San Diego Dog Bite Attorneys

Welcome to the California Dog Bite Law website. Created by the San Diego dog bite attorneys of Casey Gerry, this site is especially for people who have been attacked by dogs or suffered serious dog bite injuries, and for their loved ones.

Being attacked and bitten by a dog can be a traumatic and life-altering event. Dog bite attacks may cause serious wounds and physical scarring and disfigurement. A dog attack on a small child can cause major injuries, or even be fatal. Anyone who has suffered a dog bite or has been attacked by a dog knows how frightening an experience it can be.

Many people seeking the help of a San Diego dog attack lawyer have suffered dog bite attacks that have left them with permanent scarring. Skilful plastic surgery can often reduce the scars, but even with the best surgical care, many people will suffer permanent residuals, scars that they will live with for the rest of their lives.

Dog bites may also leave the victim with persistent fear, post-traumatic stress disorder, whose symptoms may include sleep disturbance, hypervigilance, increased anxiety and irritability, flashbacks and painful memories of the attack, inability to concentrate, and persistent fear of dogs. Dog bite attacks may also leave other kinds of emotional scarring, including persistent depression. Casey Gerry's San Diego dog bite attorneys understand that visible, disfiguring scars can profoundly affect a person’s sense of self. In representing our clients we always consider the effect of the injuries and scarring on the person’s self-esteem and ability to function.

Dog attacks are a significant public health problem. The US Center for Disease Control reports that every year more than 4.7 million Americans suffer a dog bite injury. Of these, nearly 800,000 require medical attention, and about 6000 dog attack victims require hospitalization for care of their wounds.

The large majority of dog bite victims are children 14 and under; more than half of bite wounds requiring medical attention involve children. In 2007 32 people died of dog bite attacks, 22 of them young children. Dog bite injuries are the third leading cause of emergency admission of children to hospitals. The elderly are also disproportionately represented among dog bite victims. Mail carriers, other delivery personnel, and service workers who make house calls have greater exposure to dogs, and are bitten at higher rates.

In 2007 dog bites cost insurers $356.2 million, with the average cost of a dog bite claim at $24,511. Liability claims, including dog bite claims, accounted for about 5 percent of all homeowners insurance losses in 2006.

Under California law, dog owners are liable when their dog bites someone; the victim does not have to prove fault or negligence. Dog owners have also been held responsible when the dog did not bite its victim, but the victim was otherwise injured by the dog, or injured while trying to escape the dog’s attack. Many California counties have leash laws that require dogs to be restrained by a leash six feet or shorter. Violation of leash law provides another basis for holding the dog owner responsible.

On this site, Dog attack safety: preventing dog bites and dog attack injuries and fatalities provides advice about how to avoid dog bites, especially for young children. It advises dog owners about the simple, commonsense steps they can take to reduce the likelihood of their dog’s biting. The page on Treatment and rehabilitation after a dog bite or dog attack discusses the kinds of medical and psychological treatment dog bite victims may need.

If you or a loved one has recently suffered serious injuries from a dog attack, or if a loved one has died as a result of a dog attack, you will want to learn more about your rights. After a serious dog bite injury: should you consider legal action? can help you think about your options. Our Frequently Asked Questions page offers quick answers to some of your most immediate questions.

Many dog bites and dog attacks are the result of negligence by a dog owner or a landlord. A dog owner who keeps a dog s/he knows to be dangerous may be found negligent. Landlords or property owners may be held financially responsible for injuries caused by someone else’s dog, if the owners knew or should have known about the dog’s aggressive propensities and failed to take action to make sure their property was safe.

If you believe that your or your loved one’s dog bite and dog attack injuries or death resulted from a dog owner’s or a property owner’s negligence, you should contact an experienced San Diego dog bite attorney immediately for review of a potential claim. There are deadlines set by laws which regulate the filing of lawsuits. These are called statutes of limitation, and they vary from state to state. If the statute of limitations expires, your right to pursue a claim against the negligent party may be forever barred.