Orinda Dog Bite Lawyers
Under California Civil Code § 3342, if a dog bites you in a public place or on private property where you had a legal right to be, the dog’s owner is strictly liable, regardless of whether the dog had ever bitten anyone before. You do not need to prove the owner was careless. You do not need to show a history of aggression.
Arash Law represents injured people across Contra Costa County, including Orinda residents, walkers, delivery workers, and children hurt in dog attacks. Our California dog bite lawyers handle every stage: the animal control report, the insurance dispute, and, when needed, a filed case at the Wakefield Taylor Courthouse in Martinez. If a dog bit you or a loved one, call (888) 488-1391 for a free initial consultation.
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Reviewed by Arash Khorsandi, Esq., California State Bar #249405, admitted 2007, last reviewed August 2026
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Why Dog Bite Cases In Orinda Require A Different Approach
Most Orinda dog bites happen at the home of someone the victim already knows, and because Orinda is a small, close-knit city where nearly everyone owns their home, this risk is present. This scenario changes how these cases are usually handled. Claims usually go through a homeowner’s insurance policy rather than a stranger’s, and the city’s mix of young children, older adults, local parks, and its one nearby trauma center all affect how evidence is gathered and how a claim is built.
Orinda is a small residential city with a population of 19,507 as of July 2025, covering 12.85 square miles. According to the U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts, 91.3% of homes in Orinda are owner-occupied, compared to approximately 55% statewide. That matters because it means most dog bite claims in Orinda involve a dog owned by a neighbor, a friend, or someone the victim already knows. In practice, this means the claim is typically filed against that person’s homeowner’s insurance, not a stranger’s.
Orinda also has a large share of residents in the two age groups most likely to be seriously injured in a dog attack: 25.4% are under 18, and 23.3% are 65 or older, together accounting for nearly half of the city’s population.
Children are especially vulnerable because their faces sit at the same level as most dogs, making head and neck bites common. Older adults, on the other hand, are more likely to be knocked over during an attack, and a hard fall can cause a broken hip or spine injury that’s more serious than the bite itself.
A few things specific to Orinda shape how these cases play out:
- Orinda Oaks Dog Park: This is Orinda’s first off-leash dog park, located on Moraga Way. Whether a dog was in the designated off-leash area or in a leash-required area at the time of the bite can affect who is legally responsible. Signs posted at the park, the city’s leash rules, and witness statements about where the dog was are important evidence to collect quickly.
- Contra Costa County Animal Services: This agency investigates dog bites in Orinda and keeps the official record, including whether a dog has bitten someone before. That history can be important if a landlord or dog owner knew the dog was dangerous and didn’t take action. Report a bite as soon as possible, since these records don’t stay on file forever. Filing a report isn’t required to bring a legal claim, and it doesn’t change your filing deadline.
- John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek: For serious bites, this is the only major trauma center in Contra Costa County. Medical records from treatment here, including emergency care and any surgery, help document how bad the injury was before it started to heal, which is important for proving the case later.
- Bites Involving People You Know: Because most Orinda bites happen near home and involve someone the victim knows, many people feel uneasy filing a claim. Insurance companies count on that hesitation. Meanwhile, wounds heal, video footage gets erased, and witnesses become harder to find. Talking to a lawyer early doesn’t make things more difficult with a neighbor; it just protects your ability to recover what you’re owed before that evidence disappears.
Who Can File A Dog Bite Claim In Orinda?
In Orinda, a person bitten by a dog can usually file a claim if they were in a public place or lawfully on private property at the time of the bite. California Civil Code § 3342 generally holds dog owners responsible for bite injuries even if the dog had never bitten anyone before.
People who may be able to file a dog bite claim include:
This includes sidewalks, parks, Moraga Way, or local paths like the de Laveaga Trail and the nearby trails around the San Pablo Reservoir — anywhere you have a right to be, including while walking, running, or using the trail for its intended purpose.
A child visiting a friend’s house or playing in a park is legally present and protected under the same rules.
