Animal Bite Lawyer

48,596 emergency room visits occurred last year for dog bites, with 28 deaths. This is doubled between 2005 and 2022. Under California Civil Code Section 3342, the owner of a dog is liable for damage that is suffered by an individual who's bitten, if bitten in a public place or where they are lawfully allowed to be on a private premises. The law pertaining to a dog attack is what we call strict liability. There is no one free bite rule. Additionally, a landowner who has knowledge of a dangerous dog on their premises can be held liable for allowing that dog to be on their premises. Under section 3342.5 if there is a dog that has bitten multiple people the city attorney or district attorney can bring legal action against the owner. In addition to bites, dogs cause injury in other ways. Darting out in front of a bicycle, knocking down a person along the sidewalk, running into the street and causing a collision. If a dog causes injury, the owner or handler must exchange information. The San Francisco health code section 44 makes it illegal to own an unaltered pit bull or pit bull mix. In all municipalities there are leash laws and under certain circumstances, the owner of a dangerous animal can themselves be charged with a crime. If there's a dog bite, it should be reported to Animal Control. Animal Control will quarantine the dog to make sure it doesn't have rabies and determine whether or not a dangerous dog hearing should happen. Animal Control can institute multiple remedies to try to reduce the risk of further bites. In the most serious cases where a dog has committed a vicious attack or multiple attacks, there can be a requirement that the dog be euthanized. If you're bitten by someone's dog, you have a right to recover damages. That includes economic damages for any type of hospital stay, any type of treatments and lost wages. You're also allowed to recover non-economic damages, things such as pain, suffering, emotional distress and anxiety and grief. In a lot of the cases we've handled with dog attacks, people become hypersensitive being around dogs, so they can have a very serious effect. If you or someone you know has been attacked by a dog, call a lawyer with experience about it. Call our firm, the Dolan Law Firm @dolanlawfirm.com.