Los Angeles Dog Bite Lawyers

First Bite Attack vs. Repeat Offenders

Although California does not follow “one-bite” laws in regards to dog bites and injuries, multiple bite offenders may face harsher penalties than an animals who have only attacked once. One-bite laws allow a dog one attack or bite without holding the owner responsible (where the animal had no propensity to attack). Although the law serves to effectively protect subsequent victims, it does not protect the initial victim of the dog bite.

A dog bite victim may not want the dog to be put down because of the attack, and in California, the animal will usually not be destroyed for a first attack or bite, except in certain instances of extreme viciousness or where an attack causes death. Typically, an animal who has committed one attack will face limited confinement for several days and the burden will then be on the owner to ensure the animal is properly confined on the property. If animal control authorities have not been contacted, you may let your dog bite attorney know that you would not like anything to happen to the dog.

Attorneys Helping Victims of Dog Attacks

If you have been bitten by a dog, a Los Angeles dog bite attorney from our firm will take the necessary steps to discover whether or not the dog has a history of violence and attacks. By talking to neighbors, animal control centers, mail delivery persons and more, we can find out if a dog has a tendency to attack or has previously injured another person. Proof of previous attacks will be beneficial to your case because in proving an owner’s knowledge of an animal’s propensity to attack it is easier to hold him or her liable for your injuries.

Even if you have been attacked by a dog that has no previous history of violence, you will still be covered by California’s strict liability laws. Your Los Angeles dog bite lawyer will need to prove that you did not provoke the animal, that your injuries were a result of the dog’s attack, that you were exercising reasonable caution at the time of the accident, and that you were not trespassing or breaking a law.

Have you been attacked by a dog? Contact a Los Angeles dog bite lawyer at El Dabe Law Firm today!