USPS carriers are covered while performing their duties. Private delivery drivers are covered when they enter a property to complete an expected delivery, as this constitutes an implied invitation by the owner.
Anyone invited onto the property, whether directly or by common understanding (such as a repeat dog walker), is protected.
If a dog knocks someone down without biting them, strict liability under § 3342 doesn’t apply. But the owner can still be held responsible under a negligence claim if they knew or should have known the dog might behave that way.
If a dog attack causes someone’s death, close family members — such as a spouse, domestic partner, or children — may be able to file a wrongful death claim under California Code of Civil Procedure § 377.60.
They may have a separate claim, known as loss of consortium, for how the injury has affected their relationship.
A person who was hurt by a dog without being bitten may still have a claim, but California’s dog bite strict liability law may not apply. For example, if a dog jumps on someone and knocks them down, the case may depend on whether the owner acted negligently or knew the dog could behave dangerously.
If you are unsure whether you qualify, the answer almost always turns on one question: Did you have a legal right to be where you were when the bite happened? Our Orinda personal injury attorneys can tell you where you stand in a free initial consultation.
The Physical And Psychological Injuries Dog Bites Cause In Orinda
Any breed can inflict a serious bite when circumstances align, but larger, high-energy dogs common in many suburban households can generate significant bite force. These breeds include Labrador retrievers, German shepherds, and similar working-breed mixes.
The injuries seen most often in Orinda dog bite cases include:
- Deep Puncture Wounds: A dog’s canine teeth may penetrate beneath the skin into muscle tissue, creating a wound that closes on the surface while harboring bacteria beneath the skin. Infection risk is high, and delayed treatment can lead to cellulitis or an abscess that requires hospitalization.
- Facial Lacerations: Children’s faces are at the level of most dogs, making facial bites common in Orinda cases involving young victims. These injuries often require plastic surgery to restore appearance, and scar tissue does not grow with a child; follow-up revision procedures may be needed as the child ages.
- Nerve Damage: Bites to the hands, forearms, and wrists can sever or crush nerves, reducing grip strength and fine motor control. For anyone whose work involves typing, precision tools, or detailed manual tasks, this kind of injury has lasting occupational consequences.
- Crush Injuries and Fractures: Large dogs can exert enough bite force to fracture the small bones of the hand or foot. Crush injuries cause tissue death below the surface, even when the skin wound appears manageable.
- Knock-Down Fall Injuries: Being bowled over by a charging or attacking dog is common, particularly for older Orinda residents. Falls on concrete sidewalks or trail surfaces cause back, hip, neck, and joint injuries that may require physical therapy, chiropractic care, or surgery.
Beyond the physical injuries, dog attacks cause psychological harm that can be more disabling than the wound itself:
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Re-experiencing the attack, hypervigilance, and avoidance behaviors can follow even a single traumatic bite event.
- Cynophobia: A fear of dogs that develops after a bite can prevent victims from walking in their own neighborhood, visiting neighbors, or letting their children play outside near other people’s pets.
- Disrupted Daily Routines: In Orinda, where many residents commute through the Orinda Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) station on the Lamorinda corridor, a leg or hip injury makes the walk to and from the station painful. Nerve damage to the hand can sideline work that demands precision. Emotional trauma can make local trails, once a source of recreation, feel unsafe.
The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) reports that children under 10 are the age group most often treated in emergency rooms for bite-related injuries, and they are more than three times as likely to suffer head or facial injuries compared with older victims.
Medical records, imaging, therapy notes, work-restriction documentation, and future-care recommendations from treating providers document the full extent of a dog-bite claim across all these injury types. Preserving that documentation from the first visit forward is critical to building a complete case.
What Damages Can You Recover From A Dog Bite Claim In Orinda?
What you can recover depends on the harm you can document. California does not cap compensatory damages in dog bite cases, which means your recovery is built entirely from the real losses you can prove: financial, physical, and personal.
