The consequences of a dog bite attack can extend far beyond scarring or broken bones. Dog attacks can cause emotional trauma that sticks with victims for life.
Our firm has represented countless dog attack victims and boasts an exemplary rate of success. We have the experience and know-how to represent our clients in a superior manner.
You should contact a personal injury lawyer if you have been attacked or bitten by a dog. The Santa Rosa dog bite attorneys at Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers can let you know if you qualify for financial compensation for your medical bills, pain, suffering, lost wages, and more.
We will handle your dog bite case on a contingency fee basis. What this means is that when we handle dog bite claims, we don’t charge our clients any fee until and unless we recover financial compensation for them. When dog bites occur and clients hire us to handle the consequences, our clients aren’t charged any upfront fees or out of pocket fees. The only fee we charge dog bite victims is a percentage of the money we recover for them.
Sometimes our clients can’t afford to have their dog bite injuries treated. When this occurs, we get them to doctors who treat them on a lien, meaning they’re not charged for treatment until their case is over. Doctors are willing to do this for Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers because doctors know that Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers get fantastic results for dog bite clients.
Call an experienced dog bite attorney at Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers today today for a free consultation, text us from this page or fill out the free case evaluation form on this page if you or a loved one was bitten or attacked by a dog in Santa Rosa or Sonoma County. You may qualify for financial compensation in a dog bite lawsuit.
How Can A Santa Rosa Dog Bite Attorney Help You?
A Santa Rosa dog bite law firm like Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers can:
- Investigate your dog bite injury and the circumstances around it
- Identify the dog’s owner or who was responsible for the dog at the time of the attack
- Demand financial compensation for your injuries
- File a lawsuit if you are not offered a fair settlement for your injuries
California dog bite laws protect the victims of dog bites. California Civil Code Section 3342 ensures that dog owners are financially liable for any injuries their dogs cause to other people unless:
- The dog bite victim provoked the dog, or
- The dog bite victim was trespassing when they were bitten
Those who are bitten by dogs in California while trespassing usually can’t recover financial compensation for their injuries.
What Should I Do After Being Bitten By A Dog?
Those who are bitten by dogs in Santa Rosa should:
- Receive medical attention immediately to get treatment for your dog bite
- Take pictures of their location and injuries as quickly as they can because photos can be great evidence
- Obtain the contact information, addresses, and name(s) of the owner or handler of the dog, as well as that of any witnesses
- Document every event that happened as quickly as possible, as memories usually weaken with time
Dog bite victims who can’t obtain information about the dog owner should contact Sonoma County Animal Control and describe the dog to them.
What Can Victims Of Dog Bites Recover Financial Compensation For?
If you or a loved one were bitten by a dog in Santa Rosa, you may qualify for financial compensation for:
Medical Bills
Your dog bite has probably left you owing money in medical expenses. If your dog bite injuries were particularly severe, you may also require future treatment which will generate yet more medical bills. Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers can help you recover financial compensation for all past and future medical bills which are associated with your dog bite injuries. This can include not only medical treatment, but also therapy for conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder.
Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers
(707) 525-1188
Lost Wages
Sometimes our clients who are bitten by dogs are injured so badly they can’t work for a while. Other times they have to take time off of work to get their dog bite injuries treated. No matter the reason you have missed work, if you’ve missed work due to your dog bite in some way, we can help you recover compensation for the wages you were unable to earn.
Loss Of Earning Capacity
Dog attack victims are sometimes left permanently disabled by their serious injuries. When this occurs, they may be unable to work again, or unable to do the same job ever again. If you have suffered a loss or reduction of your earning capacity due to your dog attack injuries, we can help you recover financial compensation for this.
Pain And Suffering
Dog attacks can cause a lot of physical pain as well as mental suffering. You deserve to be compensated for it. We are experienced at accurately placing values on our clients’ pain and suffering and ensuring they’re fairly compensated for it.
Wrongful Death
If you have lost a loved one to a dog attack, we can assist you in obtaining compensation for:
- Your loved one’s burial and funeral costs
- Your loved one’s medical bills
- Your loved one’s pain and suffering
- Your grieving and suffering
- The loss of your loved one’s income
- The loss of your loved one’s consortium
- The loss of your loved one’s household services
- The loss of your loved one’s love and companionship
What Are The Most Common Dog Bite Injuries?
It’s not always obvious why dogs bite people. Dogs could be scared of or intimidated by someone. They could also be protecting their territory. Sometimes, dog bites can also occur without warning for no apparent reason.
The severity of dog bites can vary. Some dog bites can be very minor, and others can be severe, requiring emergency medical care. Some of the more common injuries seen from dog bites are:
- Infections
- Puncture wounds
- Damage to soft tissue
- Fractured bones
- Internal bleeding
- Scarring
Who Can Be Held Liable For A Dog Bite In California?
