San Diego Dog Bite Lawyers

Have you been bitten or attacked by a dog or other dangerous animal? Research shows that over 300,000 dog bite injuries occur every year and more than a dozen deaths occur annually from dog bites. Dog bites are a very common form of injury for both adults and children, often resulting in serious bodily injuries including scarring, and permanent disfigurement. These injuries almost always include a significant psychological component. With dog bite injuries, medical costs may be extensive depending upon the nature of the injury. Future medical care is often required and plastic surgery may be needed in cases of severe disfigurement or facial lacerations. Hospital bills alone from a dog bite injury can easily reach  $15,000- 50,000 for emergency treatment and can go much higher.

Children are also especially vulnerable to dog bites. Many children are bitten in the head and/or face as a result of bending over to pet what appears to be a “friendly” dog. In fact, 75% of dog bite injuries to children are to the facial area. Occasionally, a person may also be injured by a dog without being bitten such as in the case where a person is scratched, knocked over, or caused to fall from a bicycle. You may be able to recover for your damages from the animal’s owner under these and similar circumstances. Fortunately, in most cases, dogs are licensed and the owner of the dog is usually identifiable increasing your chances of obtaining compensation for your injuries and damages from the responsible party or an insurance carrier. Sometimes finding the dog’s owner may prove to be a challenge. We can help!

We often represent members of the National Association of Letter Carriers and others who are exposed to dogs routinely as part of their job. People who face on-the-job dog bite injuries include utility meter readers, home inspectors, couriers, delivery drivers, pool maintenance technicians, gardeners, roofers, salespeople, construction workers, babysitters, in-home health care workers, kids, and many others. There are many rules and regulations that pertain to a dog owner’s liability for another’s injuries. These laws may vary from city to city and county to county. It is important to have an experienced attorney by your side as liability may also be premised on a number of different legal theories of which you as an individual may be unaware.

Any dog, of any breed, can bite or attack. According to California Civil Code Section 3342, in most dog bite cases the owner of the dog is liable for any damages, regardless of whether the dog has shown vicious behavior in the past. Dog owners can be negligent or reckless in several ways, including:



• Training the dog to attack, kill, or otherwise behave aggressively
• Failing to socialize the dog or correct aggressive behavior
• Failing to properly enclose or restrain the dog
• Failing to react appropriately to circumstances that may lead to a dog bite.

In the case of a dog bite or other animal injury, it is wise to consult an attorney at The Gould Firm as soon as possible. We are experienced in handling serious injury dog bite cases and have had many successful results for our injured clients.

If you have been injured by a dog or have been injured by any dangerous animal, please call us as soon as possible to discuss your case and your rights. We are here to help.