Victorville Dog Bite Lawyer

As lovable and playful as many dogs can be, not every canine companion is friendly to every animal and person they meet. If a dog feels threatened or provoked in any way, it may respond with surprising and uncharacteristic aggression, potentially resulting in injuries with life-altering repercussions.

If you have been seriously injured because someone else’s dog attacked you, you may want to speak with a Victorville dog bite lawyer about your options for civil litigation. State law is generous to dog bite victims in terms of the options for seeking financial restitution. A compassionate personal injury attorney’s guidance could be crucial to understanding and enforcing your legal rights.

Are Dog Owners Strictly Liable for Bite Injuries?

California is one of several states which takes a strict liability approach to dog bite injuries. This means state courts do not consider whether a dog owner had prior knowledge that their pet might be aggressive or violent when deciding whether they should bear civil liability for the harm their dog caused another person. As long as they are the dog’s owner, they may be strictly liable for any losses caused by an attack, including:

• Medical bills
• Lost work income and working capacity
• Personal property loss and damage
• Physical pain and discomfort
• Lost quality of life
• Emotional distress

This strict-liability rule only applies to injuries caused specifically by a dog bite, as an attorney in Victorville could further explain. If a dog injures another person in any other way, such as by jumping on them and knocking them over, an injured person could still pursue civil recovery from the dog’s owner by proving the owner was legally negligent. There are other exceptions to the strict liability rule, even for bite injuries.

How Comparative Negligence Could Affect Recovery

State law does not hold dog owners strictly liable for injuries their pet causes by biting someone trespassing on the owner’s land or biting someone who voluntarily accepted a risk of injury. Additionally, any degree of fault a bitten person holds for causing or worsening their damages may be held against them as comparative negligence, whether an individual builds their case around strict liability or negligence theory.

If someone provokes a dog into attacking them, fails to seek medical care quickly after being bitten, or does anything else reckless or careless related to a dog attack, their assigned portion of total blame for their losses could result in a proportional reduction in the compensation value. Assistance from a seasoned lawyer could be vital to contesting allegations of comparative fault effectively after a dog bite in Victorville.

Get in Touch with a Victorville Dog Bite Attorney

Dogs can—and all too often do—cause serious injuries when they are scared, taunted, or not socialized. No matter what specifically caused a domesticated dog to attack, their owner might bear civil liability for any physical, financial, and psychological harm you or a family member experienced as a direct result.

A Victorville dog bite lawyer could review your circumstances and discuss possible filing options in detail during a private consultation. Call today if you would like to set up a meeting and begin a suit for compensation.