- Medical Bills: Emergency room treatment at John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek or Kaiser Permanente Walnut Creek, hospital stays, wound care, surgical procedures, and all follow-up appointments are recoverable.
- Future Medical Care: If your injuries require additional surgery, physical therapy, scar revision procedures, or long-term treatment, the projected cost of that future care is recoverable now.
- Lost Wages: Income you could not earn while recovering from the bite and its complications is recoverable.
- Reduced Earning Capacity: If nerve damage to your hand, a permanent leg injury, or PTSD limits what kind of work you can do going forward, you may recover for that long-term economic loss.
- Property Damage: Clothing, glasses, or other personal items damaged in the attack are recoverable losses. The deadline for this separate claim differs from the personal injury deadline; see Filing Deadlines below.
- Pain and Suffering: Physical pain during treatment and recovery, and any chronic pain that persists after wounds close, are compensable.
- Emotional Distress: Fear, nightmares, PTSD symptoms, and anxiety that follow the attack and interfere with daily life are recoverable.
- Loss of Enjoyment of Life: Trail walks, neighborhood outings, visits to Orinda Oaks Park, and other activities you can no longer enjoy or approach without fear are compensable losses.
- Permanent Scarring And Disfigurement: Facial scars carry their own non-economic value, particularly for children who will carry those scars into adulthood and may require additional revision surgeries.
- Loss of consortium: A spouse or registered domestic partner of a seriously injured victim may have a separate claim for the loss of companionship, support, and the ordinary benefits of the relationship caused by the dog attack.
Wrongful death damages: Wrongful death claims may be filed by surviving family members as specified under CCP § 377.60. Recoverable damages in a wrongful death action are defined by CCP § 377.61 and may include funeral and burial costs, loss of financial support, and loss of companionship, depending on the claimant’s relationship to the decedent and the facts of the case.
Punitive damages: These are available only when the dog owner’s conduct goes beyond ordinary negligence. For example, if an owner intentionally directed or encouraged the dog to attack another person, or acted with conscious disregard for others’ safety, punitive damages may apply. Punitive damages are not designed to compensate the victim; they exist to penalize conduct that puts the community at risk.
If the victim is a minor, any settlement must be reviewed and approved by the court. That requirement protects the child’s interests and ensures the full value of the claim is not signed away before the child’s future care needs are understood.
How Homeowners And Renters Insurance Applies To Orinda Dog Bite Claims
In most Orinda dog bite cases, compensation comes from the dog owner’s homeowner’s or renter’s insurance policy, not from the dog owner’s personal assets. In Orinda, the Contra Costa County Animal Services (CCAS) bite-investigation record, obtained through a Public Records Act request, often becomes the first piece of evidence an insurer cannot dispute. The legal claim is still filed against the dog owner, but once a covered claim is presented, the insurer steps in, assigns a claims adjuster, and takes over the negotiations.
Approximately 91.3% of Orinda’s occupied housing units are owner-occupied. When a dog owner has applicable homeowners insurance, that policy may provide an important source of compensation for a covered dog-bite claim. That is not a guarantee: individual policy terms, exclusions, and coverage limits all affect what a policy actually pays. Renters insurance, umbrella coverage, or the owner’s personal assets may also be relevant depending on the circumstances.
Insurance options that may apply to your claim include:
- Homeowners Liability Coverage: Standard homeowner’s policies often include a personal liability limit that varies widely by policy, insurer, and any endorsements or exclusions. Always confirm the applicable limit on the declarations page. The insurer pays covered damages up to the limit; the owner may be personally liable for any amounts above that limit.
- Renters Insurance Liability Coverage: Renters who keep dogs are often covered under renters’ policies in the same way, though limits are typically lower. If the bite happened at a rented property in Orinda, ask about the tenant’s renters’ insurance policy.
- Umbrella Policies: A homeowner who carries an umbrella policy may have an additional layer of coverage, sometimes $1 million or more, above the primary homeowner’s limit. If a claim is severe, umbrella coverage may be the difference between full recovery and an underpaid settlement.
