Real Estate Agent Dog Bite Attorney in LA

Real estate agents open the doors to countless properties week after week. While this gives them an invaluable chance to help families find their perfect home, it also unexpectedly places them in harm’s way.

Over the last decade, dog bite claims have risen across California. Many of these incidents involve real estate agents attacked by canines when viewing a new listing or showing a property.

We’ve seen the physical and emotional turmoil mauling encounters can cause. An agent shouldn’t have to face danger while at work, which is one reason why we offer valuable legal guidance to realtors seeking justice after falling victim to a dog bite.

Seek Prompt Medical Attention for Dog Bite Attacks

In the initial shock following a dog attack, some real estate agents downplay their injuries while calming the homeowners or helping other injured clients. However, prompt treatment of dog bite wounds should always be the priority after an incident.

Dog bites can transmit bacterial infections deep into tissue, potentially causing nerve damage, disfigurement, and loss of function if left untreated. Bite wounds on the face or neck also present additional concerns. Real estate agents who receive timely medical care following an attack reduce the likelihood of developing complex health issues.

Typical dog bite injuries include:

• Lacerations
• Nerve damage
• Broken bones
• Tissue loss
• Emotional trauma

We encourage agents bitten on the job to go directly to urgent care or the emergency room. These facilities can clean the wound properly while assessing if muscle or bone trauma has occurred. If the bite caused extensive injuries, the hospital may refer the patient to a reconstructive plastic surgeon for treatment and recovery planning.

Documenting these medical visits lays the framework for understanding the short-and long-term effects of a dog attack. Our Los Angeles dog bite attorneys can present this evidence of injury when establishing liability or negotiating a settlement. But again, seeking prompt attention is vital not just for legal claims but also for avoiding preventable complications in healing.

Navigating Complex California Dog Bite Statutes

After litigating many canine bite lawsuits, our attorneys have become intimately familiar with the nuances of California dog bite laws. This knowledge enables us to counsel you openly and honestly about legal options following an attack.

California operates under a “strict liability” statute regarding dog bites, meaning owners are responsible for injuries their dog causes, even without proof of previous aggression or negligence.

To receive compensation, the injured person only needs to prove the following elements of a California strict liability action.

• The defendant owned the dog.
• The agent was legally allowed on the property.
• The dog bit the realtor.
• The bite caused physical injury.

You should know that homeowners insurance policies sometimes contain “professional services” exclusions, restricting liability coverage for incidents involving contractors or real estate associates. In these cases, our lawyers explore whether negligence played a role in the agent’s injury by asking:

• Does evidence show the dog owner knew or should have known the animal was dangerous or aggressive?
• Did the owner post warning signs about the dog on the property?
• Did the homeowner fail to restrain or secure the dog during showings?

Understanding strict liability and negligence principles allows our lawyers to build strong arguments regardless of the insurance policy language involved. Having handled realtor dog bite cases throughout Southern California, we also work closely with doctors and economists to evaluate the economic and non-economic impacts of the bite for current and future restitution.

How Understanding Dog Attacks Affects Your Claim

Please make no mistake. Dog bite cases can become highly adversarial when agents pursue compensation for their damages. Defense tactics often attempt to place blame on the realtor or downplay injury severity.

We anticipate strategies that claim real estate agents were negligent in performing their duties. We can skillfully shift the focus back to the dog owner’s liability by asserting knowledgeable California statutory arguments.

Examples of where dog bite litigation experience helps.

• Rebutting premise liability accusations: Dog owners may claim “dangerously aggressive dogs should be obvious risks to agents.” We assert strict liability rules to counter these allegations. When litigating negligence cases, our dog bite lawyers highlight why agents can’t refuse showings despite these risks and have rights under RECO ethics rules.
• Countering assumption of risk defenses: When strict liability applies, an assumption of risk defense is not available. This defense is also invalid in negligence actions when the claimant entered into a known risk to escape or leave. For example, suppose a dog blocks an exit path, and the agent must pass by the animal to leave work. In that case, we explain why passage may have been unavoidable and how the agent’s perceived “negligence” was merely an attempt to exit safely.
• Estimating future earnings loss: If injuries impair an agent’s ability to continue real estate work, we can assess commission structures and career earnings to quantify damages.
• Countering comparative negligence arguments: Owners often suggest “the agent should have known a dog lived there.” We demonstrate the impossibility of continuously tracking family pets during listing showings. Again, this defense is unavailable in strict liability cases.

