California Civil Code protects dog bite victims in Echo Park. CA Civ Code 3342 holds dog owners fully responsible for the consequences of a bite in almost all situations.
Victims bitten in a park, in someone’s home, or anywhere else can seek full compensation for their medical bills, lost time from work, and for many other damages. Quirk Accident & Injury Attorneys, APC, offers a free consultation to all victims to find out what’s possible. Contact us to set up a no-obligation case review and find out how much in support we can demand for you.
Do I Need a Lawyer After Getting Bitten by a Dog?
If your dog bite wound is very minor, involving superficial cuts, you might not need a lawyer’s help. But if you’ve suffered a serious injury in a dog bite incident, like a broken bone or a deep puncture wound, it’s a good idea to talk over your case with Quirk Injury Attorneys, APC.
A dog bite claim is usually filed with the owner’s homeowners or renter’s insurance. But these insurance companies can make things difficult for victims. They can try to blame the bite victim for what happened. They will almost certainly try to downplay how bad the injury is. They try these tactics to be able to shortchange victims and even leave victims to pay for part of their own recovery costs.
This is simply unacceptable to our Echo Park Dog Bite Legal Team. We step in on your behalf. We fully investigate what happened and investigate the dog’s and the dog owner’s history. This evidence forms the backbone of a strong case that insurance companies will find difficult to dispute. Then our Echo Park Dog Bite Lawyers use their extensive negotiation skills to earn you the most possible in compensation. This is usually far above the level of support you could earn by filing on your own.
Dog Bite Dangers in Echo Park
Echo Park is a great place for dogs, and many local families share their homes with beloved pets. They make home life better, but when accidents occur, dog owners must accept responsibility. They must accept blame for everything they failed to do to keep the dog on a leash or to keep them confined in a home or yard.
A negligent dog owner might carelessly let a dog off-leash in a green space like Echo Park. A dog may be able to escape its pen due to a poorly maintained fence and bite victims in their own yards. In other cases, victims may be at a family member’s house when they or their child gets bitten.
Dogs can’t be blamed for their actions. California holds that the dog owner is responsible for keeping their pets out of situations where they might feel threatened, protective, or defensive. A dog owner should isolate a dog when visitors, like a child, might put a dog in a confusing situation where it could be tempted to bite.
There are a variety of reasons why a dog might bite someone in the Echo Park area. It might be provoked or intimidated, protecting its territory, food, or puppies. Some dogs are raised by animal abusers, who, in turn, make dogs aggressive. Children visiting homes with dogs inside can be bitten simply due to the child’s natural curiosity and the owner’s lack of attention.
How Many Dog Bite Victims Are there in Echo Park and Los Angeles?
According to the Los Angeles Department of Public Health, about 20,000 dog bites are reported every year. Nearly 66% of those are suffered by small children.
Los Angeles is also the city with the most dog attacks on postal workers each year. According to KTLA-TV, in 2024, 77 Postal Workers were attacked in Los Angeles. That ranked first out of all U.S. Cities. California was the top state, recording over 700 dog bite cases involving postal workers.
Los Angeles and neighborhoods like Echo Park are crowded with people and with dogs, and it’s easy for people to find themselves in a risky situation with an animal. Bite victims can have wounds that become infected, they can suffer broken bones, or even permanent disfigurements.
They’ll need financial support that covers all current medical bills and the future care they may need, including physical therapy, reconstructive therapy, and surgeries. Having a skilled Echo Park lawyer on the case can give victims a better chance to secure everything they need.
Who is Responsible for Dog Bites in Echo Park?
California is known as a “strict liability” dog bite state. Some states use the “one free bite” rule to determine whether a dog is vicious. After its first bite, there’s a presumption that it’s vicious. California doesn’t give any dog any free bites. The general rule is that its owner is liable for any injuries and damages caused by a dog’s bite, no matter the dog’s history. (Pictured: Silver Lake Dog Park)
Dog bites are addressed in California law under Civil Code 3342, which states:
“The owner of any dog is liable for the damages suffered by any person who is bitten by the dog in a public place or lawfully in a private place, including the property of the owner of the dog, regardless of the former viciousness of the dog or the owner’s knowledge of such viciousness.”
There are a few circumstances that could make a judge rule that a dog bite was your fault:
- If you were trespassing at the time of the bite
- If you provoked the dog (such as threatening the dog’s owner)
Under strict liability, dog owners are responsible for most dog bites. This even applies at dog parks where dogs are allowed to roam around off-leash. The owner is still responsible if a dog bites someone within the fence. This might apply at the Silver Lake Dog Park, just outside Echo Park.
What to Do After a Dog Bite Incident
Dog bite victims may have strict liability on their side, but insurance companies still have their tried and true tactics that can rob suffering victims of compensation.
You’ll want to have the best evidence available showing the dog owner was negligent and that you were injured because of it. The best evidence may be right there on the scene after the attack. You should focus on getting help and getting away from the dog first. But once you are safe, and as long as you feel strong enough, you should begin documenting the scene.
Try to gather these details for your dog bite injury case:
- Dial 911. Ask for an ambulance. Get all wounds examined and go to the hospital if necessary.
- Try to find the dog’s owner if possible. Get their contact information. Alert the owner that the authorities have been contacted.
