What to Do After a Dog Bite

Dog bite incidents can be extremely traumatic and painful; most people will hopefully never
deal with such an incident, but if you do, here’s what you need to do to protect yourself.

1. Call Animal Control so they can investigate and produce an incident report. This
   investigation will look into the dog owner’s contact information, as well as ensuring that
   the dog was up to date on their vaccinations.
2. Take photos and videos of your injuries, the dog that bit you, and exchange information
   with the dog’s owner.
3. Seek immediate medical care as soon as possible. Animal bites must be taken extremely
   seriously as animal bites may result in infections and further injuries than what you see.
4. Call an attorney to guide you through the legal process of filing a dog-bite claim on your
   behalf.

The Legal Process of A Dog Bite Case

Whether you have an animal control report or you simply exchange information with the dog’s
owner, your attorney will need to have the dog owner’s contact information in order to file
your dog bite claim. Dog bite claims are typically filed against the homeowner’s insurance policy
that the dog owner has, which covers animal attacks.
As your treatment progresses and you heal, your attorney will continue to gather evidence of
your injury; once your treatment is done, your attorney will draft a demand letter demanding a
fair compensation for your injuries. This demand will be based on a number of factors:

1. The medical treatment that you’ve received to date for your injuries.
2. Any future medical treatment that you will need to receive for your injuries.
3. Any permanent injuries that you must now live with as a result of this incident.

If the insurance company is smart, they will work with your attorney to settle the claim with a
fair and just offer. Unfortunately, that is not often the case; insurance companies are often
willing to roll the dice and see if you are willing to litigate a case to receive a fair offer for your
injuries. If that is the case, then we are willing and ready to go as far as we need to go in order
to protect your interests.

Immediate Health and Safety Steps

• Move to a safe location and call emergency services for severe bleeding or other urgent injuries.
• Wash the wound and obtain prompt medical evaluation for infection, tendon, nerve, or scarring concerns.
• Follow vaccination, medication, wound-care, and referral instructions from the treating provider.

Identify the Dog and Report the Incident

Obtain the owner’s name, address, telephone number, and insurance information when it is safe to do so. Record the dog’s description and vaccination information, and report the attack to the appropriate animal-control or law-enforcement agency. An official report can help confirm the dog, owner, location, and follow-up investigation.

Preserve Evidence as the Injury Heals

Photograph the wound immediately and at regular intervals, save torn or bloodied clothing, identify witnesses, and request nearby video before it is overwritten. Keep medical bills, receipts, missed-work records, and a symptom log. When scarring is possible, continued photographs and recommendations from qualified medical providers can help document future care.

California’s Dog Bite Rule

Civil Code section 3342 generally makes a dog owner liable for damages when the dog bites a person in a public place or while the person is lawfully on private property, regardless of the dog’s prior viciousness or the owner’s prior knowledge. Exceptions and other legal theories can apply, so the location, permission to enter, government-dog involvement, and facts of the attack should be reviewed.