In California, if you have been attacked and bitten by another person’s dog, the dog’s owner is strictly liable for your injuries, and the financial damages caused as a result of the dog bite. Strict liability means the dog’s owner cannot argue when you have been injured from being bitten by another person’s dog. The dog’s owner cannot argue liability or “fault” for the incident, barring a few exceptions (such as if you intentionally provoke a dog). This is a very powerful tool to use in lawsuits, and provides our experienced attorneys the leverage necessary to achieve the best possible settlements for our dog bite clients.
The statute for strict liability for a dog owner, as it relates to dog bites, was designed to prevent dogs from being a hazard to the community and to hold the dog owner responsible for the actions of their pet. It places the societal cost of dog bite injuries and damages on the party who owns the dog. The legal financial burden is on the dog owner, and will be paid by the dog owner’s renters insurance or homeowner’s insurance policy. Therefore, it is the dog owner’s responsibility to make sure their dog is obedient and well controlled in order to prevent their dog from biting a child or another person.
Due to the strict liability on the dog owner in California, insurance companies are much more willing to attempt to settle these types of cases out before they reach trial or litigation. This is also true if the injured parties are children, or if the dog bite injuries are very severe. All of these factors help to give leverage into dog bite cases and help to bring a strong case against the dog owner and/or their applicable insurance carrier.
If you or a loved ones has been bitten and injured from a dog bite, please contact the Law Firm of Rivers Morrell for a free consultation at (949)305-1400 to discuss your case. Rivers Morrell has more than 40 years of experience and success dealing with high profile dog bite cases.
