Sacramento Dog Bite Lawyers

Dog bites affect more than 4.7 million people annually, and of those, almost 800,000 are serious enough to require medical attention, reports the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Dog bites can lead to serious head injuries, infection, broken bones, and death. California takes the responsibility of owning a dog very seriously, and if a dog bites and injuries result, the dog owner is strictly liable for damages. With over 70 years collective legal experience, the Sacramento dog bite attorneys at Estey Bomberger have recovered millions of dollars in damages for victims of dog bites for their medical costs, lost earnings and pain and suffering.

Why Dogs Bite

There are five factors typically linked to a dog bite attack, reports the American Veterinary Medical Association, Task Force on Canine Aggression and Human-Canine Interactions. These include:

Poor socialization of a dog – not exposing a dog to other animals, children, and new people and surroundings can be detrimental to a dog’s social development.
The "parents" and breed of a dog – what was the temperament of the "sire" and "bitch" that produced the dog, and the behavior that has been bred into that particular breed? For example: Pit bulls have been bred to be aggressive, and not surprisingly, were responsible for 65 percent of fatal dog attacks in 2008.
The training of a dog - a dog that has not been trained at all or insufficiently, can exhibit anxiety or fear, emotions that can provoke the dog to bite. It is possible, too, that a dog has been trained by their owner to be aggressive towards people.
A victim’s behavior - is a person provoking the dog or behaving abnormal, causing the animal to bite?
The dog’s health condition - if a dog is sick or injured, biting is often an outwardly sign of the dog’s pain or discomfort.

Sacramento Dog Bite Injuries

When a big dog bites, tremendous force is transferred from their jaws to the site of the wound, easily crushing soft tissue, compressing nerves, and possibly breaking bones and causing permanent scarring, once the injury has healed. Bites to the face or neck region, whom children are the primary victims, can cause severe brain injury and death. Nerve damage, facial fractures, lacerations, loss of eyesight and damage to the salivatory glands are facial injuries that dog bite victims are commonly treated for. One big concern for victims of dog bites is infection, which is passed from the dog’s saliva to the wound. Dogs can infect a victim with rabies (viral infection), sepsis (small blood clots), tenosynovitis (tendon inflammation) and oteomyelitis (bone infection). There are often lasting emotional effects of a dog bite injury, too. Victims may be traumatized emotionally by the incident and suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. Post-traumatic stress disorder changes the victim’s behavior; feelings of anxiety, depression, and fear manifest, and may last for months, even years after the bite occurred.

Statue of Limitations

If you or a family member has been seriously injured by a dog bite, filing a personal injury claim must be done two years from the date of the injury. If a government agency or employee was responsible for the dog bite injury, you have 6 months to file a claim. There are a few exceptions to the statue of limitations, but because of the complexity of a dog bite personal injury claim, the Estey Bomberger law firm recommends that you retain the services of a knowledgeable Sacramento dog bite attorney to guide you through the legal process. After a dog bite injury, it is never to soon to contact an attorney. The sooner you speak to a personal injury lawyer in Sacramento, the sooner you can receive the compensation you are entitled to.

Free Consultation to Protect Your Legal Rights

To learn more about your legal rights in a dog bite claim, contact one of our Sacramento personal injury attorneys at Estey Bomberger for a free consultation today at (916) 903-5216. There are no hidden fees, and we are available to discuss your case at our office or in the privacy of your home. A thorough review of your case can be done, and a Sacramento dog bite lawyer will inform you or what legal options are available to you, and what types compensation you may be entitled to receive for your or your child's injuries.