- Commercial General Liability: If the bite occurred at an Orinda business, such as a store, office, or commercial property, a commercial general liability policy may apply instead of a personal homeowner’s policy.
Insurers routinely challenge dog bite claims in Orinda through several common arguments:
- The victim provoked the dog.
- The policy excludes injuries caused by a specific breed listed in the exclusions.
- The victim was not lawfully on the property at the time of the bite.
Insurers also move quickly to secure a recorded statement from you before your injuries are fully understood and before your records are complete. Providing that statement without legal guidance or accepting an early settlement offer can permanently limit what the policy will pay.
What if the insurer denies coverage entirely? Some policies exclude specific dogs, specific breeds, or animal-related liability altogether. If the insurer denies the claim, the dog owner remains personally liable under Civil Code § 3342. A lawyer can review the denial letter, identify other applicable policies, and determine whether any other party, such as a landlord, a dog walker, or a property manager, shares responsibility for the attack.
How Liability Is Established Under California Dog Bite Law
California does not follow a “one-bite rule.” A dog owner in Orinda cannot avoid liability by pointing to a clean bite history. Under Civil Code § 3342, strict liability attaches the moment a bite occurs in a public place or on private property where the victim was lawfully present, regardless of whether the owner knew the dog was dangerous.
Common situations where strict liability clearly applies in Orinda:
- A USPS or package delivery driver was bitten while lawfully approaching an Orinda front door.
- A pedestrian was bitten on Moraga Way while walking through the residential corridor.
- A guest invited to a home in a residential area, such as the Glorietta neighborhood, is bitten in the living room or backyard.
- A runner was bitten by an off-leash dog along Moraga Way or on trails near the San Pablo Reservoir, regardless of whether the trail’s leash rules were posted or enforced.
Non-bite injuries follow a different legal standard. California’s strict liability rule under § 3342 applies only to bites. If a dog knocks an older resident down on a sidewalk near the Orinda BART station, causing a hip fracture, that injury requires proof of negligence under Civil Code § 1714, California’s general duty-of-care statute. The four elements are:
- Duty: The dog owner had a duty to control a dog that could foreseeably cause harm.
- Breach: The owner failed to leash, confine, or warn others about the dog.
- Causation: That failure caused the fall.
- Damages: The fall caused actual, documented injury.
Who Is The Primary Liable Party?
The dog’s owner is strictly liable for bites. However, liability extends beyond the person who feeds the dog at home. Potentially liable parties in an Orinda case include:
- The dog’s owner is the primary strict-liability defendant under Civil Code § 3342.
- A landlord who knew a tenant kept a dangerous dog and could require its removal can share liability under a negligence theory, even without being the dog’s owner. This situation arises in Orinda rental properties, particularly in multi-unit buildings.
- A dog walker, pet sitter, or boarding facility that had custody or control of the dog at the time of the attack may be liable for their own negligence in failing to control the animal.
What If You Share Some Responsibility For Your Dog-Related Injury?
You can still pursue compensation even if you’re partially at fault. California follows pure comparative fault, established in Li v. Yellow Cab Co. (1975) 13 Cal. 3d 804. If an insurer argues that you provoked the dog or were partially at fault for the attack, your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault. It is not eliminated.
For example, if a court or insurer finds you 20% at fault for reaching toward an unfamiliar dog, you can still recover 80% of your damages. An insurer’s argument that the victim provoked the dog carries much less weight when the victim is a young child.
Witness statements, photos of the scene, videos, and the dog’s behavior in the moments before the bite are among the evidence that may challenge a “provocation” defense.
What Happens After You File A Dog Bite Claim In Orinda
After an Orinda dog bite, most claims follow five steps: medical care, CCAS report, evidence preservation, insurance demand, and, if needed, filing in Contra Costa County Superior Court at the Wakefield Taylor Courthouse in Martinez. Understanding each step helps you avoid the mistakes that weaken claims, especially in Orinda, where neighborly relationships can create pressure to move slowly or say nothing.
