San Francisco Dog Bites Lawyer
Hurt by a dog bite in San Francisco? Golden Gate Legal's experienced dog bite lawyers can help you fight 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 in the San Francisco area for a dog bite incident, contact us at the number below for help.
At Golden Gate Legal, our team has extensive experience helping victims of dog attacks navigate the legal system and secure the compensation they deserve in San Francisco. This article will guide you through the immediate steps to take after a bite, provide an overview of the legal process, and answer some of the most common questions you may have.
What to Do After a Dog Bite in San Francisco
If you've been bitten by a dog in San Francisco, it's important to follow the steps below:
Make Sure You're Safe
Your first priority after a dog bite in San Francisco is to get to a safe place away from the animal. Once you are out of immediate danger, carefully check yourself and anyone else involved for any injuries.
Seek Immediate Medical Care
After a dog bite, your health is the top priority, so call 911 or have someone take you to the emergency room without delay. Getting checked by a doctor is vital to prevent serious infections and to make sure your injuries are officially documented.
Call the Police and Animal Control
Contacting the police and local animal control ensures there is an official report of the incident. They will investigate, collect statements, and gather information, so be sure to ask for a copy of the report for your own files.
Collect Information and Evidence
Gather the dog owner's name and contact details, ask for proof of the dog's rabies vaccination, 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
When a dog bite happens in San Francisco, seeking legal guidance is a crucial step. The dedicated team at Golden Gate Legal will navigate the legal system on your behalf, managing communications with insurance adjusters to ensure you receive the full compensation you are entitled to.
Why Choose Golden Gate Legal
At Golden Gate Legal, we have years of experience helping San Francisco residents with dog bite cases among many other personal injury proceedings. Here are a few reasons why you should choose us:
- We Will Get You Maximum Compensation: We fight fiercely to hold negligent parties accountable and ensure you recover all the damages you are legally entitled to.
- We Will Protect you at All Costs: It is our top priority to protect your rights and interests so you can focus on your recovery while we handle the rest.
- No Legal Fees Upfront: You do not pay any legal fees upfront, and we only receive a fee when we win or settle your case.
- We Are Available at all times: Our team is always accessible to provide the strong support you need to make the right decisions after an accident.
We encourage you to check out our Client Testimonials.
Legal Process Overview
We take care of every step of your dog bite claim in San Francisco so you can focus on your recovery. Here’s how the legal process works:
- Free Consultation & Case Evaluation: It all starts with a complimentary meeting where we listen to your side of the story, assess the details of the incident, and determine the strength of your case.
- Evidence Collection & Claim Filing: Our team will then gather all necessary evidence, like medical reports 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 keep track of your recovery to make sure the full extent of your injuries is documented.
- Demand Letter & Negotiation: After you've completed your medical treatment, we will compile a detailed demand letter and negotiate with the dog owner's insurance provider to secure the best possible settlement for you.
- Litigation (if necessary): If a fair settlement can't be reached through negotiation, our skilled trial lawyers are prepared to take your case to court and fight for your rights.
- You Get Paid: When your case concludes successfully, we handle the final details to get your compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and other damages to you quickly.
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
Insurance companies and at-fault parties often attempt to undervalue claims to protect their own profits, which makes it critical to have experienced California personal injury attorneys like the team at Golden Gate Legal fighting for you.
Common Dog Bite Injuries
While not an exhaustive list, here are the types of injuries we typically handle:
Puncture Wounds & Lacerations
A dog's sharp teeth can create deep puncture wounds or jagged lacerations that tear through skin and underlying tissue, often causing significant bleeding, carrying a high risk of infection, requiring stitches, and leaving permanent scars.
Infections & Soft-Tissue Damage
When a dog's teeth break the skin, the risk of infection is significant, as bacteria from the animal's mouth can cause serious issues ranging from localized abscesses to dangerous systemic conditions that require immediate medical care.
