Pacific Palisades Dog Bite Lawyer

Were you or your child bitten by a dog in Pacific Palisades, CA?

At Cohen Injury Law Group, we are trusted dog bite lawyers serving clients across Pacific Palisades and the surrounding area.

If a dog bit you or your child in Pacific Palisades, you may be managing a wound that required sutures, a course of antibiotics, and an unresolved question about whether the scar will fade. The owner is frequently an acquaintance of the family, which makes these claims difficult well before they become contested.

Our founder has tried injury cases since 1991, and our managing attorney assembles the medical documentation on which a scarring claim depends. A Pacific Palisades, CA dog bite lawyer at Cohen Injury Law Group can identify the responsible parties, obtain the animal control report, and document the injury as it heals. Contact our office to set up a free consultation.

Dog Bite Lawyer Pacific Palisades, CA

A dog bite lawyer pursues the owner, and in certain circumstances the property owner, for the medical care and the permanent scarring that a bite leaves behind. We handle claims in which a dog bit someone in a public place or while that person was lawfully present on private property, including situations where the owner had no prior indication that the animal was dangerous. Our clients are the people who were bitten, among them the parents of children who were bitten.

Approximately half of all dog bite victims are children, according to the AVMA, which further reports that millions of people are bitten each year nationwide and that hundreds of thousands require medical treatment. Dogs are walked throughout this community, along the bluffs, on the canyon trails, and through the village, placing residents and unfamiliar animals in proximity many times each day.

Types of Dog Bite Cases We Handle in Pacific Palisades

The circumstances preceding a bite generally determine who bears financial responsibility for it. A dog with a history of biting presents a different claim than an animal with no such record, and a rental property introduces a second potential defendant. The matters below are the dog bite claims that come to this firm most often.

• Bites in public places. Attacks on sidewalks, in parks, and on trails are the most straightforward of these claims. Witnesses are ordinarily present, and an animal control report generally exists.
• Bites on private property. A guest, a contractor, or a neighbor who is lawfully present has a claim when a resident’s dog attacks. An invitation onto the property does not diminish the owner’s responsibility.
• Premises liability. A landlord who was aware that a tenant kept a dangerous animal may share responsibility for an attack in a common area. Lease files and prior complaints establish what the landlord knew.
• Children bitten. A child’s height positions the face and neck at the level of a dog’s mouth, which is why injuries to children are frequently more severe. Claims brought on behalf of a minor follow separate procedures and timelines.
• Delivery and service workers. Postal carriers, package couriers, and utility personnel are bitten in the course of their employment. Such claims may proceed alongside a workers’ compensation matter.
• Facial injuries and scarring. Bites to the face often require a plastic surgeon and more than one procedure. The value of the claim depends on how the scar matures, which takes a year or longer to determine.
• Infection and nerve damage. A puncture that appears minor can introduce a deep infection or sever a nerve in the hand. Animal bites carry a risk of infection that is not always apparent at the initial examination.
• Bike accidents. A loose dog that pursues or crosses in front of a cyclist can cause a fall without making contact. The owner remains responsible for the resulting injuries.
• Brain injuries. A large dog can knock an adult or a child onto pavement, and the resulting head injury can exceed the bite in severity.
• Wrongful death. Fatal attacks are uncommon and most often involve young children and older adults. The action belongs to the decedent’s spouse, children, or parents.

Why Choose Cohen Injury Law Group as My Dog Bite Lawyer in Pacific Palisades, CA?

Claims Involving Children and Facial Injuries

A scarring claim is determined largely by how a jury perceives the injury, and Wayne R. Cohen has tried injury cases since 1991. He founded Cohen Injury Law Group, has held a Trial Skills appointment at GW Law since 1993, and taught earlier in his career at Pepperdine School of Law. His undergraduate degree, awarded with distinction, is from the University of Michigan. Miami Law conferred his J.D. cum laude. His work for injured clients has produced recoveries in the millions of dollars, and his press mentions include Fortune, Reader’s Digest, and the ABA Journal.

