Los Angeles Dog Bite Lawyers Fighting for Your Rights
The consequences of a dog attack can continue after the wound has been treated. You may be losing income during recovery, worrying about a visible scar or helping a child feel safe again. Noravian Law Firm helps Los Angeles families address those concerns through a claim that considers the injury’s physical, financial and emotional effects.
We investigate who owned the dog and what insurance may apply, then open the claim, obtain the necessary records and deal with the adjuster. An attack involving a friend’s or neighbor’s dog can raise personal concerns too; we can explain how those concerns fit with your legal options. To arrange a free consultation, call 818-548-8000.
California Dog Bite Laws Explained
California does not generally require proof of an earlier bite before holding a dog’s owner responsible. Under Civil Code section 3342, the owner’s lack of knowledge about aggression does not by itself defeat a qualifying claim. Along with identifying the owner and connecting the injury to the bite, the claim must establish that:
- The injury resulted from the dog biting the person
- The person was in a public location or had a lawful reason to be on private property
That rule ordinarily removes the need to prove the owner handled the dog carelessly, but its scope still matters. An injury caused only by a dog knocking someone over may instead require a negligence claim or another legal basis. We also consider exceptions, including the rules that can apply to police or military dogs, before determining how to pursue the case.
Common Injuries Resulting from Dog Attacks
Our review looks beyond the appearance of the initial wound. An attack may leave a person with:
- Punctures or torn skin that need treatment
- Changes in sensation or function following nerve injury
- Damage to the face that may require reconstructive care
- Infection or disease-exposure concerns that need a clinician’s evaluation
- Lasting scars or changes to appearance
- Fractures sustained when the dog knocks the person to the ground
- Anxiety, post-traumatic stress or other emotional consequences
Physical rehabilitation and psychological treatment may both be part of recovery. We use the treatment record to explain those needs and pursue compensation for the harm the evidence supports.
What to Do After a Dog Bite Incident in Los Angeles
First move away from the animal and get appropriate medical attention. When it is safe and your condition permits, these steps can help preserve the facts:
- Have a clinician assess and treat the wounds, including any infection concerns
- Retain any owner contact details or vaccination information provided without approaching the dog
- Report the bite to Los Angeles Animal Services or Los Angeles County Veterinary Public Health; call 911 for an immediate danger or medical emergency
- Photograph your injuries and the area only when doing so will not expose you to another attack
- Keep the names and contact details of people who saw the encounter
- Refer insurance correspondence and requests to our attorneys so we can address the claim
- Call Noravian Law Firm at 818-548-8000 to review the incident in a free consultation
The animal’s owner or custodian has information duties under Penal Code section 398 when a bite breaks or punctures the skin. Once that person knows or has reason to know about the bite, identifying information must be provided as soon as practicable, and no later than 48 hours afterward. It includes the person’s name, address and telephone number and the animal’s name and license-tag number. Where rabies vaccination is legally required, vaccination-status information must also be provided within 48 hours of the bite. We can help pursue missing identification, vaccination information and animal-control records.
Save records already available to you, such as treatment papers, photographs, damaged clothing and messages. Obtaining additional reports, contacting witnesses, seeking video and establishing ownership are part of our investigation. You do not have to obtain private insurance, veterinary or property-management files before speaking with us.
Compensation Available in a Dog Bite Lawsuit
We evaluate what the attack has already cost you and what reasonably supported recovery needs remain. Depending on the evidence, damages may address:
- Medical charges already incurred and anticipated operations, treatment or therapy
- Income missed during recovery and reduced capacity to earn later
- Physical suffering attributable to the injuries
- Counseling needed to address the attack’s emotional effects
- Plastic or reconstructive procedures recommended as part of care
- Disability or lasting changes in appearance from scars
- Activities and everyday enjoyment lost because of the physical or psychological harm
A healing photograph is useful, but it may not show weak grip, interrupted sleep or fear that changes ordinary outings. We connect your experience with the clinical findings, work limitations and recommendations for additional treatment. That review helps us evaluate a settlement in light of the whole injury rather than just the wound’s appearance.
Liability in Dog Bite Cases
The dog-owner statute does not automatically impose the same responsibility on everyone connected to the animal. A separate claim against another person depends on that person’s conduct and the applicable duty. We may investigate:
- A landlord who actually knew the tenant’s dog was dangerous, could have acted to prevent the injury and failed to take reasonable precautions
- An occupant whose careless handling or control of the dog helped cause the harm
- A walker, sitter or other handler who did not exercise reasonable control over the animal
The address where a bite happened does not establish a landlord’s liability. The inquiry includes actual knowledge, an ability to prevent the harm and a causal connection to the injury. Complaints made before the incident and the landlord’s authority under the tenancy can therefore be important evidence.
Special Considerations for Child Dog Bite Victims
For a child, recovery may affect classroom attendance, play and confidence around animals as well as medical care. A claim may need to account for:
- Facial injuries for which reconstructive treatment is recommended
- Continuing fear or anxiety after the attack
- A lengthy period of healing and rehabilitation
We work with the parent to understand those changes over time and avoid making the child retell the event unnecessarily. The first emergency record may not address later scar care, counseling needs or missed school. Medical recommendations and the family’s observations help explain those continuing effects as the claim develops.
