San Jose Dog Bite Injury Lawyers
San Jose Dog Bite Injuries
According to California Civil Code, section 3342, "the owner of any dog is liable for the damages suffered by any person who is bitten by the dog." Additionally, many local County and Municipal Codes award attorney's fees to dog bite victims. Unfortunately, while many dogs are friendly, in part because their owners have fostered such behavior, some dog owners fail to control their animals, and consequently place others in harm's way due to the less than docile behavior exhibited by the pets. The spectrum of possible injuries that can result from a dog bite is wide, with some instances of dog attacks being much more severe than others.
When most people think of dog bites, they think of puncture wounds left from a dog's teeth. However, what many fail to take into account is the tearing motion that a dog's clenched jaw can have on human skin. Consequently, in addition to puncture wounds, there are also a host of other dog bite injuries, including:
- Abrasions and lacerations, which may ultimately lead to scarring or require skin grafting procedures
- Bone fragments and nerve damage, which could each lead to reconstructive surgery and permanent impairment
- Infection such as rabies, pasteurellosis infection (a very common infection-causing bacteria found in dogs), streptococcal and staphylococcal infections, and even the rare capnocytophaga infection
Injuries caused by dog bites often affect the limbs, but can ultimately affect any part of the body. Unfortunately, while many injuries may heal, there are a great number of dog bite injuries that require extensive rehabilitation time and that may never fully heal on their own. Consequently, in the event that an individual's everyday routine is adversely affected by a dog bite, that individual may be able to seek compensatory damages from the dog's owner.
If it is determined that a dog's owner was negligent in protecting other people from the dog, then the owner can be held liable for his or her actions in a court of law. California law protects people from the reckless actions of dogs and the dog owners who permit the reckless behavior to take place. If you've recently been bitten by a dog, the best course of action involves retaining the services of a skilled San Jose CA dog bite lawyer who will examine the circumstances surrounding how your injury took place to determine whether or not negligent action contributed to your dog bite injury.
At Van Der Walde & Associates, our San Jose dog bite attorneys will fight to ensure that your rights as a dog bite victim are not infringed upon in a court of law. For more information about your San Jose dog bite case, please contact an experienced personal injury attorney today at (877) 862-6288 for a free and confidential first consultation.
