San Diego Dog Bites Lawyer
Looking for a dog bite attorney in San Diego? Golden Gate Legal can help. Our experienced team fights for the compensation you deserve.
A dog bite can leave you with more than just physical scars; the emotional trauma can be just as challenging to overcome. If you're seeking legal representation for a dog bite incident in the San Diego area, we encourage you to contact us at the number below.
Golden Gate Legal has extensive experience helping clients navigate the complexities of dog bite cases in San Diego. In this article, we'll provide clear direction on what to do after a bite, give an overview of the legal process, and address common questions you might have along the way.
What to Do After a Dog Bite in San Diego
If you get a dog bite in San Diego, it's important to follow the steps below:
Make Sure You're Safe
After any dog bite incident in San Diego, your first priority is to move to a safe location away from the animal to prevent any more harm. Once you are out of danger, carefully check yourself and anyone else involved for injuries.
Seek Immediate Medical Care
The most important first step is to get medical help right away by calling 911 or going to the nearest emergency room. This ensures the wound is properly treated to prevent serious infections and creates an official record of your injuries.
Call the Police and Animal Control
After a bite, contact the police and local animal control to file an official report. They will gather details from everyone involved, and you should be sure to ask for a copy of the report for your own records.
Collect Information and Evidence
Gather the dog owner's name and contact details, ask about the dog's vaccination history, and document everything with photos of your wounds, the dog, and where the bite happened. This information is crucial for both your medical treatment and for building a strong case if you decide to seek compensation.
Contact Golden Gate Legal for Help
After a dog bite in San Diego, let the skilled attorneys at Golden Gate Legal take on the legal burdens for you. They will manage the insurance claims and work tirelessly to ensure you receive the full compensation you are entitled to.
Why Choose Golden Gate Legal
At Golden Gate Legal, we have dedicated years of experience handling dog bite cases and a wide range of other personal injury proceedings for clients in the San Diego area. Here are a few reasons why you should choose our firm to represent you:
- We Will Get You Maximum Compensation: Our attorneys will fight aggressively to ensure you receive every penny you are legally entitled to for your injuries.
- We Will Protect You at All Costs: It is our top priority to protect your rights and interests while you focus on your recovery.
- No Legal Fees Upfront: You won't pay any legal fees unless we successfully win or settle your case.
- We Are Available at All Times: Our team is here for you 24/7 to provide both legal and emotional support whenever you need it.
We encourage you to check out our Client Testimonials.
Legal Process Overview
We take care of every step of the legal process for your San Diego dog bite claim so you can focus on what matters most—your healing. Here’s how it works:
- Free Consultation & Case Evaluation: We'll start with a free, no-obligation meeting to discuss the details of the dog bite incident, answer your questions, and determine the strength of your claim.
- Evidence Collection & Claim Filing: Our team will gather all necessary evidence—like medical reports, photos, and witness accounts—and manage all the paperwork and communications with insurance companies for you.
- Medical Treatment Coordination: We can assist in coordinating your medical care and will track your recovery progress to make sure the full extent of your injuries is documented for your case.
- Demand Letter & Negotiation: After you've completed your medical treatment, we will compile a detailed demand letter and negotiate aggressively with the dog owner's insurance provider, or the owner directly, to secure the best possible settlement for you.
- Litigation (if necessary): Should the other party refuse to offer a fair settlement, our skilled trial lawyers are prepared to take your case to court and fight for the justice you deserve.
- You Get Paid: When your case concludes successfully, we handle the final paperwork to get your compensation check for your medical bills, lost wages, and other damages to you as quickly as possible.
What Types of Damages Can You Claim After a Dog Bite?
In California, if you've been injured by a dog, the law allows you to seek financial compensation for the various damages you've suffered as a result of the incident. Compensatory damages for dog bites in California may include the following:
- Medical bills
- Lost income
- Future medical care and treatment
- Pain and suffering
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Psychological counseling
To protect their bottom line, insurance companies and at-fault parties will often attempt to undervalue your claim, making it essential to have skilled California personal injury attorneys like the team at Golden Gate Legal fighting for you.
Common Dog Bite Injuries
While this is not a complete list, here are some of the most common types of injuries we handle:
Puncture Wounds & Lacerations
A dog’s sharp teeth can create deep puncture wounds or ragged tears that rip through the skin and underlying tissue. These injuries often bleed significantly, have a high potential for infection, may require stitches, and can leave permanent scars.
Infections & Soft-Tissue Damage
When a dog's bite breaks the skin, bacteria from its mouth can invade the wound, leading to infections that damage the skin and underlying tissues, and in severe cases, can spread throughout the body.
