In California, dog bites occur more frequently than many people realize. No matter what breed or size a dog may be, their bites or attacks can create serious medical problems. If this happens to you, go to a medical facility immediately to try to prevent major health problems, such as infection or even rabies. You may be able to file a lawsuit to recoup monetary funds from the person who owns the dog in many cases.
Pre-settlement funding for dog bite attack victims can help pay legal costs before you receive settlement funds or before you reach a settlement with the insurance company or dog owner. Victims from all over California can participate in our lawsuit funding program. We have clients from Los Angeles, Orange County, San Francisco, San Diego, Riverside and many other areas.
How Can Someone Be Held Responsible for the Dog Bite?
You must determine ownership of the animal to place responsibility. All Californians who own dogs are responsible for any attack or dog bite even if they tried to protect others from the incident. Even if the owner had no knowledge that the dog could be a threat, and regardless of breed, the owner can still be liable unless the victim was intentionally aggravating the dog or was trespassing on your property. However, even without previous dog bites or incidents by a particular animal showing a pattern of behavior, a plaintiff can show that a dog should not be on premises without a leash or that the animal has a dangerous propensity of which its owner should have been aware. Typically certain scenarios would elevate a dogowner’s behavior to negligence. For example, if a 120 pound pitbull roams the hallways of an apartment complex, the landlord can also be liable if he or she has actual or constructive knowledge. Why? Because a large pitbull not on a leash in common areas can obviously pose a reasonable threat to the safety of other tenants as well as invited visitors onto the property. In that case, an attorney would likely pursue both the landlord of the private property where the bite attack occurred and the dogowner.
To apply for free, call (877) 735-0016
What Damages Can You Sue For?
Legally, it can be difficult to build a case that clearly shows who is responsible and to know what damages to seek. High Rise Financial legal funding will review the facts of your particular case and inform you within 24 hours as to whether you qualify for legal funding while your personal injury case proceeds.
Many factors are considered, including how serious the injury is and whether you can be held partially liable for the attack. Do you have any witnesses? Did you file a police report? Did you notify the landlord of the property immediately of the incident? All of these are important questions. Collecting the responsible party’s information and obtaining their insurance is also critical. Taking photographs of the dog and the injuries is also important to building your case.
The consideration for monetary damages include medical expenses, pain and suffering, and any wages you lost. If the owner’s conduct was intentional or obviously reckless, punitive damages may be awarded. An example of reckless or intentional conduct would be if the owner of the dog knows of the animal’s dangerous propensities (via previous dog bite incidents or attacks on others) and still allows the dog to roam freely on premises without a leash. Reckless conduct could be proven by showing other reasonable individuals would not act in the same manner.
Legal Funding Can Provide Resources to Pursue Your Legal Claim or Lawsuit
Legal settlement funding can often be the only way to bring a lawsuit forward. Even though most homeowner’s insurance policies provide coverage for dog injuries, they often offer a low settlement amount. Don’t settle because of a lack of money or the urgency with which you need the settlement funds. Pre-settlement lawsuit funding with High Rise Financial can help you get the money you deserve and are entitled to recover from your injuries.
Call or text (877) 735-0016 or fill out our form to apply today for free.