- Give a full report to the police. The LAPD and/or animal control will likely be called out if a dog remains in the area and is threatening. If the dog’s rabies vaccination is in question, a response from authorities can be expected.
- Take photos. Make sure to show your bite wound and your bloody shirt, pants, and shoes. Take photos of the dog and the owner if they are around. Show any location signs if they are relevant, including street signs and signs like “beware of dog.”
- Get contact info from witnesses and note what they saw.
- Note if there are business security cameras or home doorbell cams around. Your Echo Park Dog Bite Lawyer will secure any footage showing the attack.
- Preserve the evidence. Don’t throw out or wash your bloody clothing and damaged personal items.
- See your doctor in the days that follow. Have every pain documented and follow your doctor’s orders.
- Contact an attorney. Allow your attorney to get started on building your case as soon as possible. Waiting can mean that evidence becomes harder to track down. Witnesses may disappear and become unreachable.
Compensation Available for Echo Park Dog Bite Victims
Dog bite victims are at risk of broken finger bones and ankle bones. They can suffer tendon and ligament damage. They risk infection and much more. The physical and emotional effects can linger for years or over a lifetime.
These traumatic outcomes are why victims must demand compensation for every damage they’ve had to endure and will endure. Your Quirk Accident & Injury Attorneys, APC, representative makes sure each of these factors is included in an insurance claim. We make sure a judge and jury know about everything you’ve been through if an insurance company refuses to write a settlement check and you must take them to court.
Your attorney will be submitting this list and including some things you may not have known could earn you and your family additional compensation:
- Past medical bills in connection with the attack, along with any future medical bills reasonably expected to be received in the future.
- Physical therapy costs for victims who must relearn how to control an injured limb and strengthen a damaged body part.
- Lifelong support for permanent disfigurement or disability.
- Support for the physical pain a dog bite causes and lingering pain in the years ahead.
- Help with the emotional trauma victims must cope with. This includes the anxiety and depression that may develop. Any PTSD symptoms from a frightening incident with a dog should be covered in a settlement agreement.
- Wrongful Death Benefits. Families who have lost a loved one to a dog bite can ask for financial support.
- Lost income and benefits while a victim must miss work. Lifetime aid in supporting a family if victims are unable to return to their jobs due to physical limitations caused by bite wounds.
Why Do Children Need Additional Compensation After Suffering a Dog Bite?
Unpredictable behavior and a child’s energy with a dog often cause dogs to be defensive around small children. Dog attacks are especially dangerous for child victims because they’re often bitten around the face and neck.
A young victim’s tissue and bones are more easily damaged. Their injuries can affect their growth and development, and an insurance settlement needs to cover any medical care expected to be needed as they mature.
It’s up to a skilled attorney to ensure that the parents of a child receive everything they need to see to the wellbeing of the victim in the years ahead.
Another important difference in cases involving victims who are minors. If a dog bite case settles, and the victim is less than 18 years old, any such settlement must be approved by a judge.
What If I’m Knocked Down and Injured by a Dog in Echo Park?
Take notice that strict liability doesn’t cover the other causes of injury that might have been caused by a dog. The legal concept only applies to dog bites. However, a dog that knocks someone down, even a bicyclist or motorcyclist, and causes injuries, can leave its owner liable.
This might involve an innocent but dangerous incident where a playful 80-pound retriever jumps on a human friend and the victim is hurt. Strict liability doesn’t apply since there was no bite involved. However, the dog owner is still usually responsible under other personal injury laws.
The victim would need to go further to prove the owner was responsible. This would mean showing evidence that the dog caused the injuries stemming from a fall and that a dog owner should have acted to prevent the dog from jumping or bumping someone. A skilled Echo Park Dog Lawyer can help you gather the evidence necessary to prove fault and to secure the money you need to pay for recovery.
Frequently Asked Questions by Echo Park Dog Bite Victims
How long can I wait to file a dog bite claim?
Two years. California allows personal injury victims up to two years to file an injury claim. Waiting beyond this deadline will usually mean that victims lose all chance of getting help with recovery costs.
Can my family ask for support after losing a loved one to a fatal dog attack?
Yes. Families seek support for things like funeral costs and leftover medical bills by filing a wrongful death claim. This claim also seeks financial assistance so the family can replace the income the deceased may have always provided to support close relatives. The lost emotional support that family members will have to cope with in the future can also factor into the size of a settlement check. Parents who lose a child to a dog bite incident should also receive support after losing the companionship the child would have provided over a lifetime that’s been cut short.
How can I afford to pay a dog bite lawyer?
If you feel Quirk Accident & Injury Attorneys can help you earn more for your dog bite recovery, you don’t need to worry about how you’ll pay us. We don’t get paid unless we win your case for you. Then our fee comes out of the settlement you receive from an auto insurance company.
Contact an Echo Park Dog Bite Attorney Today
Schedule a free, no-obligation consultation with our Echo Park dog bite lawyers here at Quirk Accident & Injury Attorneys, APC. We can talk about what happened, how it happened, and how it has affected you or your loved one. After that, we will go over all of the legal options available to you and your family.
We want to be at your side during this process and handle the frustrating back-and-forth with insurance adjusters. This gives you the freedom to focus on getting better and not worrying about how your bills will get paid. We have your back and are ready to fight until you have everything you need to rebuild your life after such a scary ordeal.