Dog Bite Attacks

Owning a pet means being responsible for its safety as well as the safety of those who interact with your pet. When a pet, such as a dog, harms a person, the dog's owners may be responsible. Dog bites can happen suddenly and without warning. They can cause significant damage to the body and severe emotional damage.

At the law firm of Corsiglia, McMahon, & Allard, L.L.P., our dedicated and efficient lawyers zealously advocate for the rights of dog bite victims. We will pursue claims against the dog's owners and their insurance companies.

Each state has laws that outline what the liability is for a dog owner whose dog has caused injury to another person. In California, courts apply a strict liability analysis to their dog bite claims. What that means is that a dog owner cannot escape liability by claiming that there were no indicators or evidence that the dog would behave in a violent or vicious manner. The law in California presumes that the owner of a dog who bit someone is negligent for allowing the accident and injury to occur.

Civil damages are intended to make a plaintiff whole again. In certain cases, punitive damages may be appropriate if the defendant acted willfully or was grossly negligent in disregard for humanity. Different cities throughout California also have provisions that allow for specialized awards for specific circumstances. For example, in San Jose, California, a defendant may be forced to pay an additional $5,000 on top of other damages if it can be established that the owner knew that his or her dog was dangerous, and through negligence, still allowed another to be injured by the dog.

Due to the popularity of dog ownership in California, dog bite injuries are the most common form of animal-related injuries. Injuries that are caused by dog bites can oftentimes have painful and long-lasting consequences including:

• Permanent scarring or disfigurement
• Infection leading to amputation
• Psychological trauma

Our attorneys achieved a $350,000 settlement for a dog bite to the face and hand of a 12-year-old girl. The dog had no previous reported history of vicious behavior.

If the injury that you suffered as a result of a dog bite occurred on the premise of a company, you may be able to collect from not only the owner of the dog but also from the owner of the premises that allowed the injury to occur. Our attorneys will examine a number of factors when deciding if it is appropriate to bring an action against an employer or corporation for a dog bite injury that happened on their premises. Some of the factors that we will examine include:

• Whether or not an employer had advanced knowledge that the owner of the dog was unfit to have the dog on the premise
• Whether the employer consciously disregarded the rights and safety of others by allowing the dog on the premises
• Whether the employer was liable for oppression, fraud, or malice

Our California dog bite attorneys are relentless in pursuing fair compensation from animal owners when their negligence causes you to be injured. Contact Corsiglia McMahon & Allard, L.L.P. at (408) 289-1417 today to schedule your consultation. We serve clients throughout the South San Francisco area including Santa Clara County, San Mateo County, Belmont, and Redwood City.