Most dog bites occur in children who are doing everyday activities around familiar dogs. Many others occur when a person poses no threat to the dog who viciously attacks the human. If you or a loved one have been bitten by a dog, you may have legal options for seeking compensation for your medical expenses, lost wages, pain, and suffering. A compassionate Northridge dog bite lawyer can help guide you through the process of seeking fair compensation after a dog bite.
At Younglove Law Firm, we help hold careless dog owners responsible for the harm they allow. We want to help make things right for you and protect your legal rights. Call for a free and confidential consultation at (602) 737-3333.
If you were bitten by someone else’s dog, you may be able to seek compensation by filing a claim with the dog owner’s renter’s or homeowner’s insurance policy. However, insurance companies are notorious for minimizing victims’ claims and may try to deny, delay, or minimize the amount they award victims if they do not have the help of an experienced Northridge personal injury lawyer.
Attorney Doug Younglove is an experienced trial lawyer who has successfully concluded more than 300 cases in the last five years. When you are dealing with an insurance company, it is important that you work with an attorney who is willing and able to take the case to court to give the insurance company an incentive to settle the case. Too many lawyers make idle threats of a lawsuit, and insurance companies know when they cannot stand behind their word. Doug Younglove can back up this threat, as seen through his extensive trial experience.
Most states are considered either one-bite or strict liability states. Here are the differences in these approaches.
In one-bite states, the plaintiff must show the dog owner knew or should have known about their dog’s propensity to bite. This is usually done by showing the dog has bitten someone before. The plaintiff may have to present evidence to prove this, such as:
These cases are based on the legal theory of negligence; you have to prove the dog owner was negligent to recover compensation.
In strict liability states, the dog owner is automatically responsible for the damages the dog bite causes as long as the bite occurs under circumstances described under the statute. California is a strict liability state. In California, dog owners are strictly liable when:
Strict liability rules make it easier to make a claim against the dog owner because you don’t have to prove negligence or any knowledge of the dog’s viciousness.
Our Northridge dog bite lawyer understands how a dog bite can change your life in an instant. Contact the Younglove Law Firm at (602) 737-3333 to seek justice and accountability.