Personal Injury law firm in San Diego also provides:
- Bicycle Accident Lawyers in San Diego, CA
- Brain Injury Attorneys in San Diego, CA
- Car Accident Attorneys in San Diego, CA
- Catastrophic Injury Attorneys in San Diego, CA
- Child Accident Attorney in San Diego
- Dog Bite Accident Lawyers in San Diego, CA
- Medical Malpractice Attorneys in San Diego
- Motorcycle Accident Lawyer in San Diego, CA
- Pedestrian Accident Lawyers in San Diego
- Slip and Fall Accident Lawyers in San Diego, CA
- Truck Accident Attorneys in San Diego, CA
- Uber Accident Attorney in San Diego, CA
- Wrongful Death Lawyers in San Diego
