California Dog Bite Lawyer

Each year, millions of innocent children, the elderly and even average adults are seriously injured or suffer wrongful death as a result of dog bite attacks. If you or a loved one has suffered a dog bite and don’t know what to do, we urge you to contact a Beverly Hills dog bite lawyer as soon as possible.

Yerushalmi Law Group will help guide you through the necessary steps and provide you with the answers and direction you need. Do not hesitate. Please call us at (310) 777-7717, or contact a lawyer for dog bite legal advice.

California Dog Bite Law

Different states handle dog bite cases differently. California is a “strict liability” state for dog bites. This means that the owner’s intent or knowledge is irrelevant in deciding whether they will be held liable for a dog bite. In California, an owner cannot escape liability for a dog bite by claiming that he or she had no idea that the dog would act aggressively. The owner is responsible for all damages resulting from a dog bite, even if the dog has never bitten anyone before. 

If you, or a loved one, is bitten by a dog, you only need to prove that the bite occurred while you were in a public place or lawfully in a private place. You do not have to show the owner knew the dog was prone to violence. This means that of someone else’s dog bit you in California, odds are that person will have to pay for your medical bills and other damages. The only exception to this rule is if the person who was bit by a dog was trespassing.

But remember, this rule only applies to dog bites, you will have to take these extra steps to prove your case if you were injured by a dog, but not by a bite (for example if you fell on the floor after a dog jumped on you).

Child Safety

In the history of dog bites, the most frequently wounded victims have been children. For these vulnerable victims, a dog bite can leave emotional scars or conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder. There are a number of precautions parents can take to promote dog bite child safety. Most importantly, teach young children, including toddlers, to be careful around pets.

They should not:
· Hug or approach a dog from behind;
· Touch a dog’s food bowl;
· Pull parts of a dog’s body;
· Stare directly into a dog’s eyes;
· Try to kiss a god on his or her face.

Children should always seek permission from the dog’s owner before touching or petting a dog and when doing so, they should always put their hand out first so the dog can sniff them.

Another important child safety tip is to educate children on what to do if threatened by a dog. Tell them to:

· Remain calm and do not scream;
· Speak calmly and firmly;
· Avoid making eye contact with the dog;
· Try to stay until the dog leaves or back away slowly until the dog is out of sight;
· Do not turn and run away; and
· IF the child falls or is knocked to the ground, tell them to curl into a ball with their hands over their head and neck, protecting their face.

Our children are the most important thing in the world and we need to do whatever we can to promote dog bite child safety. We do not have control over whether a dog decided to attack, but we have a duty to arm our children with the knowledge of what to do if they ever come face to face with a vicious dog.

Dangerous Breeds

According o the Centers for Disease Control (“CDC”), the most dangerous dog breeds include:

· Pit bulls
· Rottweiler’s
· German shepherds
· Huskies
· Alaskan Malamutes
· Doberman pinschers
· Chows
· Great Danes
· Saint Bernards
· Akitas.