Dog Bite Lawyer Culver City, CA
A dog attack happens fast and leaves lasting damage.
Serious bites cause nerve damage, deep tissue injuries, infections that spread quickly, permanent scarring. Children suffer facial injuries that require reconstructive surgery. Adults lose function in hands, arms, legs. The psychological trauma doesn’t show up in emergency room records, but it’s real. Fear of dogs. Anxiety. PTSD that makes simple activities like walking through a neighborhood feel dangerous.
California law holds dog owners strictly liable for bites. That should make these cases straightforward. It doesn’t. Insurance companies still fight aggressively. They claim you provoked the animal. They argue the bite wasn’t serious. They offer settlements that barely cover your emergency room visit, let alone future plastic surgery or the therapy your child needs because they’re now terrified of all dogs.
At Cohen Injury Law Group, we represent dog bite victims throughout Culver City and Los Angeles County. We handle all types of animal attack cases—from bites requiring stitches to severe maulings causing permanent disfigurement. You shouldn’t have to fight insurance companies while recovering from an attack that wasn’t your fault. Our personal injury lawyers in Culver City, CA can help.
Why Dog Bite Victims In Culver City Choose Our Firm
We understand California’s strict liability dog bite law and use it to your advantage. Unlike most states, California doesn’t give owners a “one free bite” rule. California Civil Code Section 3342 makes owners liable for injuries their dogs cause, period. Doesn’t matter if the dog never bit anyone before. Doesn’t matter if the owner claims their pet is “friendly.” The owner is responsible. This is powerful law for victims, but insurance companies still fight hard. We know how to use this statute to hold owners accountable and maximize your recovery.
We work with medical experts who understand the full scope of dog bite injuries. Bites cause complications that aren’t immediately apparent. Infections like MRSA or rabies exposure that develop days later. Nerve damage leading to permanent loss of function. Psychological trauma including PTSD and fear of dogs that requires ongoing therapy. We connect you with specialists who document these injuries properly and testify about your future needs. Insurance companies want to settle before you understand true damage extent. We make sure that doesn’t happen.
We move fast to preserve critical evidence before it disappears. Dog owners get rid of animals after attacks. Witnesses move or forget details. Vaccination records vanish. Property conditions change. We immediately send investigators to photograph the attack scene, interview witnesses, obtain the dog’s history from animal control, gather veterinary and vaccination records, and document everything proving the owner’s liability. This early evidence collection often determines case outcomes.
You pay nothing unless we win. Contingency basis. No upfront costs. No hourly fees. No surprise bills. If we don’t recover compensation, you owe nothing. We advance all case costs—medical records, expert witnesses, investigation expenses—because dog bite victims shouldn’t have to choose between justice and paying for their recovery.
Dog Bite Cases We Handle In Culver City, CA
We represent victims of all types of dog attacks and animal incidents throughout Culver City.
- Severe dog maulings. Catastrophic attacks causing broken bones, torn muscles, life-threatening blood loss. These require extensive medical treatment, multiple surgeries, long-term rehabilitation.
- Facial and neck bites. Attacks to the face and neck are especially serious. Many need multiple reconstructive surgeries. Children suffer a disproportionate number because of their height relative to dogs.
- Infected dog bites. Even seemingly minor bites lead to serious infections. Cellulitis. Sepsis. MRSA. Some victims need prolonged hospitalization for complications developing days or weeks after attacks.
- Known dangerous dog attacks. When owners know their dog has aggressive tendencies but fail to take precautions, we pursue additional damages for their recklessness.
- Property owner liability cases. Landlords and property owners may be liable if they knew dangerous dogs were on their property and failed to protect visitors or tenants.
- Attacks on children. Children are most common dog bite victims and often suffer severe emotional trauma in addition to physical injuries. We handle these cases with the sensitivity and urgency they deserve.
California Dog Bite Laws You Need To Know
California has one of the nation’s strongest dog bite laws.
California Civil Code Section 3342 imposes strict liability on dog owners for bites occurring in public places or when victims are lawfully on private property. You don’t need to prove the owner knew the dog was dangerous. You don’t need to prove negligence. The owner is automatically liable if their dog bites you.
This applies regardless of breed, size, or history. Never bitten anyone before? Doesn’t matter. Owner claims the dog is friendly? Irrelevant. Even first-time attacks make owners liable under California law.
Limited exceptions exist. Trespassing or provoking the dog may eliminate owner liability. But insurance companies abuse these exceptions constantly. They claim you “must have” provoked the animal. They argue you were somewhere you shouldn’t be. We counter these defenses and prove you were lawfully present and acting appropriately.
California also allows negligence claims for dog-related injuries that don’t involve bites. Dog knocks you down? Causes you to fall? Injures you another way? You may still have valid claims under general negligence principles.
The statute of limitations is two years from the attack date under California Code Section 335.1. Missing this deadline means losing compensation rights permanently.
Compensation Available After Dog Attacks
California law allows dog bite victims to recover both economic and non-economic damages.
