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What To Do If You’re Bitten By A Street Dog?
Dog bites can be a particularly dangerous type of injury. In addition to serious internal injuries, such as deep tissue damage or severe bleeding, the risk of infection is high. Dog mouths are known to be a breeding ground for bacteria. Even minor bites can quickly become infected with a wide range of bacteria.
That is why it is important to see a doctor for preventive care, even if you do not think you have suffered serious injuries. It is also crucial to know what to do after a dog bite to protect both your health and your legal rights. Our experienced California dog bite lawyers at Arash Law have prepared this guide to help you know what to do if a street dog bites you.
Get Medical Attention
The first step after a dog bite is to seek appropriate medical care. For serious injuries, it may be necessary to call an ambulance and go directly to the emergency room. For less severe wounds, visiting an urgent care center or your doctor later in the day may be sufficient.
In either event, consult a doctor for your injuries to know what types of vaccinations or treatment you might need to protect yourself from infection or rabies. Some serious injuries, like internal bleeding or neurological damage, may not show symptoms right away.
Delaying medical care could put your health at risk. Rabid dogs are no longer very common, but rabies has an incredibly high mortality rate if you are bitten by one. Taking prompt action can help protect your health after being bitten by a dog.
Get Any Information You Can About Where The Dog Came From
If the dog’s owner is present at the scene, try to get their name, contact information, and any details they can provide about the dog. How old is it? Does it have its vaccinations? These questions can help doctors determine what shots you need after a dog bite.
Is there an animal shelter nearby? Does the animal look groomed and fed or like a stray? If no one in the immediate area claims the dog, arrange for animal control to pick it up. They will be able to check for a microchip to potentially locate the dog’s owner.
Call The Police Or Animal Control As Necessary
It is important to contact the authorities after a dog bite. Document what happened to help support your legal claim. A police report can be helpful evidence if you can get one.
It is also important to get Animal Control involved in the case. Their job is to prevent people from getting injured by animals. This department will determine if there is a record of this particular dog biting in the past. If the dog is a stray, Animal Control will check for a microchip and possibly find the dog’s owner. Identifying the owner is crucial for filing an injury claim.
Save Any Potential Evidence
There is a lot of potential evidence at the scene of a dog bite. A medical professional can document and photograph your injuries. Try to get a picture of the dog, especially if it is a stray. Doing so can help in locating it later.
If the dog damaged your clothes in the attack, save them until you hire a dog bite lawyer and ask them if they need the clothing as evidence. If you have a cell phone, take photos of the scene and collect as much evidence as possible after the attack.
Who Is Liable For Your Dog Bite?
Dog owners have a legal obligation to prevent their dogs from biting other people. Unfortunately, it is not always clear who owns a dog. Street dogs sometimes appear to have no owner at all. There might, however, still be someone who has a legal obligation to watch over them. Some examples of people who could have a duty to watch the dog include:
- Dog sitters
- Dog walkers
- Kennel owners or managers of pet boarding facilities.
- Managers of local animal shelters.
A landlord could be liable for a dog bite if they let out a tenant’s dog when entering the rental property. Liability often depends on who had the responsibility and ability to control the dog and prevent the bite. Local laws and the specific facts of the case will determine who is responsible. Our dog bite injury lawyers work to identify all potentially liable parties and assist you in seeking compensation for your injuries and losses.
Dog Bite Laws
California’s dog bite statute imposes a rule of strict liability on dog owners. This rule makes owners liable for any dog bites, even if their dog has never bitten before and the owner has no reason to suspect the dog will be vicious. Strict liability means that the injury victim does not have to prove the owner was negligent. So long as the victim did not provoke the attack, the owner can be held liable for all injuries caused by their dog.
Another section of the dog bite statute allows courts to order owners to take reasonable steps to prevent dog bites. If the dog has bitten a person on at least two separate occasions, the local prosecutor may file a civil action and ask the court to order preventative measures. These measures could include confining the dog in a controlled area or even having it put down if there is a serious risk of harm to others.
Dangerous Dogs
In addition to the dog bite statute, California law also has provisions that pertain to dangerous dogs. Owners have special obligations when their dog is vicious or even just potentially dangerous.
The law defines a potentially dangerous dog as one that has made unprovoked attacks (including death, serious bites, or injuries) while off the owner’s property on two separate occasions within three years.
The law defines a vicious dog as having inflicted severe injury (including death) to a person in an unprovoked attack. Potentially dangerous dogs that continue to make unprovoked attacks are also considered vicious dogs. The owner of a potentially dangerous dog must keep the dog indoors or in a securely fenced yard from which the dog cannot escape and into which children cannot trespass.
Any time a dog designated as potentially dangerous is off the property, it must be leashed and under the control of a responsible adult. If the dog makes no further unprovoked attacks within three years, officials may remove it from the list of potentially dangerous dogs. In some cases, it is also possible to remove a dog from the list before three years if the owner can prove that they have made changes or taken steps to mitigate the threat to public safety (though this is not guaranteed and is subject to official approval).
Local animal control officials and courts handle potentially dangerous dogs and vicious dogs. These proceedings are separate from your personal injury claim. The outcome of a hearing can, however, be important evidence in your personal injury case. Evidence of prior attacks or negligence on the owner’s part is persuasive evidence to a jury.
Even if you have not filed your personal injury claim yet, it is still important to report a dangerous dog to the proper authorities. The designation of “potentially dangerous” and “vicious dogs” initiates a process aimed at enhancing public safety by mitigating the risks associated with certain dogs. Animal Control needs to be alerted to dangerous dogs to keep the public safe.
Speak To Our California Dog Bite Lawyers
If you are looking for a “dog bite lawyer near me,” our dog bite lawyers in California are ready to assist you. Our personal injury attorneys have decades of experience advocating for the rights of clients across the Golden State.
It’s highly recommended to get legal advice as soon as possible, as there is a specific deadline for filing claims, and crucial evidence may become unavailable over time. The sooner you reach out, the more time your personal injury attorney has to build your case and manage the legal process efficiently to protect your rights.
Our California injury attorneys serve clients in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Riverside, San Bernardino, Orange County, Santa Barbara, Fresno, San Jose, San Diego, Sacramento, Sherman Oaks, the Bay Area, Napa Valley, Chico, Redding, and throughout the state. Aside from dog bites, our lawyers also handle various personal injury cases, including car accidents, truck collisions, rideshare crashes, slip-and-fall incidents, and workers’ compensation.
Call (888) 488-1391 or contact us online to schedule your free initial consultation. You can also complete our “Do I Have A Case?” form here.
