When a dangerous dog bites an innocent victim, the bite can cause serious and debilitating injuries. When it comes to dog bites, you should be especially concerned about a puncture wound, open laceration, redness, soreness, or bleeding. If the bite punctures your skin at all, you could be at risk of a serious infection if you do not have the wound professionally cleaned.
In any of these cases, you should seek prompt medical attention as soon as possible after the dog bite. You should also seek medical help if you cannot locate the dog’s owner or find out if the dog has its proper rabies vaccinations.
If you need any type of medical treatment, you should consult with a knowledgeable California dog bite attorney who could assist you with pursuing compensation for your related injuries and damages.
Strict Liability State
When it comes to dog bites, the State of California follows a strict liability rule. This means that the owner of a dog that bites another person – and causes injuries – is responsible for any and all damages. This is true even if the dog had not previously shown any dangerous or vicious propensity, or if the dog had never bitten anyone before.
Dog bite victims in the State of California only need to show that the dog bite either occurred lawfully at a private location or in a public place. In other words, the bike victim must not have been unlawfully trespassing on someone else’s land when the bite occurred, and the victim must not have provoked the dog in any way, such as with a rock or stick. If you have been bitten and injured by a dangerous or vicious dog, you might be eligible to recover compensation for your medical damages, lost earnings, inconvenience, pain and suffering, and other losses.
How Long Do You Have to Take Legal Action?
Victims of dog bites in California do not have an unlimited time period in which to file a claim or a lawsuit that seeks compensation for their injuries. Rather, the State has a statute of limitations that applies to all personal injury cases. In California, a dog bite victim has two years from the date of the bite to file a claim or lawsuit seeking compensation for injuries.
If the dog bite victim fails to file a claim or lawsuit within that two-year time period, he or she will not be eligible to pursue monetary compensation or damages for any injuries suffered in the incident. Therefore, it is important to seek legal counsel as soon as possible after a dog bite injury. A California dog bite attorney will be able to review your case and file a lawsuit in time to protect the statute of limitations. Even after a lawsuit has been filed, your attorney may still be able to settle the claim with the dog owner’s insurance company.
Talk with an Experienced California Dog Bite Attorney Today
If you have been bitten and injured by a dog in California, you have legal options that are available to you. A knowledgeable Orange County dog bite lawyer can explain all of those options to you and may be able to assist with filing a claim or lawsuit against the dog owner and/or the dog owner’s insurance company.