Nerve Damage & Functional Impairments
Deep puncture wounds from a dog bite, especially in vulnerable spots like the hands and face, can crush or sever nerves. This can leave a victim with numbness, tingling sensations, or chronic pain, and may even lead to a permanent loss of use in the affected limb or area if medical treatment is delayed.
Scarring & Disfigurement
Dog bite injuries frequently result in scarring that is often most visible on the face and hands. For more severe wounds involving significant tissue damage, reconstructive or plastic surgery may be essential to repair the injury and lessen the long-term disfigurement.
Crush Injuries & Fractures
Bites from powerful, larger dogs can exert enough force to crush and fracture bones or inflict serious trauma on joints. These types of injuries are often accompanied by severe swelling and bruising, and may require surgery, splints, or physical therapy for a full recovery.
PTSD & Emotional Trauma
The impact of a dog attack often goes far beyond the visible scars, leaving behind deep emotional wounds such as lasting anxiety, a fear of animals, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). These experiences can be especially difficult for children, who may need counseling to help them process the trauma and rebuild their sense of security.
Common Causes of Dog Bites in San Diego
While every situation is unique, most dog bites in San Diego stem from a few major causes:
Lack of Proper Training
A dog that hasn't been properly trained or socialized can become overwhelmed in stressful situations, often leading to a bite driven by fear or confusion.
Fear or Startling
Likewise, a dog that is startled by a sudden approach or an unforeseen touch might bite reflexively, reacting to what it perceives as an immediate threat.
Territorial Behavior
Dogs often have a strong instinct to protect what they consider their territory, which can include their home, yard, or even their owner. If a stranger gets too close to this space, the dog might bite to defend it.
Rough Play
Forceful play or handling can make a dog feel like it's in danger, causing it to respond with aggression as a form of self-protection.
Protective Instincts
A dog might become possessive over things it values, like its food bowl or a specific person. Attempting to remove that valued item can trigger a defensive bite.
Pain or Illness
A dog that's hurting or feeling ill might snap if you touch it, even gently, because it anticipates that the contact will only make the pain worse.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much will a Personal Injury Attorney Cost?
For our San Diego clients, there are no upfront costs for personal injury representation. We only receive payment if we successfully win or settle your case, so you face no financial risk in seeking justice.
What if the dog’s owner denies responsibility?
California operates under a strict liability rule for dog bites, as outlined in Civil Code § 3342. This means an owner is liable for injuries their dog causes, even if the dog had never shown aggression before or the owner wasn't being careless. In most cases, you don’t need to prove negligence—just that the bite took place and resulted in an injury.
However, there are exceptions. An owner's responsibility might be lessened or even dismissed if the person who was bitten was trespassing or had provoked the animal. The specific context of the incident is key, which is why navigating a dog bite claim in San Diego requires understanding all the details of your case.
How long do I have to take legal action after a dog bite?
In California, you have a two-year window from the date of the incident to file a lawsuit for a dog bite, according to Civil Code § 335.1. If you don't act within that time, you will almost certainly lose your right to pursue a claim, even if the dog's owner was clearly negligent.
For victims who were children at the time of the attack, the rule is different. The two-year statute of limitations doesn't start until they reach the age of 18, giving them an extended period to take legal action.
In California, how long does an insurance company have to settle a claim?
In California, once you notify your insurance company of a claim, they have 15 days to acknowledge it and start their investigation. After you provide all the necessary paperwork to prove your claim, the company then has 40 days to decide whether to accept or deny it.
If your claim is approved, the insurer is required to issue payment within 30 days. Based on the state's Fair Claims Settlement Practices Regulations, the whole process from when you file to when you get paid should typically take no more than 85 days.
Can I file a claim if the dog was on a leash or had no prior bite history?
Yes. In San Diego, a dog owner is responsible even if their dog was on a leash and had never shown aggression before. As long as you were in a place you were legally allowed to be when the bite happened, the owner can be held accountable.
How will Golden Gate Legal actually help me?
Here at Golden Gate Legal, our San Diego team first focuses on understanding your personal story and how the incident has affected your life. We then assess the full scope of your injuries and can connect you with trusted local medical professionals to ensure you receive proper care.
You can then put your energy into healing while we handle the legal heavy lifting. Our goal is to build a strong case to recover the financial compensation you are entitled to for your medical bills, lost income, and the personal suffering you've experienced.
Contact Golden Gate Legal for legal support
Golden Gate Legal has helped countless personal injury victims get back on their feet. Let’s do the same for you.
Call us now at (310) 445-3425 or click below for your free consultation.
Protecting your rights when you need it most
We believe in doing what’s right: you focus on your recovery, and we’ll handle the legal process from start to finish.
Fighting for your full compensation
We are available at all times
No legal fees paid upfront
We will protect you at all costs
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