Maison Law Accident and Injury Lawyers of Fremont rushes in to protect young victims and their families after a frightening dog bite incident. We hold dog owners fully responsible and secure the support needed to help a child recover now and pay for any medical care required in the future. Contact us today for a free, no-obligation legal consultation. It’s an easy way to help families figure out what they’ll need to demand to ensure the child has the best chance for recovery.
Do I Need a Lawyer After My Child Is Bitten by a Dog?
Unless your child only receives minor scratches or mild bruising, you should speak to a skilled Fremont child dog bite lawyer about your case. Dog owners are usually held liable for the damage their dogs can cause, but a case involving a child can carry greater concern and cost.
The insurance provider for the dog owner will harder to escape liability for what happened. In the meantime, your child may have visited an emergency room as just the start of a long road to recovery from a serious injury. Children are more vulnerable to a dog’s teeth and bite force. They also don’t heal as well as most adults. A bite today can affect a child’s development as they grow to adulthood. That’s why it’s critical for families to demand additional support from insurers.
Your attorney can battle insurance adjusters who may try to blame your child for an encounter or downplay the injury the child has. Your attorney fully investigates the accident and the dog owner. The evidence secured is used to build a strong case and to make it easier to demand the maximum compensation available for the young victim.
Child Dog Bite Accident Dangers in Fremont
People take their dogs almost everywhere in Fremont. They may be at the park, in your neighborhood, or even on the sidewalk on the way to school. Dogs are usually great friends and companions, but dog owners are still supposed to act to keep people safe around their pets.
A dog forced into a confusing or frightening situation can lash out and far too often, a child comes away with a bite wound.
These are just a few of the reasons that children are often the victims of dog bites and why they can suffer far more serious injuries:
- Curiosity and immature judgment of a child. Children have a lot of energy and can be curious about any dog they see. They might rush up to pet a dog, frightening it and causing a reaction based on fear. A child could also enter a yard, even with a “beware of dog” sign posted, and suffer a bite from a protective pet.
- Shorter bodies. Children will be closer to the ground. Their vital organs and face and neck will be within range of a dog’s mount. A traumatic injury can more easily occur.
- Weaker skin and muscle. Their skin and muscles offer less resistance to a bite. Teeth will go deeper and can even get close to internal organs.
- Still growing. Children are also still maturing and can suffer medical complications in their teen years if a broken bone doesn’t heal right. Nerve damage and circulation issues can also affect development. Yale Medicine reports on growth plate damage which includes damage to the new bone tissue at the ends of children’s bones. An injury can affect the maturation process later.
These are all reasons why it’s critical that parents secure the money to pay for the best medical care available for as long as necessary. A skilled Fremont dog bite attorney helps families figure out exactly what a child victim will need in the future and helps force insurance companies to cover any and all medical costs.
Who Is Responsible for Dog Bites?
California law makes it easy to determine who is responsible for a dog bite that targets a child. California follows the legal concept of “strict liability.”
Dog owners would be liable for the financial consequences of bite wounds in almost every case. The history of the dog wouldn’t matter. In some states, the dog owner isn’t liable if it’s the first time the dog has bitten someone. However, in California, the owner is still accountable even in the first instance.
In many cases, if victims were trespassing when they got bit or were provoking the dog, the dog owner may be let off the hook. However, where children are concerned, the owner will often still be held responsible.
- Children Trespassing – California judges will usually not expect young children to have the capacity to make good decisions when it comes to deciding whether or not to enter someone else’s property. A dog owner may have a fence up and posted warning signs, but if a child could still get into the enclosure fairly easily, the owner may still be held liable for an injury. The child may not even be able to read the sign and mistakenly enter.
- Children Provoking Dogs – Children sometimes act without thinking. They can corner a dog they find interesting and cause a nervous pet to react with violence. Children may not have the capacity to understand the risks they take or how their actions are interpreted by an animal. The owner could still be held liable and would be expected to keep their pets away from unpredictable children.
Dog owners and their insurance companies may argue that a child created the dangerous situation, but Maison Law Accident and Injury Lawyers of Fremont will have evidence in hand to keep the blame firmly on the dog owner.
What If My Child Is Bitten at a Friend’s Home or a Family Member’s Home?
Parents may feel uncertain about filing a claim against a family member over a dog bite. The family dog may have bitten a child and it stands as the first time the dog has shown aggression.
But parents shouldn’t feel like they are targeting a family member after an attack. The dog owner’s homeowners insurance or renter’s insurance would usually be called upon. The family member wouldn’t take a direct financial hit.
It’s also probably the case that a family member would want you to get the money you need to pay for the best medical care for a little one. Your family member or friend pays homeowners insurance dues for this type of situation and should be glad a bite victim will receive the support needed.
For additional information, you can visit our page on what to do if your child is bitten at a family member’s or friend’s house.
How Can a Lawyer Help My Child’s Dog Bite Case?
Your lawyer will be working with doctors and other medical experts to determine exactly the support the child will need and for how long.
A skilled dog bite lawyer demands compensation for the family’s current hardships and support for the medical care that could become necessary for the years ahead:
- Support to pay for future medical care and surgeries
- Support to cover physical therapy
- Lifelong support if a child develops a permanent physical disability
- Support for the emotional trauma a child may develop after a scary attack
These and other concerns must be addressed in a dog bite injury settlement. Unfortunately, insurance companies hope that you don’t seek this type of support.
In the worst cases, families may have to seek wrongful death support if a child doesn’t survive a dog bite. A Fremont wrongful death lawyer would work on behalf of the family. Money to pay funeral costs and any leftover medical bills would be sought. A skilled attorney would also seek support for the loss of love and companionship the parents would be forced to endure in the years ahead.
Contact a Fremont CA Dog Bite Lawyer Today for More Information
When your child has suffered a serious injury from a dog bite, speak with a Fremont dog bite lawyer to ensure your child’s rights as a victim are protected. The insurance company might try to pin the blame on you or your child and try to avoid paying you the settlement needed to move forward. This is unacceptable.
We are here to provide you with the resources you need to hold a dog owner fully responsible. Please contact our dog bite accident lawyers serving victims of Alameda County for a free case consultation. If you feel we can earn more for your child’s recovery, you won’t need any money to hire us. We don’t get paid unless we win your case, and then our fee comes out of the support an insurance company is forced to pay.