California Dog Bite Lawyer
California Dog Bite Attorney
Dogs are popular pets throughout California, but they can sometimes act aggressively with little to no warning, and some can bite and cause severe injuries. If you were recently bitten by someone else’s dog, you are likely to have many questions about your options for recovering your damages. A California dog bite lawyer can help you make sense of your situation and assist you in pursuing fair compensation for your injury.
Representing Dog Bite Victims in California
Easton & Easton has extensive professional experience representing injured clients in a wide range of complex personal injury cases throughout California, including dog bite claims. Just like in any other type of personal injury case, the injured victim must establish fault for their damages before they can claim compensation from the defendant. This can be more straightforward in dog bite cases than in other personal injury cases due to strict liability.
However, there is always potential for unexpected complications to arise with even the most seemingly straightforward personal injury cases. Do not assume that you can manage your case on your own, even if you believe the fault for your damages is perfectly clear. The right attorney can not only streamline your case and ensure you meet all of the procedural requirements for your dog bite claim, but they can also help you maximize your recovery.
Ultimately, it is important to connect with a California dog bite lawyer you trust as quickly as possible after your accident. You have a limited time to gather evidence to support your case and file it with the court. Our California personal injury lawyers will meet with you to assess the full extent of your damages and explain the options you have for resolving your case. Our goal for every client is the maximum recovery in the shortest possible time frame.
Proving Strict Liability for a Dog Bite
In California, the strict liability rule applies to any case involving a dog attacking a person, as long as the victim did not provoke the attack and they were legally present at the location where the attack occurred. Under the strict liability rule, the dog’s owner is fully liable for any damages the pet inflicted on the victim. Your California dog bite lawyer can help you determine how to assert strict liability in your case.
Success with your personal injury claim will require proof of fault as well as proof of the full extent of your damages. Dog attacks can result in serious physical injuries. Bites can cause puncture wounds, broken bones, and crushing injuries. A dog can also knock a victim to the ground, potentially causing bone fractures throughout the body or head injuries. The victim may face a long road to recovery, so proving fault will be crucial for obtaining compensation.
Building Your Personal Injury Case for a Dog Bite in California
Your attorney can help you resolve any disputes regarding liability for the dog attack you experienced. This may require obtaining camera footage, witness testimony, or other evidence to prove that you did not provoke the attack and were lawfully present where the attack occurred. Once you have established strict liability, your attorney can assist you with holding the dog owner accountable for the damages you suffered.
In a personal injury suit, the plaintiff has the right to claim compensation for economic and non-economic damages they suffered because of the defendant’s actions. Economic damages are direct financial losses, such as medical expenses and lost income, if the victim is unable to work for an extended period of time due to their injuries. Additionally, they can also claim compensation for anticipated future economic losses.
Non-economic damages, on the other hand, are more subjective and difficult to assign monetary values. The plaintiff has the right to seek compensation for physical pain, emotional distress, and trauma they have suffered because of the dog attack. There is no set formula the plaintiff must use to calculate non-economic damages, and California does not limit pain and suffering compensation in these cases.
Your California dog bite lawyer can help you determine a suitable amount that reflects the overall severity of your injuries, how long it will take for you to reach maximum medical improvement, and whether your injuries caused any permanent harm. For example, a head injury has the potential to cause lifelong disability. Dog attacks are also traumatic and may result in long-term psychological distress for the victim.
Resolving Your Dog Bite Case in California
The right attorney will be an invaluable asset for filing your dog bite case and recovering maximum compensation for your damages. It is important that you connect with an attorney as quickly as possible after the incident so they can immediately begin working on your case and guiding you toward the compensation you need to recover as much as possible. Easton & Easton is confident we possess the skills and experience necessary to resolve your dog bite claim.
Our team will meet with you to listen to your story and determine whether you have grounds for a personal injury suit. If so, we can explain the process of building and filing your case and assist you with determining the full extent of damages you may be able to recover from the defendant. You may be able to settle a dog bite case privately through settlement negotiations, but you may also need to resolve the case in court through litigation.
Whatever your case requires, you will have a dedicated legal representative ready to answer questions and address concerns through all phases of your case when you choose Easton & Easton to represent you. We have decades of experience helping injured clients throughout California with all types of difficult personal injury cases, and we can put this experience to work for you as we help you recover from a damaging and traumatic dog attack in California.
FAQs
How Do You Prove Strict Liability for a Dog Bite?
You can prove strict liability for a dog bite by showing that you were legally present where the attack occurred and that you did not provoke the attack. Strict liability applies even if a dog has no known history of biting, and the owner is fully responsible for the damages the pet inflicted. Your California dog bite lawyer can help you resolve any disputes regarding strict liability for your injury.
What Happens to the Dog After It Bites Someone in California?
After a dog has bitten someone in California, the dog will usually need to be quarantined and undergo a medical examination to ensure it does not carry rabies or any other diseases. In most cases, dogs are returned to their owners as long as they are not deemed threats to public health and safety. However, if it is determined that the dog is dangerously aggressive or poses a serious health risk, the court may order it to be euthanized.
How Much Compensation Can You Claim for a Dog Bite in California?
The amount of compensation you can claim for a dog bite in California largely depends on the extent and severity of the damages the dog inflicted. In any personal injury case, the injured plaintiff has the right to seek full compensation for any economic losses they suffered, such as medical bills, lost income, and property damage, and they also have the right to seek pain and suffering compensation that reflects the severity of their experience.
