Being bitten by a dog is a very serious matter that can lead to severe issues if not taken care of properly. With more than 5,000,000 privately owned dogs located in Los Angeles County, it’s clear that people in California love their four legged furry friends.

Most dogs are nice and friendly, however that is not always the case. At the end of the day, dogs are animals, and no matter how well trained a dog may be, it could still bite someone. Here at Sogomonyan Law Group, we’ve handled a number of dog bite incidents, and know how severe the accidents can be. A dog attack can cause painful, lifelong injuries that require medical care and leave lifelong issues, such as permanent scars or disfiguration.

What Should I Do After a Dog Bite?

Dog bites are pretty common and are usually not life threatening. The fact that they are not life threatening doesn’t mean that they shouldn’t be taken seriously, as dog bites can cause scarring and permanent disfiguration. When you get bit by a dog, its front teeth will grab and compress your tissue and its smaller teeth will tear your skin apart. If you’ve been bit by a dog, you can follow these steps to ensure you stay healthy & to best set yourself up for an easy dog bite accident claim:

• Go to a hospital. It’s important to seek medical attention right away, as you can’t be certain whether the dog has any infectious diseases.
• Take photos. Take photos of any injuries that resulted from the dog bite. It’s good to have documentation of the injuries to support your claim.
• Get the dog owner’s insurance information. Hopefully, whoever owns the dog that bit you has a homeowner’s insurance policy that will cover the injuries that resulted as a damage of the dog bite.
• Report the dog to animal control. Dog bites must be reported to the California Department of Animal Control. They may also ask you to report the incident to the Police or the department of health.
• Contact a personal injury attorney. Get in touch with a dog bite accident attorney to help you with your case. It’s important to have an experienced attorney on your side so that you can get the best settlement possible.

Who Is Liable For a Dog Bite in California?

California law makes it clear that the owner of a dog is the liable party in the event that their dog bites someone.

According to California Civil Code 3342,
“The owner of any dog is liable for the damages suffered by any person who is bitten by the dog while 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. A person is lawfully upon the private property of such owner within the meaning of this section when he is on such property in the performance of any duty imposed upon him by the laws of this state or by the laws or postal regulations of the United States, or when he is on such property upon the invitation, express or implied, of the owner.”

This means that as long as someone is not trespassing on your property, you are liable if your dog bites them. Making a dog bite personal injury claim is not always simple, as there are required steps to make the owner liable for their dog's attack.

Can I Sue Someone If Their Dog Bit Me?

Yes, it’s possible for the victim of a dog bite to sue the dog’s owner if they get bit, however there are rules that apply. As long as the victim was not trespassing or in a public place and didn’t do anything to provoke the animal, they won’t have to prove that the dog’s owner was acting negligently. The owner will still be on the hook for the damages caused by their dog's bite.

Will Homeowners Insurance Cover a Dog Bite?

It’s definitely possible for a homeowners insurance policy to cover a dog bite. Coverage will depend on the type of policy the policy holder has. Dog bite coverage is usually rolled into the personal liability insurance aspect of a homeowner’s insurance policy, as insurance companies don’t offer a separate dog bite insurance. Homeowner’s insurance coverage of a dog bite claim will depend on a case by case basis. Simply having a homeowners policy doesn’t always mean you’re in the clear if your dog bites someone. You should make sure that the insurance company that provided you with a policy knows you have a dog, and you should verify that it isn’t excluded from coverage. Insurance companies do often exclude certain animal breeds from coverage, so it’s important to make sure you qualify for coverage.

How Can a Dog Bite Attorney Help Me?

If you’ve been bitten by a dog, a Los Angeles dog bite attorney can play a huge role in helping you get the compensation you deserve. Having an attorney on your side can simplify the process, as an attorney will complete everything that’s needed for the claim process. You can recover and relax while an experienced attorney handles your insurance claim for you. At Sogomonyan Law Group, we’ve settled hundreds of cases with insurance companies. We’re constantly dealing with dog bite claims, so we know how traumatizing and severe the injuries can be. We know how to negotiate with insurance companies to extract the maximum settlement value out of them.

