LA Dog Bite Attorney
Dog bites have the potential to leave individuals with long-lasting scars, injuries, mental anguish, or even a lifelong fear of dogs. In the Los Angeles region, there are steps that someone injured by a dog bite may take to pursue legal action against a negligent dog owner. Dog owners are responsible for ensuring their pet never hurts anyone and when they do, the owner may be held liable for providing compensation to the plaintiff. If you have suffered injury from a dog bite, consider reaching out to a Los Angeles region dog bite lawyer for help exploring your legal options. Read on to learn more about how a professional injury attorney could help you today.
When Can Dog Owners be Held Liable?
Los Angeles, Claremont, and Pasadena have strict liability laws that make dog owners responsible when their dog bites someone in almost any circumstance. Under strict liability law, the owner cannot defend themselves by stating that the dog does not have a history of violence, or that the dog has never bitten anyone before.
However, that strict liability law only applies when the injured individual was legally allowed to be on the property of the dog owner or was lawfully in a public place. This means that if someone is trespassing when they are bitten by a dog, they would not be allowed to claim compensation because they were not legally allowed on the property. However, it should be noted that individuals who were not specifically invited onto property may still sometimes have legal cause to be there, such as a mailman delivering mail.
Dog Bites vs. Dog Attacks in Los Angeles, Claremont, and Pasadena
The law in Los Angeles, Claremont, and Pasadena also differentiate between dog bites and dog attacks. Strict liability law only applies to individuals who fall victim to a dog bite. Importantly, this means that—for example—if someone was riding their bike and a dog jumped up and grabbed their pant leg, causing them to fall off their bike and sustain injuries, strict liability law would not apply since the dog never actually bit them. However, the cyclist in this instance may still be able to claim compensation with the help of a dedicated Pasadena dog bite lawyer. By proving the dog owner was negligent by not keeping their dog restrained while out in public, the dog owner may still be held liable for compensating the injured party.
In the same vein, not all bites have to actually break the skin to be considered eligible dog bite claims either. To use the previous example again, if the dog bit the cyclist’s ankle and did not just grab their pant leg, and that bite caused them to fall off the bike and sustain an injury, strict liability law would apply even if the dog did not break the skin of the ankle when it bit the cyclist.
Reach Out to a Los Angeles County Dog Bite Lawyer
While California law is clear pertaining to dog bites, not all cases are as simple as they may seem at first. When someone is trying to recover from injuries, it can seem even more complicated. A weathered LA County dog bite lawyer may be able to review your case to help you claim the compensation to which you may be entitled. Consider speaking with a determined Los Angeles, Claremont, and Pasadena dog bite lawyer today to learn more.
