Does every dog get one bite under California law?
Personal responsibility is one principle that is valued by many Inland Empire residents. However, many individuals may think the concept of personal responsibility means just that: a person can and should be held responsible for his or her actions. Individuals may be less familiar with the fact that, under California law, they can also be held liable in a civil lawsuit for other incidents, even if they may not have been personally involved the incident.
One type of incident for which an individual can be held responsible for is a dog bite. Dog owners are held liable under California law for their dogs under certain circumstances. A common misconception is that a person cannot be held liable for a dog bite on his or her own property. To the contrary, liability can be found against the dog owner under California law and can subject him to paying damages even if the bite occurred on private property.
Another common misunderstanding is that every dog gets one bite, meaning that owners cannot be held liable if their dog had never bitten another person before the incident in question. Under California law, the owner of a dog can be liable for damages suffered by another person bitten by the dog, regardless of whether the dog had acted viciously before the incident.
Further, if the dog has previously bitten someone, California law imposes further duties on the owner to address the situation. Dog owners are directed to take reasonable steps to remove the danger presented by the animal to others. Certain procedures exist to allow for the removal of the danger if two separate bites have occurred.
If you have been seriously injured by a dog bite or mauling in the Inland Empire, it is important that you contact an experienced personal injury attorney at Harshbarger Law so he or she can start working on your case to obtain all the monetary compensation you are entitled to.