- Get medical care immediately. For serious injuries, John Muir Medical Center at 1601 Ygnacio Valley Road in Walnut Creek is Contra Costa County’s only Level II adult trauma center. Kaiser Permanente Walnut Creek is another nearby option. A prompt medical evaluation documents your injuries before wounds heal and before the insurer can argue the bite was minor. Do not wait.
- Report the bite to Contra Costa County Animal Services (CCAS). Animal-bite reports cannot be submitted online. Call CCAS’s 24-Hour Emergency Line at 925-608-8400 to report the incident.
- Preserve evidence from the scene. Photograph your wounds immediately, before they begin to heal. Note the location of the attack, including any broken fences, unlatched gates, or missing leashes. If the attack occurred at Orinda Oaks Dog Park or along public pathways near Moraga Way or Wilder Park, take a photo of posted leash-rule signage. Collect witness names and contact information. If the property has a security camera, your attorney can send a preservation letter before the footage is overwritten.
- Retain an attorney before talking to the insurer. The dog owner’s insurer will often contact you quickly to take a recorded statement. That statement can be used to limit or deny your claim. An Orinda dog bite attorney manages all communications with the insurer on your behalf, presents a formal demand once your records are complete, and negotiates from a position of documented evidence rather than an early, incomplete account.
- File a lawsuit if the insurer does not resolve the claim fairly. If negotiations fail, the case is filed as a civil personal injury lawsuit. Orinda dog bite lawsuits fall under the jurisdiction of the Contra Costa County Superior Court. They are typically filed and heard at the Wakefield Taylor Courthouse at 725 Court Street, Martinez, CA 94553. Litigation gives your attorney access to formal discovery tools, including the right to demand the dog owner’s full insurance policy under CCP § 2017.210.
Filing Deadlines For Orinda Dog Bite Claims: Act Before The Window Closes
Dog bite claims are subject to strict deadlines that vary depending on who you are making the claim against. Missing the deadline that applies to your situation can limit or bar your right to recover, particularly against a public entity, where a missed government-claim deadline typically bars that portion of the lawsuit. Claims against private defendants, such as a dog owner or landlord, follow a separate two-year personal injury deadline under California Code of Civil Procedure (CCP) § 335.1.
- Two-year personal injury deadline (CCP § 335.1): Dog bite victims in Orinda have two years from the date of the bite to file a personal injury lawsuit in California Superior Court. Evidence, including bite investigation records, photographs of wounds, witness statements, and security footage, disappears long before that deadline arrives. Waiting costs you more than legal options.
- Three-year property damage deadline (CCP § 338): If personal property was damaged in the attack, such as torn clothing, broken glasses, or a destroyed hearing aid, you have three years from the date of the incident to bring that separate claim.
- Minor victims (tolling under CCP § 352): For claims against private defendants, the deadline generally tolls (or pauses) until the child turns 18, so a child bitten at age 8 generally has until age 20 to file suit. This tolling rule does not apply to actions against public entities or public employees for which a Government Claims Act claim must be presented. Those claims are subject to separate government-claim deadlines.
- Six-month government claim deadline (Gov. Code § 911.2): If you’re asserting a claim against a California public entity or public employee that’s subject to the Government Claims Act, a written claim generally must be presented to the responsible public entity within six months after the claim accrues. A few things to keep in mind:
- A claim against the City of Orinda should be presented to the City, in whatever manner the City authorizes.
- A claim against Contra Costa County should be presented to the County.
- Simply being injured on public property does not, by itself, establish public-entity liability.
If the six-month deadline has already passed, you may still be able to file a late-claim application under Gov. Code §§ 911.4 and 911.6, generally within one year after the claim accrues. If that application is denied, court relief is governed by Gov. Code § 946.6.
If you believe a public entity is involved, consult an attorney right away. This is one reason why waiting to get legal advice can end up costing you your case.
