If a dog bit you, the animal’s owner could be liable for your injuries. From your medical bills to your scarring or disfigurement, you could be entitled to an array of financial compensation. You could hold the owner of the dog that bit you accountable by filing a civil lawsuit.
Dog bites can leave more than scars. These injuries can cause permanent nerve damage, severe infections, and illnesses. Recovering from dog bite injuries can be a painful and costly ordeal, especially if you are paying for it yourself. Let our Bakersfield dog bite lawyers help you hold the animal’s owner accountable for your injuries.
Compensation You Could Recover for a Dog Bite Injury in Bakersfield, CA
The injuries and subsequent consequences that come with a dog bite can vary. The same is true for the compensation that follows a successful dog bite injury claim or lawsuit. If your case is successful, you have the opportunity to recover compensation for the damages you sustained in the attack. This could cover your financial, physical, and emotional hardships from the incident.
Some of the types of damages that could be available in your personal injury case include:
Scarring and Disfigurement
Dog bites frequently result in scarring and disfigurement. These scars can have a significant impact on your emotional state and potentially impact your interpersonal relationships. Compensation for your disfigurement could be possible if your dog bite injury case is successful.
Medical Bills
Medical costs can add up quickly following a dog bite. Even injuries that seem relatively minor—like bites on the hand—can result in significant damage that requires extensive medical care. The cost of this treatment could make up a portion of your settlement.
Lost Wages
Dog bites could impact your ability to earn a living in different ways. If you are too injured to perform your tasks at work or are hospitalized with a serious infection, you could miss out on your primary source of income. A civil lawsuit provides you with an opportunity to replace your lost wages and avoid financial strain.
Pain and Suffering
Dog bites hurt—especially if you suffer nerve damage in the process. In some cases, damaged nerves could leave you with a lifetime of chronic nerve pain. You could be entitled to compensation based on the degree of pain you experience from your injury.
Can You Sue A Dog Owner for A Dog Bite in Bakersfield?
While many states have what is known as a “one-bite” rule that requires a dog to have a history of violence, California allows the victims of dog bites to pursue legal action against the owner—regardless of the dog’s history. This is because the state has adopted a legal standard known as strict liability.
Under strict liability, it is enough to establish that a dog owned by the defendant bit you. If you suffered injuries from the bite, you would only need to prove the bite occurred when you were on public property or on private property where you were authorized to be.
Liability for dog bite injuries is governed by CIV § 3342. Under the law, if a dog bit you on private property, you may have a viable claim for compensation unless you were not allowed on the premises. This aspect of the law is designed to protect homeowners whose dogs bite trespassers.
If the Dog Did Not Bite You, the Rules Are Different
The law is different if you are injured by a dog in a manner other than a bite. For example, if you are hurt after being knocked to the ground by a dog, you have the opportunity to pursue legal action against the owner. However, the important difference is you will not be able to use the strict liability standard in these cases. Instead, your attorney must establish that the owner was negligent.
How much does a Bakersfield Dog Bite Attorney Cost?
When you work with our firm, you can pursue an injury lawsuit without worrying about upfront legal fees. Our firm accepts dog bite cases on a contingency basis, and we only get paid when you do.
A contingency fee-basis involves us collecting our fee as a percentage of the compensation we secure on your behalf. Until we recover damages in your case, you will owe us nothing. In the rare cases where we are unsuccessful, you won’t owe us a dollar.
Hiring an attorney on a contingency-fee basis is favorable to you in more than one way. Without the need to pay anything up front, you have the opportunity to move forward with your case regardless of your finances. You also will never risk paying for an attorney only to walk away without any compensation.
Common Dog Bite Injuries
Dogs come in all shapes and sizes. For that reason, it should come as no surprise they can also result in a wide variety of injuries. Larger dogs are intimidating, but even the bites of a small dog could cause permanent injury. Some injuries we see include:
- Punctures and lacerations
- Scarring
- Infection
- Rabies
- Tetanus
- Broken bones
- Nerve damage
Seek medical treatment for any injuries related to a dog bite. Addressing the injuries right away could prevent your condition from worsening. What’s more, you could also protect your personal injury case by ensuring you create a trail of records that confirm the extent of your injuries.
Free Consultation Available With A Bakersfield Dog Bite Lawyer
A successful dog bite injury lawsuit could result in the financial compensation you need. If you settle your case with the dog owner or their insurance company, it could pay for your medical treatment, compensate you for any scarring, and replace the wages you missed while in recovery.
The team at Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers is ready to fight and advocate for you. Our team fighting for Bakersfield injury victims understands the trauma that can come with an animal attack, and we look forward to helping you pursue justice. To learn how a California dog bite lawyer could help, reach out for a free consultation today from our firm.