A settlement on behalf of a child requires court approval, and the amount must account for a face that is still developing. Those requirements are specific, and a personal injury lawyer in Pacific Palisades, CA should be able to explain how each is addressed.

Documenting Scarring and Future Surgery

Scarring is documented over a period of months rather than at a single appointment, and Nicholas E. Cohen directs that portion of the work. He completed his undergraduate studies at USC and his law degree at Loyola Law School before assuming the management role. Photographs taken at intervals, a surgeon’s written opinion on whether revision is advisable, and the cost of procedures a child may require years from now must all be in hand before a demand is submitted. We accept these cases on contingency, and you owe no attorney fees unless we recover compensation for you.

What Is Important to Understand About a Dog Bite Case?

What Are Important Aspects of a Dog Bite Case?

These claims carry three features that other injury matters do not.

1. The responsible party is frequently a neighbor, a friend, or a relative. Homeowners and renters insurance generally covers the claim, which means that payment comes from a carrier rather than from the family in question. Many clients find that this consideration alters their view of proceeding.
2. The animal control report is the single most useful document, and it exists only if the bite was reported. Reporting also creates a record of the animal’s history, which carries considerable weight should the dog bite again.
3. Scars are valued on their final appearance rather than their initial one. Resolving a claim before a scar has matured, or before a surgeon has advised whether revision would help, almost invariably means accepting less than the injury warrants. The true cost of an injury extends well beyond the bills already paid.

Damages, Liability, and Compensation for Dog Bite Cases

Responsibility in these claims rests on the duty stated in Civil Code section 1714, which holds a person answerable for harm caused by a want of ordinary care, and on the separate owner liability that attaches when a dog bites a person who is lawfully present. Under section 3333 of the Civil Code, the recovery must cover the full harm the owner’s conduct caused.

Medical costs extend from the emergency visit through antibiotics, wound care, and any reconstructive surgery, and a single revision procedure may occur years after the bite. Lost income covers time away from work, including the time a parent takes to care for an injured child. Pain and suffering addresses the pain of the injury and of the treatment that followed, and disfigurement is valued separately from either. Many children develop a lasting fear of dogs following an attack, and that effect is compensable when a treating provider documents it. Recoverable damages in a bite claim span each of these categories, and the homeowner’s carrier handling the file will contest nearly all of them.

What Is the Dog Bite Case Timeline?

The filing window depends on the age of the injured person. Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1 affords an adult two years from the date of the bite. A claim belonging to a child operates differently, because the deadline does not begin to run while the injured person remains a minor.

• We identify the owner, the property owner, and the applicable insurance within the first several days.
• The animal control report and any prior complaints regarding the animal are requested immediately.
• Treatment proceeds, and we photograph the wound at intervals as it heals.
• A surgeon’s opinion on scar revision is obtained once the scar has matured.
• The demand follows, and we file suit if the carrier’s offer does not reflect the permanent injury.

What Should You Bring to Your Dog Bite Consultation?

Please bring the materials you have available, including photographs taken on your phone.

• Photographs of the wound from the date of the bite forward, which are the most valuable record you can maintain.
• The animal control or police report, or the date and the agency you contacted if the report itself is unavailable.
• The owner’s name and address, together with the name of the property owner if the two differ.
• Medical records, billing statements, and any referral to a plastic surgeon.
• Notes on your actions and statements afterward, since the steps taken early tend to shape the claim.

Guidance on retaining counsel forms part of that first conversation, as do the ordinary questions people raise after being bitten.

Reach Out to Cohen Injury Law Group to Schedule a Consultation

Send us the photographs and the medical records, and we will advise you on what the claim involves. The review costs nothing, and you owe no attorney fees unless we recover compensation for you. We will explain who is likely to bear responsibility, what the insurance picture appears to be, and how long the scarring question will take to resolve. Contact us to arrange that conversation, and we will respond promptly.