Dog bite litigation experience strengthens real estate agent claims and prevents the victim’s arguments from being distorted. Our LA personal injury attorneys know when to pick apart ambiguous defenses that wrongly shift blame onto realtors simply performing their jobs.

Liability Extends Beyond Dog Owners in Dog Bite Lawsuits

Property owners have premises liability duties under the California Civil Code to provide safe access and warn guests, like real estate agents, of known dangers that could foreseeably cause harm.

Listing agents additionally owe REALTOR® Code of Ethics responsibilities to superficial inspection for hazards and disclosing vicious animals before showings. Their supervising broker could share liability for failure to implement or enforce safety protocols.

If any party contributed to creating the dangerous situation that led to the real estate agent’s dog bite incident, they may share partial or joint responsibility. An attorney can determine if naming multiple defendants can join additional insurance resources or assets to help increase a claim’s potential settlement value. Also, more liable parties often means more incentive to resolve the case sooner.

Policy Terms May Block an Agent’s Full Recovery of Damages

Many assume homeowner’s insurance policies automatically cover dog bite incidents at the property. However, the “professional services” exclusion in most insurance contracts restricts liability for injuries to contractors, repair professionals, and real estate associates during work.

This limitation means while insurance may provide partial reimbursement for medical bills, additional components of your suffering, like lost wages from time off work, diminished earning capacity if permanently scarred/disabled, and legal costs may remain uncompensated without further legal action.

An experienced dog bite attorney can settle with insurers for the maximum payout and simultaneously pursue a personal injury claim to cover what insurance does not pay.

Understanding What Dog Bite Settlements May Include

California dog bite statutes allow compensation for a wide range of damages suffered. These remedies aim to make victims “whole again” and return them to where they stood before the traumatic incident happened.

As a real estate agent victim, you may recover medical expenses like hospital bills, medications, and therapy costs tied to the bite injuries. Loss of income and future earnings are also allowed if disabilities or disfigurement reduce working capacity.

Your settlement can include compensation to recover the legal fees paid to pursue your claim and harder-to-quantify suffering like emotional distress. An attorney can advise you on which damages you should plead.

Why Attorney Representation Matters in These Cases

Having an attorney by your side levels the playing field between dog owners and their insurance companies. Your Los Angeles dog bite lawyer can help you with the following:

• Gather medical records and other evidence tied to the bite through court orders or subpoenas.
• Apply discovery tools and file pretrial law and order motions.
• Forecast future medical costs and wage losses by retaining an expert economic assessment.
• Draft demand letters that communicate intent to go to trial if needed

These actions often pressure dog owners and insurers to offer fair settlements to save on court costs and litigation expenses.

Take Action With a Trusted Los Angeles Realtor Dog Bite Firm

At LA Dog Bite Law, we proudly support our local real estate agents. We view an attack on one realtor as an attack on the entire brokerage community.

If a dog bit you while legally showing a property in Southern California, please get in touch with our experienced legal team today. Our firm helps agents like yourself earn fair insurance settlements and favorable jury verdicts following a traumatic canine encounter.

Our unrelenting dog bite lawyers fight for maximum compensation after an animal attack. Let our investigators and economists prove the dog owner’s liability and establish your damages. Our positive client reviews also highlight our compassionate representation.

Now proudly serving real estate agent dog bite victims in Los Angeles County, we invite you to contact us for a free consultation. An attorney will answer all your questions confidentially and discuss your legal options. Take the first step and contact us today.