Economic damages include all measurable financial losses. Medical expenses—emergency room treatment, hospital stays, surgery, antibiotics, rabies shots, plastic surgery, scar revision procedures, physical therapy, counseling for trauma. Lost wages from time you couldn’t work. Lost earning capacity if scarring or disability affects your career. Property damage to clothing or items destroyed in attacks.
Non-economic damages compensate injuries without price tags. Pain and suffering from the attack and recovery. Emotional distress and psychological trauma. Disfigurement from permanent scarring. Loss of enjoyment when you can no longer participate in activities you love. For children, long-term psychological impact of being attacked.
The American Veterinary Medical Association reports approximately 4.5 million dog bites occur in the United States annually. Nearly one in five requires medical attention. That’s close to a million people needing medical treatment for dog bites every year.
The Centers for Disease Control reports children aged 5-9 have the highest dog bite injury rates. Boys are more likely than girls to be bitten. These aren’t just statistics—they’re kids whose lives get changed by preventable attacks.
Dog bites transmit serious diseases. The California Department of Public Health monitors rabies cases and requires specific protocols when animal bites occur. Victims may need painful, expensive rabies vaccination series. We ensure these costs are included in claims.
Particularly vicious attacks or owners who knowingly kept dangerous animals may face punitive damages under California Civil Code Section 3294. These punish wrongdoers and deter similar conduct.
Common Dog Bite Injuries We See
Dog attacks cause a range of injuries, from minor to catastrophic.
Puncture wounds and lacerations requiring stitches or staples. Deep tissue damage affecting muscles, tendons, ligaments. Nerve damage causing numbness, tingling, permanent loss of function. Broken bones from the force of large dog bites or from falling during attacks.
Infections requiring hospitalization and intravenous antibiotics. Some infections become life-threatening without aggressive treatment.
Facial injuries are particularly devastating. Eye damage. Torn ears. Injuries to nose and lips. These often require plastic surgery and leave permanent scars. The emotional impact can be as serious as physical injuries.
Psychological trauma is real and compensable. PTSD. Anxiety. Depression. Fear of dogs. Children are especially susceptible to lasting emotional damage from attacks.
Research published by the National Institutes of Health shows dog bite victims frequently experience significant psychological distress, nightmares, avoidance behaviors. Insurance companies routinely minimize or ignore these impacts. We don’t.
How Insurance Companies Handle Dog Bite Claims
Homeowner’s insurance typically covers dog bite liability. That means you’re dealing with major insurance companies with entire departments dedicated to minimizing payouts.
They investigate immediately. An adjuster may contact you within hours. They seem sympathetic. Helpful, even. They’re gathering information to use against you.
They look for any way to claim you provoked the dog. Were you running? Did you make eye contact? Did you reach out your hand? These are normal behaviors that shouldn’t matter under California’s strict liability law. Insurers try to use them anyway.
They downplay injuries. Scars aren’t that bad. They’ll fade. You don’t really need plastic surgery. Counseling isn’t necessary. They question whether you need ongoing treatment.
They make low settlement offers before you finish treatment. Quick money sounds appealing when you’re facing medical bills. But once you sign a release, you can’t come back for more—even if scars worsen, infections develop, or psychological trauma becomes debilitating months later.
We handle all insurance communication. We document every injury. We gather expert opinions. We build cases that force insurers to pay fair compensation or face us in court.
Steps To Take After A Dog Bite In Culver City
1. Seek medical attention immediately. Even minor bites can become infected. Get to an emergency room or urgent care. Medical records documenting injuries right after attacks are crucial evidence.
2. Report the bite to authorities. Contact Culver City Animal Control or call police. Official reports create records of incidents and may reveal if dogs have aggression histories.
3. Identify the dog and owner. Get owner’s name, address, phone number, homeowner’s insurance information. If attacks happened on someone else’s property, get property owner information too.
4. Document everything. Photograph your injuries. The location where attacks occurred. The dog if possible. Get contact information from anyone who witnessed attacks.
5. Keep detailed records. Save all medical bills, prescription receipts, lost wage documentation. Photograph injuries as they heal. Keep journals describing pain, limitations, emotional distress.
6. Don’t give recorded statements to insurance companies. You must report incidents to dog owner’s insurance, but don’t provide detailed statements or sign anything without talking to attorneys first.
7. Call an attorney before accepting settlement offers. Insurance companies make low offers hoping you’ll accept before understanding full claim values.
Contact Our Culver City Dog Bite Attorneys
Dog attacks cause injuries that affect victims for years. You deserve compensation that reflects the true extent of your losses.
Call for a free consultation. We’ll review your case, explain your legal options, answer your questions. Our Culver City dog bite lawyers respond quickly because we know you need answers.
You pay nothing unless we win. We advance all case costs. No upfront fees. No hourly charges. We only get paid when you do.
Dog bite victims deserve attorneys who take these cases seriously and fight for maximum compensation. We handle dog bite claims throughout Culver City with the thoroughness they require.
California’s two-year statute of limitations means you have limited time to file claims. Call today. Let’s discuss what happened and how we can help you recover what you’re owed.