What Compensation Can a Dog Bite Lawyer Get Me?

Compensation for a dog bite claim can vary depending on a wide variety of factors. If you’ve been bitten by a dog, you know how traumatic of an experience it can be. You can always file a claim and negotiate with insurance companies on your own, but it’s usually a good idea to hire a personal injury attorney with experience handling dog bite cases. The compensation amount for every claim is different, as everyone’s injuries, pain, and suffering isn’t equal. Here are some of forms of compensation a dog bite lawyer can get you:

• Reimbursement for medical bills. Visits to the doctor, chiropractor, physical therapist, and any other medical treatments will be covered.
• Property Damage. Reimbursement for your vehicle that was damaged during the accident.
• Personal injuries. Motorcycle accidents can result in a wide variety of injuries, from minor bruises to broken bones, spinal cord injuries, and in some of the worst instances, fatalities.
• Lost wages. Compensation for lost wages due the accident.
• Emotional trauma. Being involved in an accident can cause significant emotional damage, like anxiety and depression.
• Pain & Suffering. As an accident victim, you’re entitled to compensation for the mental anguish and pain that was suffered during the injury.
• Rental Car Coverage. If you had to rent a rental car due to your motorcycle loss, you’ll be eligible for reimbursement.

Los Angeles Dog Bite Statistics

Getting bit by a dog is a frightening experience that no one should have to go through. Dogs can be friendly and loveable animals, but you can never be certain about how a dog is going to react. There are about 4.5 million dog bites that occur every single year across the nation, with about 20,000 of them coming from the Los Angeles area. USPS has ranked Los Angeles as the city with the 2nd highest number of dog bites, with 48 dog bites against USPS workers in 2022 alone.

As a pet owner, it’s important to be mindful about who you allow near your dog, as if your dog bites someone it’s likely you’ll be held liable. If you’re a dog owner living in Los Angeles, check your homeowners insurance policy to ensure it covers dog bites and specifically your dog’s breed.

Why Choose Us For Your Dog Bite Claim?

If you’ve been injured in a dog bite accident, it’s a good idea to contact an attorney to file a claim on your behalf. At Sogomonyan Law Group, we have extensive experience with representing clients in dog bite accident claims. We understand the extensive injuries that can arise from a dog bite and know how to best negotiate with insurance companies for maximum payout of dog bite accident claims. Ensuring our clients get proper and fair treatment is our number one priority. It’s important to have an experienced attorney like Sogomonyan Law on your side, as insurance companies don’t want to pay you what the damages that you’re really entitled to. Insurance companies try to lowball and pay out the least amount of money possible for your claim.

The Most Common Dog Bite Injuries

Even though most dog bites don’t result in significant injuries, many still do. If you’ve been bitten by a dog, it’s important to seek medical treatment right away, to prevent any life threatening injuries. Dog bites can cause problems that aren’t immediately detectable, like rabies or other infections. The most common dog bite injuries people experience are:

• Lacerations
• Scars
• Skin Punctures
• Infections
• PTSD
• Anxiety
• Fractured Bones
• Torn Ligaments

The Levels of Dog Bites

Dr. Ian Dunbar has created a scale that lists the levels of severity for dog bites. In California, injuries are usually classified into one of these six categories.

Level 1. Obnoxious or aggressive behavior but no skin-contact by teeth.

Level 2. Skin-contact by teeth but no skin-puncture. However, may be skin nicks (less than one tenth of an inch deep) and slight bleeding caused by forward or lateral movement of teeth against skin, but no vertical punctures.

Level 3. One to four punctures from a single bite with no puncture deeper than half the length of the dog’s canine teeth. Maybe lacerations in a single direction, caused by the victim pulling hand away, the owner pulling the dog away, or gravity (little dog jumps, bites and drops to floor).

