At Maison Law Accident & Injury Lawyers of Fremont, we have a long history of representing the victims of dog bites, and that can include motorcyclists chased down and attacked. After accidents caused by a dog owner’s carelessness, riders can demand injury support so they can focus on healing and not financial worries. Contact a skilled personal injury lawyer and schedule a free consultation. It’s a no-risk way to determine what your injury is worth and how to hold an at-fault dog owner responsible.
Do I Need a Lawyer After a Dog Bite While Riding My Motorcycle?
Unless you or a loved one only receives minor scratches or mild bruising, you should speak to a skilled Fremont dog bite lawyer about your case. Dog owners are held responsible when they allow others to be harmed by their dogs due to negligence and carelessness.
Unfortunately, their insurance provider often works very hard to avoid having to accept responsibility. As in all accidents, insurance companies try to blame the motorcyclist no matter the circumstances. They also do their best to downplay the severity of an injury or claim the rider’s injury came from a previous accident.
A Fremont attorney fully investigates the accident and serves as a safeguard for injured victims. The evidence secured is used to build a strong case and to make it easier to demand the maximum compensation available on behalf of a victim. We want to handle the frustrating interactions with insurance companies while allowing victims to focus on healing and getting back out on the road.
Dog Bite Accident Dangers for Fremont Motorcyclists
Motorcyclists enjoying a ride in the Bay Area may have little warning when a dog is approaching. Unfortunately, dogs like to chase things and they can sometimes target a rider passing by.
A scary rundown may end in a motorcyclist taking a deep puncture wound on a thigh or ankle. A bone may turn up fractured. A dog attack can also send riders to the ground. They may veer into speeding traffic or into a stationary object to suffer further harm.
In these frightening incidents, the dog owner’s responsibility has usually been ignored. Dog owners are supposed to restrain dogs so they can’t hurt others. They are supposed to keep pets in enclosures they can’t escape from.
Is a Dog Owner Responsible If I Suffer a Bite While Riding a Motorcycle?
The answer is yes in most motorcycle dog bite incidents. California requires owners to keep pets from negatively affecting other Fremont residents. In some states, the history of the dog and whether it’s bitten anyone before can reduce the dog owner’s liability, but not in California.
California follows “strict liability” in dog bite cases. It means that dog owners and their insurance providers can be held liable for most incidents, even if the dog has no record of aggression previously. Strict liability provides an easy way to assign blame after an accident and often provides help to victims faster.
A rider who is chased down and bitten by a dog on the loose would be able to seek help from the dog owner as long as a few circumstances weren’t involved.
- The motorcyclist can’t have been trespassing when bitten.
- The motorcyclist couldn’t have provoked the dog.
These would be rare situations and insurance adjusters would need hard evidence that either were true. Your Fremont Motorcycle Accident Lawyer would fully investigate what happened and collect all evidence necessary to build a strong case. The proof would be included in an insurance claim. It would make it much harder for an adjuster to try to blame the rider for the accident or downplay how bad the rider’s injuries are.
What If a Dog Knocks Me Down While Riding a Motorcycle in Fremont?
Strict liability can only be used when a dog bite has occurred. Although, a bite can include one that doesn’t break the skin but still does damage. But in some cases, a motorcyclist is badly hurt without a bite involved.
But dogs can hurt riders in other ways. They may force a surprised motorcyclist to veer into the path of speeding cars, creating a devastating collision. A rider could lose control and be sent into a cement abutment or a tree. The rider may be sent over the handlebars to suffer a terrible impact on the road. In instances that don’t involve a bite, other personal injury laws would be used to hold the dog owner accountable.
Your lawyer works to collect the evidence to show the dog and the dog’s owner were responsible for a fall or a collision. The dog owner could then be held financially responsible for medical bills and other hardships the victim suffered.
What Should a Motorcycle Dog Bite Accident Settlement Check Cover?
The time it will take a motorcycle accident victim to fully heal will be a major factor in the size of a settlement check.
With a long-term injury or even a permanent physical disability, it’s critical that care extends for as long as necessary. A settlement must also help cover the surgeries and physical therapy that may be required in the future when an injury flares up.
Your Maison Law Accident & Injury Lawyers of Fremont make sure you and your family are covered for as long as necessary. Your lawyer will also seek support for factors you may not have realized could earn you additional compensation.
- Money to pay every hospital bill now and in the future
- A lifetime of support for a permanent physical disability
- Travel costs while going to hospital appointments
- Support for the physical pain victims endure
- Support for the emotional trauma victims must suffer through
- Past and future lost income and benefits while you miss work
- Estimates on lost earning capacity from a permanent disability
- Money for a new motorcycle
- Wrongful Death Benefits for families after a tragic fatal motorcycle accident
Contact a Fremont CA Dog Bite Lawyer Today for More Information
If you have suffered a serious dog bite injury while riding in Alameda County, speak with a Fremont dog bite lawyer to ensure your rights as a victim are protected. The insurance company might try to pin the blame on you or question how badly you are hurt and how much you’ll need in support. This is unacceptable treatment for motorcyclists who should be focused on healing.
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 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.