San Diego & Vista's trusted lawyer for dog bites & animal attacks.

Minors are some of the most common dog bite victims. Even at their friend's homes, parents frequently fail to take steps to protect children from what should be friendly visits. People fail to see the dangers inherit in not leashing their dogs. You always hear things like "my dog doesn’t bite", or "he is friendly", and so on.

The research shows that many times people not only get physical injuries but may also develop emotional and mental injuries as a result of the dog attack.

If a dog bite occurs you should immediately contact Animal Control (i.e. the local Humane Society) for an immediate investigation. Once Animal Control finds that a bite has occurred, it will confine the dog and document the behavior. Many times we find that dogs have a history of violence or a propensity to attack.

Dog Bite laws in California is codified under Civil Code Section 3342(a), which states in part:

(a) The owner of any dog is liable for the damages suffered by any person who is bitten by the dog while in a public place or lawfully in a private place, including the property of the owner of the dog, regardless of the former viciousness of the dog or the owner's knowledge of such viciousness. A person is lawfully upon the private property of such owner within the meaning of this section when he is on such property in the performance of any duty imposed upon him by the laws of this state or by the laws or postal regulations of the United States, or when he is on such property upon the invitation, express or implied, of the owner.

The statute essentially states that the owner of a dog is "Strictly Liable" for the injuries sustained as a result of the dog bite. Once a dog bit occurs, the owner is liable for the damages.

If you are a victim of a dog bite or an animal attack we encourage you contact our office for a free consultation to learn your rights.

Today, because of overwhelming numbers of dog bites, some insurance companies have begun to exclude certain dogs from the homeowners and liability Insurance policy such as Pit bulls and Rottweilers.

We want to educate the public about the dangers and duties of dog ownership to avoid death or serious injuries from animal attacks in California.

Local Focus.

We serve clients in San Diego, Vista, Carlsbad, Oceanside, San Marcos, Escondido, Del Mar, Solana Beach, Encinitas, Cardiff, Lucida, Lakeside, Alpine, Coronado, Vista, Rancho Santa Fe, Rancho Bernardo, Chula Vista, National City, Eastlake, Bonita, Lemon Grove, La Mesa, El Cajon, Mission Valley, Ocean Beach, Pacific Beach, Point Loma, La Jolla, Claremont, University City, Miramar, Poway, Julian Santee, Valley Center, Imperial Beach, Scripps Ranch, Temecula, Murrieta, Spring Valley, San Ysidro, and throughout the state of California. We also accept attorney referrals and co-counsel arrangements in complex personal injury litigation throughout the United States.