Nerve Damage & Functional Impairments
A deep bite, especially in a vulnerable area like the hands or face, can harm the nerves beneath the skin. This can cause anything from numbness and tingling to lasting pain, and if not treated properly, may lead to a permanent loss of use in that part of the body.
Scarring & Disfigurement
Dog bites often leave behind permanent scars, which can be especially severe on exposed areas like the hands and face. For serious injuries where tissue is torn away, reconstructive or plastic surgery may be required to minimize the long-term disfigurement and help restore the person's original appearance.
Crush Injuries & Fractures
When a dog bites with significant force, particularly a larger breed, it can lead to crushed tissues and broken bones. Such injuries are often accompanied by severe swelling and bruising, and recovery can involve surgery, splints, or a course of physical rehabilitation.
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 Francisco
In San Francisco, most dog bite incidents can be traced back to a handful of common causes:
Lack of Proper Training
Improperly trained or unsocialized dogs often lack the skills to cope with stress, which can cause them to lash out and bite when they feel frightened or uncertain.
Fear or Startling
If a dog is caught by surprise by a sudden noise or action, it may bite out of a natural instinct to protect itself from what it perceives as a threat.
Territorial Behavior
A dog's instinct is often to guard its territory, which can be its home, yard, or even its owner. This protective behavior can turn into aggression, resulting in a bite if someone they don't know gets too close.
Rough Play
Excessively rough play can make a dog feel threatened, prompting it to bite or snap in an attempt to defend itself from what it perceives as danger.
Protective Instincts
A dog might bite if you try to take something they are guarding, whether it's their food bowl, a favorite toy, or even a person in the family.
Pain or Illness
When a dog is unwell or hurt, it may bite if startled or touched because it anticipates the contact will cause more discomfort.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much will a Personal Injury Attorney Cost?
For our San Francisco clients, Golden Gate Legal handles personal injury cases with no upfront legal fees. We only collect our fee if we successfully win or settle your case, meaning there is zero financial risk for you to get the representation you deserve.
What if the dog’s owner denies responsibility?
In California, the law is quite clear. Under a legal principle called “strict liability,” a dog’s owner is almost always responsible for injuries caused by their dog’s bite. This is the case even if the dog had never been aggressive before and the owner wasn't being negligent. You generally don’t need to prove the owner was at fault, only that the bite happened and it caused you harm.
However, there are exceptions. An owner’s liability could be reduced or even eliminated if the injured person was trespassing or had provoked the dog. Because of this, the context of the situation is very important. This legal standard applies to all dog bite incidents across the state, including those in San Francisco.
How long do I have to take legal action after a dog bite?
In California, you have a two-year window from the day you were bitten to pursue legal action under Civil Code § 335.1. If you fail to file a claim within this timeframe, your case will almost certainly be thrown out, even when the owner is obviously at fault.
However, there is a key exception for minors. If the person bitten was under 18, the two-year clock does not start running until they reach their 18th birthday, allowing them extra time to act.
In California, how long does an insurance company have to settle a claim?
In California, once you file a claim, your insurance company has 15 days to acknowledge it and start looking into the details. From the day they receive all your required documents, they then have 40 days to decide whether to accept or deny your claim.
If the insurance company approves your claim, they are required to send the payment within 30 days. This means that, according to the state's Fair Claims Settlement Practices Regulations, the whole settlement process should typically be wrapped up within 85 days from when you submitted your completed claim.
Can I file a claim if the dog was on a leash or had no prior bite history?
Absolutely. In San Francisco, it doesn't matter if the dog was leashed or had a perfect record with no previous bites. If you were bitten while lawfully present, California law holds the owner accountable for your injuries.
How will Golden Gate Legal actually help me?
Here in San Francisco, we begin by listening to your story to understand your specific circumstances. We make sure you feel supported while we assess your injuries, even connecting you with medical specialists for your care.
Your only job is to heal. We will manage the entire legal fight to win the compensation you need for your pain, suffering, and path to recovery.
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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