Simi Valley Dog Bite Lawyer

Dog bites and attacks are often painful experiences resulting in permanent scars or disfigurement, serious injuries, and emotional trauma. The experienced Simi Valley dog bite lawyers at Walch Law will work hard to get you the maximum possible compensation as fast as possible so you can get your life back on track. Robert and Gary have over 45 years experiences delivering success for our clients, so call today to learn about the process, get your questions answered, and get started today.

In Simi Valley and other Southern California cities, dog ownership is common. Backyards in more suburban areas and year-round good weather make walking, hiking, or just enjoying time with a dog easy to do. However, even if a dog is not known to have vicious tendencies or hasn’t bitten before, their behavior can change in a split second – even towards members of its own family. Children are particularly vulnerable and common dog bite victims. Child or adult, though, at home, the dog park, or even when visiting friends or family it’s possible to become the victim of a dog attack that can have devastating consequences. A 5 year-old Simi Valley girl was killed by a pit bull in her friend’s backyard when she accidentally bumped into the dog.

If you’re the victim of a dog bite in Simi Valley, it’s important you take a few steps that can help you recover, protect the public from a potentially dangerous animal, and strengthen your personal injury claim for compensation.

• Get medical attention as quickly as possible even if you believe you weren’t hurt. Some injury may not present immediately. You will also need a rabies test. Additionally, bite wounds contain a lot of bacteria and are prone to infection without medical treatment. Medical treatment can also provide evidence of when, how, and how severely you’ve been injured.
• Get as much information as you can about the dog, the owner, where and when the bite occurred, and, if the bite occurred on property owned by the dog owner, their homeowner’s insurance information.
• Take photographs of the bite, location, and dog. If the dog was a stray, try to take a photograph if possible or write down physical details about the animal.
• Notify animal control and give a detailed statement.
• Do not apologize, admit fault, downplay or speculate about the nature of your injuries, or say you’re “okay” or “fine.”
• Avoid giving recorded statements to insurance companies.
• Get legal help from an experienced Simi Valley dog bite lawyer.

In Simi Valley, dog bite victims generally do not have to prove negligence to establish liability – essentially, that the owner knew their dog attacked someone before you or had a history of vicious behavior. California dog owners are strictly liable for injuries when their dog bites someone. If you can show someone owned the dog that bit you, you were bitten on public property or when you were legally present on private property (in other words not trespassing), and you sustained actual injury from the dog in the attack, the owner is generally responsible for your injuries. Some exceptions to strict liability apply, such as provoking a dog or a law enforcement dog performing its duties, but these circumstances are best discussed with a Simi Valley dog bite lawyer to see if they apply to your case.

If you can prove a dog owner is liable for your injuries, you may be entitled to an award of damages to compensate you for your injuries. Your recovery depends on the details of your case – how severely you were injured, the cost of medical bills for treating the bite, whether you couldn’t work and lost wages, and any emotional trauma you suffered as a result of the attack, for example. If you can prove your injuries to the court you may be entitled to damages for harms like lost wages, medical bills, and pain and suffering.

That’s the easy part – you’ve already found the experienced Simi Valley dog bite lawyers at The Walch Group! The moment your hire us is the moment we’ll start working on your case – we know how stressful unnecessary delays can be when you need the money, so we’ll work as quickly as possible and can always provide updates on your case status. Call us to learn why Robert and Gary are the attorneys you want in your corner after a vicious dog bite.