The California Dog Bite Laws Every Dog Owner Must Be Aware Of

Every dog owner must abide by the laws that govern the state of California. Furthermore, every dog owner must be aware of these laws: ignorance is no excuse in a court of law.

Going over the most notable California dog bite laws that every dog owner must be aware of and speaking with a California personal injury lawyer will allow you to obtain the best possible outcome if you have been bitten by a dog.

A Dog’s Owner Is Responsible For Any Bites That Occur

Right away, the most notable law that a California dog owner must be aware of is that they are responsible – and liable, for that matter – for any bites that occur.

Just as an example, if a dog bites someone who is on their private property – a family guest, for example – then they are responsible for that bite and, in turn, the consequences that might arise from that bite.

To go along with the above, if a bite occurs, then the past behavior of that dog – if they are normally well-behaved, for example – is not taken into consideration.

A Dog Owner Cannot Always Be Sued For A Dog Bite.

Even if someone is bitten by a dog, this does not always mean that they can sue the owner.

Rather, there are a number of circumstances that, if they occur, will prevent a dog owner from being sued. And with that in mind, these circumstances are as follows:

• If the victim broke into the home in which the dog lives and was bitten as a result, then they cannot sue.
• If the victim provoked the dog, then they cannot sue.
• If the victim was committing a criminal act that led to them being bitten by the dog, then they cannot sue.

Outside of the above, if a dog is protecting the dog owner or acting in a manner that is legal with regards to their role – acting as a police dog, for example, or a military dog – then they cannot sue the owner of that dog.

A Dog Owner Cannot Claim That They Did Not Expect Their Dog To Bite.

The state of California relies on a series of very strict liability laws. And, as a result of these liability laws, if a dog bites someone, then the owner is responsible for that particular bite.

Even if the owner did not expect the dog to bite, and even if the dog is usually very well-behaved, this does not matter; a dog bite is a dog bite.

No matter the past behavior of the dog, or the dog’s usual behavior, if an individual was bitten by a dog then they can obtain damages for that bite.

Speak With A Northern California Personal Injury Lawyer Today

If you have been bitten by a dog, then you can, and should, obtain damages for that particular dog bite. Speak with a Northern California personal injury lawyer at Maire & Deedon today, and we will help you obtain the damages you are entitled to.