Why Do I Need to Hire a California Dog Bite Lawyer?
You need to hire a California dog bite lawyer because you are more likely to succeed with your case and more likely to maximize your compensation with legal counsel on your side. Additionally, your attorney will know how to streamline your proceedings, potentially helping you resolve your case more quickly than you expected. It is always worth investing in trustworthy legal counsel for any type of personal injury case in California.
What Does It Cost to Hire a California Dog Bite Lawyer?
The cost of hiring a California dog bite lawyer will be determined by the total value of your case when you choose Easton & Easton to represent you. Under our contingency fee agreement, you will only pay a fee if and when we win your case, and we will only charge a percentage of the total compensation we recover for you. There is no fee if we are unable to obtain a recovery for you, so there is no financial risk in hiring our firm to represent you.
The attorneys at Easton & Easton know how devastating a dog attack can be and want to do everything we can to help you recover as much as possible. If you are struggling with the effects of a dog attack in California, we can help you build a comprehensive civil suit seeking maximum compensation for your damage. Contact us today to schedule your consultation with a California dog bite lawyer and learn how we can help with your case.
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Easton & Easton has been recognized by TopVerdict.com Top 10 Motor Vehicle Accident Settlement in Los Angeles for 2025, for the case Bicyclist v. Inattentive Driver — the fifth time the firm has appeared on a TopVerdict list across nine years, and a recognition that arrives in the firm’s 35th anniversary year.
The superior client service Easton & Easton provides has earned the firm an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.
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Doug, Brian, and Matt Easton have all been selected as Top 100 Trial Lawyers for California by the National Trial Lawyers — a membership organization limited to less than 1% of attorneys.
Doug, Brian, Matt, Travis and Gabe have each been selected to "Best Lawyers" for Plaintiff's Personal Injury Litigation. Best Lawyers selects the Top 5% of attorneys based on peer voting and client reviews.
We were recently honored for our efforts in securing a $32,000,000 settlement for our client, which was selected as the #1 Bicycle Accident Settlement in California in 2024 by TopVerdict.com.
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Travis Easton, Gabe Mendoza, Brenda Kocaj, and Alexandro Garza were selected to Super Lawyers Rising Stars — honoring the top 2.5% of attorneys 40 or younger in California.
Easton & Easton was voted "Best Personal Injury Law Firm in Orange County" by readers of the Los Angeles Times in 2018, 2019, and 2020. Three years in a row — chosen by the people we serve
Doug, Brian, and Matt Easton were once again selected to Super Lawyers — a distinction earned by only 5% of California attorneys. Selection is based on peer nominations, independent research, and professional achievement. When you hire Easton & Easton, you're hiring attorneys in the top 5%.
Easton & Easton was recently honored for securing a $26,000,000 settlement for our client, which was selected as a Top 10 Personal Injury Settlement in California in 2023 by TopVerdict.com.
Easton & Easton received the "People Love Us On Yelp" award in 2016 due to exceptional client satisfaction reviews.Our clients don't just hire us — they recommend us.
Easton & Easton was recently honored for securing a $32,000,000 settlement for our client, which was selected as one of the Top 20 Personal Injury Settlements in the entire United States in 2024 by TopVerdict.com.
Brian, Matt, and Travis Easton are lifetime members of the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum — a distinction held by less than 1% of U.S. attorneys. Membership requires securing a verdict or settlement of $2 million or more. When you hire Easton & Easton, you're hiring proven results - because Results Matter.
Doug Easton has held the "AV Preeminent" Rating for over 30 years, and Matt Easton received this prestigious distinction in 2015. The AV Preeminent rating is the highest possible rating for both legal ability and ethical standards, based on the legal profession's oldest peer review rating system — dating back to 1887. When your peers have trusted your ability and integrity for over three decades, that says everything.
We were recently honored for securing a $26,000,000 settlement for our client, which was selected as a the #1 Personal Injury Settlement in Los Angeles County in 2023 by TopVerdict.com.
Brian Easton was selected to the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) in 2015. ABOTA is one of the most premier associations of trial attorneys and judges, requiring a proven track record of jury trials as lead counsel and approval by a majority vote of the ABOTA board. Membership isn't given — it's earned in the courtroom.
Travis Easton, Gabe Mendoza, and Brenda Kocaj were selected to the National Trial Lawyers Top 40 Under 40 — an invitation-only honor recognizing the nation's top young trial attorneys. At Easton & Easton, experience and ambition work side by side.
Easton & Easton was honored for securing a $20,000,000 settlement for our client, which was selected as one of the Top 10 Personal Injury Settlements in the entire United States in 2019 by TopVerdict.com.
Both Doug and Matt Easton have been selected as Top Personal Injury Attorneys by Avvo with scores of 10 out of 10 — based on skill, experience, results, peer evaluations, and client reviews. A perfect score. No room for higher.
Easton & Easton was honored to have been chosen by the LA Times Reader's Choice Poll as "The Best Personal Injury Law Firm in Orange County" for 2018-2020 (each year the voting took place).
We were recently honored for our efforts in securing a $1,850,000 verdict for a client, which was selected as one of the Top 50 Personal Injury Verdicts in California in 2016 by TopVerdict.com.
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