Common Defenses Raised in Dog Bite Cases
A dispute may concern what happened before the bite or why the injured person was there. An owner or insurer might contend that:
- The person’s actions provoked the animal
- The person had no permission or other lawful basis to enter the property
- Contact with the dog amounted to accepting the risk of injury
Those contentions need facts, not labels. We examine invitations, delivery directions, recordings and witness accounts to understand the person’s presence and the dog’s approach. The encounter itself and the injured person’s age can affect the analysis. Our assessment does not treat an adjuster’s accusation as a legal conclusion.
Reporting a Dog Bite in the City of Los Angeles
Los Angeles Animal Services is the city agency; it is distinct from Los Angeles County Animal Care and Control. The City lists 888-452-7381 for Animal Services. Los Angeles County Public Health also provides an animal-bite reporting channel for bites to people. A public-health report helps the authorities evaluate the animal and any disease-exposure concerns. Your treating clinician should assess the wound and needed care.
Reporting the bite is separate from pursuing compensation. Our lawyers obtain available animal-control records, identify the owner and investigate applicable insurance. We handle the claim and insurer communications, including when the dog belongs to someone you know.
Why You Need a Los Angeles Dog Bite Lawyer
An insurer can acknowledge the attack yet still contest whether its policy covers it or how much treatment the injury requires. If healing is incomplete, an early offer may leave future procedures or lasting scars insufficiently addressed. We explain which questions remain open and what evidence is needed before you decide about a release.
Our work brings the coverage investigation together with proof of injury and loss. We negotiate for you, seek suitable expert input when necessary and prepare for litigation if a resolution cannot be reached. You can discuss the next steps for a Los Angeles dog bite by calling 818-548-8000.
Frequently Asked Questions
The ordinary California injury lawsuit period is generally two years. For a child, the usual civil filing period may be paused during minority, but the separate government-claim requirement is not postponed on that basis. A claim involving a public entity generally requires presentation within six months of accrual, followed by its own lawsuit rules. We review the incident date, parties and relevant exceptions before determining the deadlines and proper court.
Not by itself. The defense must support any assertion that your conduct contributed to the injury; a proven share of comparative fault may reduce damages. We look at the sequence of the encounter, your lawful presence and age, along with the other circumstances, before assessing that argument. Responsibility cannot be assigned merely because an insurer describes the event as provocation.
Legal liability and an ability to pay are different questions. An owner can remain responsible without insurance, but collection may be difficult. We examine potentially applicable homeowners, renters and other liability policies and consider whether someone else independently contributed to the injury. A landlord does not become responsible solely because the attack occurred on that property. Our advice considers the practical prospects of recovery as well as the legal claim.
We examine the treatment already provided, further care that may reasonably be needed, and any lasting scar or functional impairment. Missed earnings and the attack’s effect on daily life also matter, as do fault and available coverage. A photograph or an advertised average settlement leaves too much of that picture out. Our evaluation develops from the medical outlook and evidence of your particular losses.
Dog Bite Claims at Los Angeles Parks and Residential Properties
The City’s dog-park directory includes Griffith Park’s dog park on North Zoo Drive, Silverlake Dog Park on Silver Lake Boulevard and Westwood Dog Park on Sepulveda Boulevard. Designated dog areas have their own posted rules. The City’s published rules require aggressive dogs to be removed and dogs to remain leashed in parking areas. An incident inside an off-leash enclosure can therefore present different facts from an attack while walking to a car.
For an encounter near a park gate, we look at where each person and animal was, how the dog approached and who was handling it. We do not treat the existence of a dog park as proof that a victim accepted every risk. Ownership, lawful presence and the circumstances of the bite remain important, and a claim against a public entity involves rules separate from the claim against the dog’s owner.
At a Hollywood apartment entry, a delivery stop in Koreatown or a home in San Pedro, access can be central to the case. An invitation, delivery instructions or a doorbell recording may help explain why you were on the property. We seek gate-maintenance records or prior complaints when another person’s negligence may also have contributed. A leash violation is not required for a qualifying claim under the dog-owner statute.
Nearby Areas We Also Serve
Our firm also handles these claims in Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena, East Los Angeles and Downey. Within the San Fernando Valley, our practice includes North Hollywood, Sherman Oaks, Encino, Van Nuys, Northridge.
Don’t see your city? You can still reach us at 818-548-8000. We can review whether we can assist with an attack elsewhere in California.
Contact Our Los Angeles Dog Bite Injury Lawyers Now
Questions about treatment, scarring or the dog’s owner do not have to be resolved before you contact our firm. We can discuss what happened to you or your child and how we would investigate the claim. Call 818-548-8000 to schedule a free consultation.
Accepted cases are handled on a contingency-fee basis: attorney fees are owed only if we recover compensation. Case costs are separate, and the written agreement explains how both fees and costs are handled.
Si usted o su hijo sufrió una mordedura de perro en Los Ángeles, contamos con personal que habla español para ayudarle. Visite nuestra página de abogados de mordeduras de perro en Los Ángeles o llame al 818-548-8000 para una consulta gratuita.