Dog owners are usually financially liable for any damages caused by bites that their dogs inflict, whether or not the dogs have previously shown aggressive behavior or the pet owners were aware of the dogs having a tendency to be vicious at the time of the attack.
However, other parties than the pet owner can sometimes be held liable for dog bites in California. Parties who can be held liable for dog bites in California also include:
Caretakers Or Dog Keepers
Sometimes, when a dog bite occurs, the dog is under somebody else’s control other than its owner. When this occurs, a dog keeper or caretaker can be held liable. However, for this to occur, the keeper or caretaker, prior to the bite, must already be aware a dog is a dangerous dog if they are to be held liable for the dog attack.
In addition, dog keepers or caretakers can be held liable for dog bites when they negligently handle or control dogs.
Owners Of Residential Property
Residential property owners can be held liable for dog bites when plaintiffs are able to show that they have prior knowledge regarding a vicious dog’s presence.
Landlords
Landlords can be held liable for dog bites when dogs escape from their property due to property defects such as holes in fences, then bite someone off the property.
Landlords can also be held liable for a dog bite when it can be shown that a landlord knew a tenant’s dog was dangerous, had the right to prohibit the dog from being on the premises, and failed to do so.
Owners Of Commercial Property
Owners of commercial property have a duty to inspect their premises to make sure that dangerous conditions, like vicious dogs, don’t exist on their property. Landlords have a duty to inspect commercial properties, so they can’t avoid liability for dog bites when they claim they didn’t know about a dangerous dog.
Other Defendants
Sometimes other parties can be held liable for dog bites, like day care centers for children or homeowner associations, depending on the case’s facts and circumstances.
Do I Need A Lawyer To Handle My Dog Bite Injury Claim?
You need a Santa Rosa dog bite lawyer if you’ve been injured by a dog bite and wish to recover all the financial compensation that California law entitles you to. Almost all dog bite cases end in dog bite victims being compensated for their injuries by an insurance company.
But the thing is, the goal of every insurance adjuster is to protect their employer’s profit margin, and they’re very good at this. They won’t offer you fair compensation unless you have a lawyer and you risk incriminating yourself if you talk with them instead of having a lawyer talk with them for you.
Insurance companies won’t offer you what you deserve for your dog bite injuries unless you have a lawyer because they know that if they make you a low ball offer, your only choices are to accept it or sue them over it. They know you can’t win a lawsuit against their expensive lawyers if you don’t have an attorney of your own, so they won’t make a fair offer.
Insurance Adjuster Manipulation Tactics
Insurance adjusters are trained to manipulate you into saying things that imply you were at fault for a dog bite. For example, they may trick you into saying something they can twist into implying that you provoked a dog bite, allowing them to pay you nothing for your injuries.
Adjusters are also trained to manipulate you into saying things that imply your injuries aren’t as severe as you’re claiming, allowing them to pay you a lot less than you deserve for your injuries.
Let Your Lawyer Handle the Insurance Company
You need experienced dog bite lawyers who are familiar with dog bite cases on your side to speak with the insurance companies for you and force them to offer you what you’re entitled to under the law for your injuries.
Luckily, since our only fee is a percentage of any financial recovery obtained, and since we don’t charge a fee if we don’t obtain a recovery, anyone can afford to have us represent them.
Is There A Time Limit To File A Dog Bite Claim In California?
There is a time limit for filing personal injury claims such as dog bite claims in California. This time limit, known as a statute of limitations, is two years in most cases.
However, important exceptions exist regarding the two year time limit for filing claims regarding injuries such as dog bites in California. The time limit to file an injury claim in California can be lengthened or shortened depending on the circumstances involved.
Call us today for a free case evaluation if you or a loved one was bitten by a dog in Santa Rosa. Calling us today gives us the best possible opportunity to build a convincing dog bite case on your behalf and make sure that any and all paperwork is filed on time.
Dog bite claims can be more complex than you might think, so it can take quite a while to put together a strong case. You shouldn’t expect the best results if you wait until the last minute to call us about your dog bite. Calling us today gives you the best chance possible to recover the most money possible for your dog bite injuries.
Reach Out A Santa Rosa Dog Bite Lawyer At Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers
The Santa Rosa dog bite lawyers at Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers have successfully represented dog bite victims since 1990. Our team of experienced lawyers, experts, and paralegals have recovered over $400 million on behalf of our clients. We desire to improve your life, and we dedicate ourselves to making Santa Rosa a safer place to live.
Contact us today or text us from this page for a free consultation with a top-rated dog bite lawyer to discuss your legal rights and find out if filing a dog bite claim or a lawsuit is right for you. You may be eligible for financial compensation. And we don’t charge a fee until and unless we obtain financial compensation for you.