Level 4. One to four punctures from a single bite with at least one puncture deeper than half the length of the dog’s canine teeth. May also have deep bruising around the wound (dog held on for N seconds and bore down) or lacerations in both directions (dog held on and shook its head from side to side).

Level 5. Multiple-bite incident with at least two Level 4 bites or multiple-attack incident with at least one Level 4 bite in each.

Level 6. Victim dead.

This scale has been created by The Association of Professional Dog Trainers, who have determined that over 99% of dog bite incidents are level 1 and 2 bites.

Why Should I Get An Attorney Before I Speak to an Insurance Company?

Speaking to an insurance company without first speaking to an attorney about your accident claim can be detrimental to the claim’s settlement result. Insurance company representatives have been trained on how to ask questions in an effort to incriminate the claimant. Even if you didn’t do anything wrong, the insurance company representatives will ask you questions hoping that you say something that they can use against you.

Insurance companies save money by not paying out claims, so they’ll do whatever they legally can to improve their chances of winning a claim or paying out the least amount of money possible. At Sogomonyan Law Group, we’ve been dealing with insurance companies for years, so we already know the games they play and the tricks they try to pull. With an experienced attorney on your side, insurance companies know that they can’t take advantage of you by offering you a lowball settlement.

Can You Sue For a Minor Dog Bite?

Yes, in California you can sue for any type of dog bite. No matter the extent of a dog bite, you have the right to sue the dog’s owner for damages. However, your damages will obviously vary depending on the extent of the dog bite. If you’ve been bitten by a dog and you feel that it’s not severe, you may still have a case. Contact a Los Angeles dog bite attorney for a free consultation to help you determine whether you have a case or not.

How Do Most Dog Bite Incidents in California Happen?

Most dog bites in California occur when a dog negatively reacts to someone’s actions. It’s common for a dog to bite someone if it finds itself in a stressful situation, as dogs usually bite if they are scared or feel threatened. However, that’s not always the case. It’s totally possible for a dog to bite even if you weren’t doing anything to provoke it.

Will My Dog Be Put Down If It Bites Someone In California?

There are three key points that influence whether your dog would have to be put down if it bit someone in California. The three points are:

• If the dog has rabies
• If the dog has bitten at least two people before
• If the dog has seriously bitten one other person, and has been raised as an attack dog

If your dog doesn’t meet any of these criteria, then it wouldn’t be put down. Even though your dog wouldn’t be put down, you would still be liable for any injuries that resulted from your dog's attack.

Will My Dog Be Put Down If It Bites Another Dog In California?

No, according to California law, your dog will not be put down if it bites another dog. However, the other dog’s owner has the right to sue you for damages. Damages could include medical treatment for the dog’s injuries, such as veterinarian bills, surgery costs, medications and medical supplies, and other costs.

What Type of Homeowner’s Insurance Coverage Should I Have As a Dog Owner in Los Angeles?

If you’re a dog owner living in California, you may be nervous about whether you have sufficient coverage in the event that your dog bites someone. If you are a homeowner, you should check your homeowner’s insurance policy to see if you have dog bite coverage. If not, you should definitely look into adding it in, under the personal liability section of your homeowner’s insurance.

Having coverage for a dog bite is very important, as it may be the difference in having to pay out of pocket versus having your claim covered through insurance in the event that your dog bites someone.

Sogomonyan Law Group Can Help With Your Dog Bite Case

At Sogomonyan Law Group, we have extensive experience handling dog bite claims. If you or someone you know has been bit by a dog, contact us for a free consultation. Insurance companies don’t want to pay you what you deserve, they want to pay you the least amount of money possible. Without an experienced dog bite attorney on your side, it’s not easy to get the settlement you deserve. Let the experts at Sogomonyan Law Group handle your claim. Contact our office today for a free consultation on your dog bite case.