Lincoln, CA Dog Bite Lawyer

Getting attacked by a dog can be a life-altering event resulting in catastrophic bodily injuries. Some dog bites are so serious that they require months, or even years, of surgeries and other treatments to heal, if ever. This is why it is critical that you take the necessary steps to ensure your harms and losses are appropriately compensated after the attack.

If you are physically able to do so, contact 911 and request both police and an ambulance to come to the scene. If there were any eyewitnesses, get their names and phone numbers. You should also do all that you can to get the name of the dog owner. Why? Because California law holds dog owners strictly liable for the injuries inflicted by their pets.

You should also take pictures of your wounds so there is a clear image of the extent of the harms you suffered. As the old saying goes, a picture speaks a thousand words. This is especially true in the context of a dog bite injury claim. If you let days or weeks go by before you take a photo of your bite, there is a chance that the full extent of your injuries will not be captured.

Next, you should contact your local animal control and file a report. This is important because you want animal control on alert and working to apprehend the dog before it attacks anyone else. It is also important because animal control can assist with investigating who exactly owned the vicious dog which will thereby help you in your pursuit of monetary damages.

Seek medical attention right away. This is critical because a deep dog bite can result in you developing rabies and other serious infections. Make sure you follow your doctor’s recommendations and take the prescribed medications as directed. Keep track of all of your medical bills. These invoices can then be submitted to a claims adjuster to substantiate your personal injury claim.

You may be asking yourself, “if I was bitten by a dog, how do I obtain financial restitution from the dog owner?” Well, under California law, the victim of a dog bite has the ability to file a claim against the homeowner’s insurance policy of the dog owner.

In 2016, dog bites accounted for more than one-third of all homeowner's insurance liability claims, according to the Insurance Information Institute. Dog bite injury claims increased by eighteen percent in 2016 when compared to injury data from 2015.

California has the largest number of dog bite injury claims in the United States in 2016. Also, California had the highest average cost per claim at $76 million, according to the Insurance Information Institute.

The insurance claims process can get complicated very quickly and you will have to negotiate with a claims adjuster in order to obtain financial recovery from the insurance company. That is why it makes sense to hire an experienced Lincoln dog bite lawyer. They can take that burden off of you and negotiate on your behalf to ensure you get the financial restitution you deserve.

A man was bitten by a police dog while he was attempting to rescue a friend’s cat at a construction site. The dog bit the man’s legs multiple times causing injuries that reportedly took more than a year to heal.

The dog bite victim, a 64-year-old man, received an award totaling $1.1 million from a jury in federal court. The jury determined that deputies from the Sheriff’s department used excessive force in deploying the dog to attack the man. The victim went in through a fenced construction site to help a friend retrieve Domino, her cat. The man indicated in his claim that he attempted to find a security guard on-site and even tried calling a listed phone number but to no avail, according to the Mercury News. The Sheriff’s office claimed that the man trespassed onto the site and tripped a security alarm, which summoned officers to the scene. The dog attacked at the command of the police. This is what triggered liability on the part of the Sheriff’s office.

The following video explains why you should hire a lawyer for your dog bite claim.

I’m Ed Smith, a Dog Bite Lawyer in Lincoln, California. If you or someone you care about has suffered serious injury or passed away after being bitten or attacked by a dog, please reach out to me for free, friendly advice. I can be reached by calling 916.921.6400 or 800.404.5400.

When you call, we can discuss the details of the dog bite incident and determine what would be the best course of action. It is free to call and talk to me. Plus, I take my cases on a contingency fee basis. This means you pay nothing upfront. I get paid at the successful conclusion of your case.

We are members of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and the National Association of Distinguished Counsel.

See a list of our past cases on our verdicts and settlements page and our client reviews on Avvo, Yelp, Google.

Editor’s Note: This page has been updated for accuracy and relevancy [cha 12.19.19]