Evidence preservation is urgent regardless of which deadline applies. Animal bite quarantine records at CCAS, photographs of the wound, and witness statements should be secured within days of the attack, not weeks or months later.
Results Arash Law Has Recovered For Injured Clients
The representative serious injury results below illustrate how Arash Law prepares evidence, disputes liability, and fights for full value against insurers and property owners in personal injury cases.
Representative Serious Injury Results: Not Dog Bite Specific
We made a $2.3 million recovery for an elderly client who was attacked by an unleashed dog while walking. The attack caused the client to fall and strike his head on the asphalt, resulting in severe head injuries. We recovered the homeowner’s insurance policy limits.
A husband and wife were attacked inside a retail store using an unsecured weapon left accessible on the premises. The jury found the property owner 50% liable, with a judgment exceeding $30,000,000 against the company. Arash Law provided consistent, sustained representation through trial.
A 74-year-old client was struck while crossing the street, sustaining severe injuries that required extensive medical care. The case was resolved just before jury selection was about to start.
Results displayed on this page were obtained in prior matters and depend on the unique facts of each case. Different facts will produce different results. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome in your case. Arash Law is a California personal injury law firm. This page is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Contacting Arash Law does not create an attorney-client relationship until a written agreement is signed.
Talk To An Orinda Dog Bite Lawyer Today: Free Initial Consultation
If a dog bit you or a family member in Orinda, every day you wait makes the evidence harder to preserve. Wounds heal, surveillance footage is overwritten, and witnesses move on. You do not have to navigate the insurance dispute or the CCAS reporting process alone.
Arash Law has recovered over $1 billion for injured clients across California. Our attorneys handle Orinda dog bite claims from the first call to resolution. There is no cost to you unless we recover compensation.
If the bite happened at Orinda Oaks Dog Park or on a public trail, photograph the posted signage and request the CCAS investigation record as soon as possible.
Call (888) 488-1391 to schedule your free initial consultation. Lines are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Why Orinda Dog Bite Victims Choose Arash Law
Orinda’s combination of high owner-occupancy, residential trails, a new off-leash dog park, and a close-knit community where most victims know the dog’s owner creates a specific set of challenges that generic legal representation does not address. Here is what Arash Law brings to an Orinda dog bite case:
When settlement talks fail, the case goes to the Wakefield Taylor Courthouse in Martinez. Arash Law has experience navigating civil proceedings in the Contra Costa County Superior Court, from filing through trial. That familiarity matters when you need a litigation threat that insurers take seriously.
Our attorneys request CCAS bite investigation records and prior complaint files through the California Public Records Act. A prior complaint about the same dog, even one that did not result in a finding, can establish that the owner knew or should have known the animal was dangerous. That evidence supports a negligence claim against a landlord, dog walker, or property manager, as well as a strict liability claim against the owner.
Facial injuries and psychological trauma from dog bites affect children differently than adults. We work with child psychologists to assess PTSD, cynophobia, and developmental disruption, and with plastic surgery experts to document scar revision costs and future care needs. Those expert reports go directly into the demand package and prevent insurers from undervaluing claims involving young victims.
In Orinda, where homeowner’s insurance is the primary recovery vehicle, identifying the right policy, the applicable limit, any umbrella coverage, and any exclusions that the insurer is applying in bad faith is foundational work. We handle that analysis and all communications with the insurer, keeping you out of direct contact with a claims adjuster who is working toward a low settlement.
We represent clients in Orinda and the surrounding communities of Walnut Creek, Lafayette, Moraga, as well as throughout Contra Costa County. Cases involving bites on the Lafayette-Moraga Regional Trail, at Orinda Oaks Dog Park, or in a neighboring city are within our regular practice area.
What Orinda Residents Ask After A Dog Bite: Frequently Asked Questions
Who Handles Dog Bite Investigations In Orinda?
