Were you or someone you love recently bitten by a dog in Van Nuys, California? If so, call JUSTICENTER Personal Injury Lawyers at (833) 852-3600 to schedule a free consultation. You deserve to be compensated, and our Van Nuys dog bite lawyers can help you fight for maximum damages.
JUSTICENTER Personal Injury Lawyers offers powerhouse legal representation to injury victims and families in Southern California. Backed by over 105 years of combined experience litigating high-stakes personal injury cases, we stand up to powerful corporations and demand justice for our deserving clients.
We can help you demand financial justice for your dog bite injuries, too. Contact us today to get started and schedule a time for a complimentary case review.
Why Choose JUSTICENTER Personal Injury Lawyers After a Dog Bite in Van Nuys, CA?
You’ll want JUSTICENTER Personal Injury Lawyers fighting for you if you’ve been bitten by a dog because we work tirelessly in these complicated cases.
Our Van Nuys personal injury lawyers bring an unrivaled level of experience, knowledge, and strategy to the negotiating table. When you hire our personal injury law firm to represent you, it sends a clear message to the dog’s owner, their insurance company, and others who might be liable for your damages. You’re not going to be taken advantage of, nor will you walk away with anything less than the full value of your dog bite claim.
We’re recognized as:
- Southern California Super Lawyers
- AV Preeminent litigators by Martindale-Hubbell, and
- Best Lawyers
Our Van Nuys dog bite attorneys understand that you have one opportunity to get compensation for your medical care, lost income, and distress. Reach out to our Van Nuys, CA, law office to discuss the details of your dog bite case today.
Understanding Your Rights Under California’s Dog Bite Laws
California’s primary dog bite law can be found in California Civil Code Section 3342. Unlike states that sometimes allow a dog’s owner off the hook the first time their dog bites someone, California law holds owners strictly liable for dog bite injuries.
Under California law, a dog’s owner is considered to be legally and financially responsible for injuries caused by their animal, even if the dog hasn’t been aggressive or shown signs of viciousness in the past.
As the victim of a dog bite in Van Nuys, you do not have to prove that the dog’s owner was negligent or that they knew the dog had vicious tendencies.
Instead, you have the burden of proving:
- You were bitten by a dog owned by the defendant
- You were lawfully on the defendant’s property, public property, or a third party’s property when you were bitten, and
- You’ve suffered damages.
If you can establish these things by a preponderance of the evidence, the dog’s owner can be required to pay for your medical treatment, loss of income, physical disfigurement, and other damages.
What Could My Dog Bite Injury Case Be Worth?
Every dog, every dog attack, and every dog bite victim is different. So, there is no set value for a dog bite injury claim.
Instead, your potential financial recovery will really depend on the specific facts and circumstances of your situation, including:
- How old are you?
- What type(s) of dog bite injury did you suffer?
- What part(s) of the body has been affected?
- Will you suffer any permanent damage?
- Can you continue to work in the same capacity?
- Has your income or earning potential changed?
- Are you being accused of provoking the dog?
- What have you done to mitigate your damages?
- What are the dog owner’s insurance policy limits?
- Can you file a related injury claim against another liable party, such as the owner of the premises where you were bitten by the dog?
The more your life changes because of the dog bite, the more you might be able to expect to receive through a dog bite settlement or jury award if your case goes to trial. Working with a knowledgeable dog bite attorney in Van Nuys, CA, can help you make sure you know what your case is worth and help you leverage the kind of case results you deserve.
What Damages Can Be Awarded to Van Nuys Dog Bite Victims?
Dog bite victims in Van Nuys have the ability to request compensatory damages from the dog’s owner, the dog owner’s insurance provider, and/or another liable party. In California, compensatory damages include economic awards and non-economic awards.
