Whether you’re out for a leisurely jog through your neighborhood, riding your bike or just working in your front yard on a sunny day, you probably don’t think you’ll end up in the emergency room because you suffered a dog bite from an unleashed animal that was running loose. However, almost five million people in the United States are injured by a dog bite every year, according to the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA). If it can happen to them, it can happen to you, and a Fremont dog bite lawyer can help you navigate the legal system and obtain the compensation that you deserve.

Many dog attacks cause minor injuries. However, serious injuries can result from dog bites such as facial trauma, broken bones and worse. At its extreme, permanently disabling trauma and fatalities are reported. Our dog bite lawyers in Fremont understand how the pain and trauma of a dog attack affect you or your loved one and are committed to helping you get fair compensation so that you can heal physically and emotionally.

For a free and confidential consultation if you were attacked by a dog, please contact our experienced Fremont dog bite attorneys today at (510) 631-0200 or (800) 404-5400. You will receive a review of your case, can ask questions and will be told all the legal options that are available to seek compensation to get your life back on track and move forward after your terrible experience.

In 2021, there were an estimated 2,026 insurance claims made for dog bite injuries in California, according to the Insurance Information Institute. Most of these claims were paid by homeowners or renters insurance. The average cost per claim was $59,561 with $120.7 million paid out by insurance companies in the state.

Under California Law, Civil Code Section § 3342, dog owners are liable for the injuries caused to someone else if they are bitten. The attack can happen at a private residence or public place, including on the owner’s own property. In California, it doesn’t matter if the dog never bit anyone before. However, on private property, the person has to be there legally, and the law does not apply to trespassers. For example, a postal worker, delivery person and others would be covered by California law if they are bitten while on the property. 

There are exceptions to the law also. A bite injury caused by a dog being used by the military or police while working would not be covered under the law. The dog handler/owner would also not be liable if it was defending itself from someone harassing or provoking it.

Any time someone suffers an injury it can leave them in shock as well as pain. This makes it harder for them to think about what they should do. The following are useful tips:

• Call the police or animal control right away. If the bite is ongoing, have someone phone 911 or the Tri-City Animal Shelter at 510-790-6640.
• Get medical care at the emergency room or your physician immediately if you are bleeding. If the injury is an open wound, you can catch a disease or develop an infection. Some of those diseases such as rabies can be lethal.
• If the owner is there, obtain their contact information, even if the injury isn’t too serious.
• Ask the owner who their veterinarian is and for the vet’s contact information as well. It is important to know if the dog has been fully vaccinated. If the veterinarian noted a previous report of a dog bite or aggression, this could be important to your injury claim. In addition, if the dog’s vaccination record has not been kept up-to-date, you might have to get rabies shots, which can be expensive and painful but can save you from an untreatable, terminal disease.
• Get contact information from any witnesses to your dog bite attack, which can be important if you decide to file a claim for compensation against the owner or other negligent person who was caring for the animal.
• Photograph the dog if possible, along with the location where the bite injury occurred. If there are traffic cameras nearby, they might have captured the accident as it happened. Your Fremont dog bite lawyer could subpoena the tape as evidence if this occurred.
• Photograph your injuries and your clothing, especially if it shows tears or other damage.
• Store the clothing you wore, including your shoes, in a plastic bag as evidence. Your lawyer can use this to check for blood smears, bite marks and other evidence that you were attacked.
• Use a notebook or your computer to record your losses. A copy of your hospital and other medical bills can be obtained by your accident attorney as well as your lost wages. Even out-of-pocket expenses can be recovered such as taxi fares, gasoline and parking fees to go to medical appointments. Keep a journal of your pain levels on a daily basis. Include any treatments you received as well as your emotional state.

The National Institutes of Health reports that from 10 to 20 percent of all dog bites cause infection. Dogs can also carry dangerous diseases that can transfer to humans such as:

• Rabies
• Tetanus
• Capnocytophaga
• Staphylococcus
• Pasteurella
• Streptococcus

Cleaning a dog bite wound properly is important to avoid infections. This is why it is vital to see a physician to have a more serious wound cleaned. Antibiotics may also be prescribed to help avoid complications as well as a tetanus booster if the injured party hasn’t received one in 10 years.

If you have been injured by a dog bite, you may find it hard to make your way through the legal system on your own. An injury lawyer can assist you by gathering together the evidence to support your claim and calculating your damages now and possibly in the future. In addition to offering guidance and legal advice, the Fremont dog bite lawyer can negotiate with the at-fault dog owner’s insurance company on your behalf to recover the highest settlement possible. The damages that you can recover from a dog bite injury can help you move forward without financial stress and hold the pet owner responsible to discourage such acts in the future. 

Attorney Ed Smith discusses tips for picking a personal injury lawyer to handle your case in the video below:

Contact one of our dog bite lawyers in Fremont when you’ve suffered a canine injury. You can get our free and friendly advice by contacting us at (510) 631-0200 or (800) 404-5400. We also offer an online form if you prefer to message us. Please let us know if you are interested in having a free consultation, so we can review your case either in person or virtually where you can ask questions and find out available options to recover compensation. You can also click on the following link to our Verdicts and Settlements page to discover how we have assisted others.

Photo attribution: by S. Hermann & F. Richter from Pixabay 

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