Contra Costa County Animal Services (CCAS) Field Services handles dog bite investigations throughout Contra Costa County, including Orinda. The CCAS receives bite reports, investigates animal-to-human bites, may quarantine the animal for rabies evaluation, and documents the incident in an official record. If the attack involved a serious injury or occurred in a public place, local law enforcement may also respond. The CCAS Field Services page is available at contracosta.ca.gov. File a report as soon as possible; the resulting investigation record will serve as evidence in your civil claim.
Will My Neighbor's Dog Be Put Down If I Report The Bite Or File A Claim?
Euthanasia is not automatic after a single bite in California. The decision depends on the dog’s history, the severity of the attack, rabies risk, and the Contra Costa County health officer’s determination. Filing a civil injury claim does not trigger automatic euthanasia proceedings. What it does trigger is an obligation for the insurer to respond to your documented losses. Many Orinda dog bite victims delay because they are worried about the dog’s fate, but the financial and legal consequences of that delay fall entirely on the victim, not the owner.
Can I Recover Damages If A Dog Bit Me While I Was Delivering A Package To An Orinda Home?
Yes. A USPS carrier, a package delivery driver, or any other service worker who enters private property in the performance of a duty imposed by law or in response to the property owner’s implicit invitation is “lawfully present” under Civil Code § 3342. Strict liability applies. The dog owner cannot argue that you had no right to approach the door.
Some delivery workers also have workers’ compensation coverage through their employer. A dog bite attorney can handle your third-party personal injury claim and explain how it interacts with any workers’ compensation claim you are pursuing separately through your employer.
Are Landlords In Orinda Liable When A Tenant's Dog Bites Someone?
Not automatically. California law requires two conditions before landlord liability attaches: first, the landlord must have known the dog was dangerous; second, the landlord must have had the authority and ability to act, for example, by requiring the tenant to remove the dog or refusing to renew a lease. If both conditions are met, the landlord can share liability even without owning the dog. Evidence of prior complaints made to the landlord about the dog, or documented incidents that the landlord ignored, is critical to establishing knowledge. CCAS prior complaint records obtained through a Public Records Act request are one of the first things an Orinda dog bite attorney seeks in cases where the bite occurred at a rental property.
Do I Owe Attorney's Fees If My Claim Does Not Succeed?
No. Arash Law handles dog bite cases on a contingency fee basis. Under this arrangement, you pay no attorney’s fees unless the firm recovers compensation on your behalf. California Business and Professions Code § 6147 requires a written fee agreement; your attorney will provide one at the outset, so there are no surprises about how fees work. There are no upfront costs and no hourly billing.
The Dog That Bit Me Did Not Break The Skin. Can I Still File A Claim?
Civil Code § 3342 uses the word “bitten.” It covers any dog bite, regardless of whether the skin was broken, as long as the bite caused injury. If a dog’s teeth made contact with your body and caused harm, including bruising, soft-tissue injury, or a fall that resulted in a separate injury, you may have a claim. For injuries caused without a bite, such as a dog knocking you down or scratching you, negligence under Civil Code § 1714 applies instead of strict liability. Talk to a lawyer before assuming the incident is not worth pursuing.
Ready To Move Forward? Arash Law Is Here To Help.
Dog bite claims in Orinda depend on time-sensitive evidence. The sooner you act, the more of that evidence survives: the CCAS investigation record, the wound photographs, the security footage, and the witness accounts. Delay helps the insurer, not you.
Arash Law represents injured people in Orinda, Walnut Creek, Lafayette, Moraga, and throughout Contra Costa County. We handle every part of the claim: the animal control report, the insurance negotiation, and, when needed, litigation at the Wakefield Taylor Courthouse in Martinez, the Contra Costa County Superior Court that handles most unlimited civil personal injury lawsuits for the county. Arash Law has recovered over $1 billion for injured clients across California and serves Orinda, Walnut Creek, Lafayette, Moraga, and every corner of Contra Costa County.
To schedule your free initial consultation with Arash Law, call (888) 488-1391, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. MAKE THEM PAY, CALL AK.
Reviewed by: Arash Khorsandi, Esq., California State Bar #249405, admitted 2007, last reviewed August 2026