Economic damages help to cover the financial burdens of a dog bite, which often include:
- Emergency room treatment, diagnostic tests like X-rays and MRIs, emergency and/or corrective surgery, hospitalization, and other current medical bills
- Future medical expenses for medication, specialist consultations, medical devices, and other reasonable medical care
- Lost wages and job benefits
- Disability
- Diminished earning capacity
- Out-of-pocket expenses
- Rehabilitation
- Nursing assistance
Non-economic damages are intended to help you deal with the personal, more difficult-to-value challenges you experience because you’ve been bitten by a dog, such as:
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Emotional distress
- Loss of consortium
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Chronic physical pain
- Embarrassment
- Disfigurement
- Scarring
The dog’s owner and other defendants will try to downplay the severity of your injuries and argue that you’ve exaggerated the consequences of the dog attack. These tactics are an effort to stand between you and a meaningful financial recovery, and our Van Nuys dog bite attorneys won’t let them work.
How Can a Van Nuys Dog Bite Attorney Help Win My Case?
A Van Nuys dog bite lawyer can handle the legal heavy lifting while you focus on healing. We’ll look closely at how the attack happened, who is responsible, and how the bite has affected your life now and in the future.
To build the strongest possible claim for compensation, we can:
- Investigate the dog bite scene and obtain evidence, including incident reports, photos, and witness statements
- Track down the dog’s owner, landlord, or other potentially responsible parties
- Collect medical records, bills, and proof of lost income to document your damages
- Consult medical, psychological, and vocational experts to explain the full impact of your injuries
- Negotiate directly with insurance adjusters and push back against lowball offers
- Prepare your case for trial and present it to a jury if the defense refuses to negotiate fairly
By handling every stage of the process, our experienced California litigators work to maximize your recovery and put you in the best position to win your dog bite case.
How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Dog Bite Attorney in Van Nuys?
Our California dog bite lawyers in Van Nuys offer contingency fee representation. It costs nothing to hire our personal injury law firm until we win compensation for your dog bite case.
Our fees are deducted from the settlement award or jury verdict we obtain on your behalf. It varies, but attorney fees must be reasonable and tend to average somewhere between 30 and 40 percent of the total.
If we don’t win, you pay nothing.
How Long Do I Have to File a Dog Bite Lawsuit in California?
California has a two-year statute of limitations that applies to most dog bite lawsuits. Unless an exception applies, you’ll have until the second anniversary of the date you were bitten by a dog in Van Nuys to seek damages from the owner or another responsible party.
If a child is bitten by a dog in Van Nuys, the statute of limitations can be tolled until the child’s 18th birthday. This would give the child until they turned 20 to seek damages for their dog bite injuries. The right to sue is lost once the statute of limitations runs out.
Common Dog Bite Injuries
At JUSTICENTER Personal Injury Lawyers, we represent clients who’ve suffered serious and painful injuries in dog attacks, including:
- Crushing injuries
- Cuts and lacerations
- Puncture wounds
- Broken bones
- Nerve damage
- Soft tissue injuries
- Degloving injuries
- Amputation injuries
- Facial injuries
- Eye injuries
- Brain injuries
- Neck injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Paralysis
- Back injuries
- Leg injuries
- Catastrophic injuries
- Wrongful death of a spouse, parent, or child
Dog bites happen more often than you might think, and the resulting injuries are often devastating. Every year, more than 885,000 people seek medical care for dog attack injuries. Half of these victims are children, who are particularly susceptible to severe and life-changing injuries when attacked by a dog.
Contact Our Experienced Van Nuys Dog Bite Lawyers for a Free Consultation
Dog bites can be painful and catastrophic. Don’t let the dog’s owner off the hook. Call JUSTICENTER Personal Injury Lawyers and trust our legal team to help you demand financial justice.
Our Van Nuys dog bite lawyers have over a century of combined experience and a proven track record of success. We can take the weight of a complex legal claim off your shoulders, giving you time to focus on recovery.
There’s no charge for your initial case evaluation, so contact us today to get started.
