Bit by a dog in Los Angeles? After medical treatment, you need to report the incident to animal control authorities immediately.
This straightforward guide will cover everything you need to know to document the bite accurately—from gathering key details and filling out forms to potential legal action.
Follow our advice to guarantee your dog bite claim gets filed completely and correctly on the very first attempt.
If you or a family member suffers a dog bite, you should first call 9-1-1 emergency services if the injuries seem severe or life-threatening. Paramedics will provide urgent medical care and can transport you to the nearest hospital emergency room.
You must also file a report with your local animal control agency for severe or non-emergency dog bites. Los Angeles County has several regional animal care centers covering different cities and communities. To find the appropriate one for your area, visit the County of Los Angeles Department of Public Health – Animal Care and Control website or call (562) 728-4882.
Animal control officers will investigate the animal attack incident, identify the dog involved, verify rabies vaccinations, and determine if the agency should designate the dog as “potentially dangerous.” Filing a bite report creates an official record that can help establish liability in a future claim or lawsuit.
In addition to alerting animal control, we recommend taking the following steps as soon as possible after a dog bite:
By taking these fundamental steps, dog bite victims put themselves in the best position to establish fault and pursue fair compensation if faced with medical bills, lost income, permanent scarring, or disabilities down the road.
Los Angeles offers many parks and recreational spaces where dog owners can take their domestic animals to play and exercise. However, these same public areas also pose a heightened risk for dog bites and attacks when irresponsible owners fail to train or restrain their animals properly.
Here are three well-known public dog parks in Los Angeles where dog attacks often occur.
This 160-acre off-leash dog park located in Hollywood is one of the most popular dog parks in Los Angeles. The trails and open spaces see heavy usage from dog owners, increasing the opportunities for dog bites and attacks when pets are unrestrained.
Runyon Canyon Park
2000 N. Fuller Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90046
(323) 644-6661
At over 4,300 acres, Griffith Park has dedicated open areas for dogs to play off-leash. But its vast size and trail network also means unsupervised pets interacting with people and other dogs, contributing to bite incidents.
Located in Studio City on over an acre and a half of land, Laurel Canyon Dog Park is a prime venue for pet owners in the central LA area. The concentration of dogs in a small space invariably leads to bites and aggression-related injuries despite supervision efforts.
Laurel Canyon Dog Park
8260 Mulholland Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90046
(818) 766-8445
Dog bites also occur in other public spaces across Los Angeles, most frequently at popular beach areas like Venice Beach, where dogs interact with large numbers of children and adults.
Bites also regularly happen near Los Angeles schools, sidewalks, and hiking trails where dogs surprise or intimidate passersby. Sadly, too many Los Angeles residents suffer traumatic and costly dog bites each year in places meant for community enjoyment.
Increased awareness, training, and accountable ownership practices are needed to make public spaces safe for everyone.
Dog bites can cause an array of physical traumas ranging from minor cuts and punctures to severe, disfiguring injuries and permanent impairment.
Some common dog bite wounds include:
Because of the wide range of potential physical and emotional harms stemming from dog attacks, bite victims need an experienced Los Angeles dog personal injury lawyer to fight for maximum compensation and justice.
California imposes strict liability on dog owners for bites and attacks. This rule means that an owner is responsible for all damages caused by their dog, regardless of whether they knew the animal was dangerous or took precautions to prevent bites.
To establish a dog owner’s liability and secure rightful compensation after a bite, victims should:
By leveraging California’s strict liability laws and rigorously documenting a claim, dog bite victims can make sure negligent owners are held fully accountable. A seasoned Los Angeles personal injury attorney guides clients through the process.
As noted above, California statute makes dog owners strictly liable for bites and attacks – meaning victims don’t have to prove the owner knew their dog was dangerous beforehand – just demonstrating that a dog bit you and who it belongs to is enough to establish the owner’s fault and liability under CA law.
There are limited exceptions where owners may argue lack of fault. They could claim you were trespassing, provoked the dog, or assumed the risk by formally consenting to interact with a known dangerous dog. However, skilled dog-bite lawyers can counter such arguments in most situations.
Bottom Line – strict liability vastly favors bite victims in holding negligent Los Angeles dog owners fully accountable for the injuries and damages their animals cause. A Los Angeles dog bite attorney well-versed in California’s dog bite laws ensures the courts will apply strict owner liability properly in your pursuit of fair compensation.
Pursuing compensation for a dog bite in California is subject to a statute of limitations – meaning there are legal deadlines for taking formal legal action.
For adults bitten, you lose your right to sue two years after the bite occurred when seeking economic and non-economic damages like pain and suffering.
Anyone bitten under age 18 has until age 20 to bring a dog bite injury claim under California statutes.
The takeaway here is to consult with an experienced dog bite lawyer after an attack. They can advise you on statutory complications and build your dog bite case while witness testimony and evidence are fresh.
An early start also allows more time for settlement talks before legal deadlines curtail your options. Leverage California’s strict dog bite liability laws quickly for the best chance of fair compensation.
California dog bite law entitles victims to two main categories of tangible compensation:
Economic (Special) damages – All quantifiable out-of-pocket costs related to the bite now and into the future:
Non-economic (General) damages – Harder-to-quantify physical and emotional harms like:
Additionally, the courts may award punitive damages in extreme cases where dogs displayed unusually violent temperaments and owners blatantly disregarded public safety.
The precise value of economic plus non-economic damages stemming from a dog bite depends on case specifics.
But California imposes no caps on compensation. So, genuinely disfiguring or disabling bites may see claim awards exceeding $1 million. Partnering with an accomplished Los Angeles dog bite attorney ensures no stone goes unturned in documenting maximum provable damages against negligent dog owners.
At LA Dog Bite Law, we assist dog bite victims across Los Angeles using our many years of experience handling animal attack cases specifically.
Benefits of our no-cost, no-obligation case evaluation include:
If attacked by a dog in the Los Angeles region, please contact us for a free consultation with our dog bite attorneys. We guide clients through the confusion – you focus on healing while we handle negotiations firmly.
Our reach extends throughout California, from the sunny streets of San Diego to the bustling cities of Los Angeles and San Francisco, and beyond. We’re here to help victims across the state report dog bites, find the legal support they need, and ensure that justice is served. By reporting dog bites and seeking assistance, we’re all doing our part in making our communities safer while helping victims get back on their feet.
"*" indicates required fields
