Riverside Dog Bite Injury Lawyer
Dog Bite Injury Attorney in Riverside, CA
Riverside is considered a pet-friendly city, with a number of hotels, restaurants, retail locations, and parks where people can enjoy time with their dogs. Unfortunately, not every pet owner is not as responsible as they should be in order to ensure that their pet is leashed when required or that they’ve taken reasonable actions to prevent others from being bitten by the dog.
Dog bites can result in severe injuries and other complications, such as infection or scarring. If you have been bitten by a dog, you can seek compensation for the injury by filing a claim against the dog owner. If the insurance provider fails to compensate the claim, it can also be filed as a Riverside personal injury lawsuit. An experienced Riverside dog bite lawyer, like those at Setareh Law, is a key ingredient for having a successful outcome to your claim.
Who Is Liable For a Dog Bite Injury in Riverside?
Dog bite laws vary from state to state, with some states following a “one bite rule” that effectively only makes the dog’s owner liable for bites that occur after the owner has reason to know that their dog is capable of aggressive behavior. This essentially provides the dog with one “free” bite before the owner faces liability.
However, California has strict liability for dog bite claims. What this means is that dog owners in Riverside are liable for compensating those who are harmed by their pet, even if they had no knowledge that the animal would bite. Furthermore, even if the owner was not negligent in the responsibility to protect others from being injured by their dog, they’re still liable for the expenses and psychological impacts that others incur as a result of being bitten by the dog.
How to Seek Compensation For a Dog Bite Injury
The compensation for a dog bite claim generally comes from the dog owner’s homeowners’ or renters’ insurance policy. After the bite occurs, the victim can seek compensation by filing a claim against this policy. When the claim is received by the at-fault owner’s insurance provider, they will assign a claims adjuster to evaluate the claim on behalf of the insurance company and determine how much compensation (if any) is owed to the claimant.
It is important to understand that insurance companies do not want to pay out on these claims, and they will look for reasons not to. For those who are unfamiliar with California’s personal injury claims process, the tactics used by insurance companies to avoid paying a legitimate claim can be overwhelming and frustrating. One of the many important services a Riverside dog bite lawyer can provide is managing communication with the insurance provider in order to spare the claimant from these tactics.
The claims adjuster can either accept the claim, deny the claim, or offer to settle it for less than its established value. A skilled dog bite attorney can negotiate with the claims adjuster on behalf of the claimant in order to get them to make an offer that fairly compensates the claim. If these negotiations fail to produce a fair settlement, the attorney can file a personal injury lawsuit for their client and ask the court to determine whether the claimant is owed compensation as a result of the defendant’s liability.
What Compensation Is Available for Dog Bite Claims?
Dog bite injuries can result in several complications that can be both expensive to treat and impactful on the sufferer’s quality of life. Once an injury has stabilized, a Riverside dog bite lawyer can establish a value for your claim. This value is not based solely on the cost of treating the injury, though medical expenses are certainly an important part of the overall value of the claim.
In addition to medical expenses, dog bite claimants can seek compensation for other types of expenses as well, such as the wages and benefits they lost if they had to miss work as a result of the injury. Also, if the injury causes permanent disability and the claimant is no longer able to perform the duties of their job, or any job, they can seek compensation for the loss of future earning capacity.
Riverside dog bite claimants can also seek compensation for the psychological impacts of their injury. This is referred to as recovering non-economic damages. One of the most common impacts that dog bite claimants experiences as a result of their injury is emotional distress. Generally, the more serious the injury that is incurred, the more compensation the claimant can seek for quality-of-life impacts.
Call Setareh Law If You Have Suffered Dog Bite Injuries in Riverside, CA
With over 15 years of experience helping people in California obtain the compensation they need after they’ve been injured, the legal team at Setareh Law understands how financially and psychologically devastating a dog bite injury can be. We are prepared to fight for your right to fair compensation for your injury. Beyond this commitment, we will also work hard to offer quality and compassionate support. We are happy to see our clients when they come by our office, and we are willing to travel to where you are as you continue to recover from your injury. Our injury lawyers also speak Spanish.
Let our experienced Riverside personal injury lawyer help you understand the personal injury claims process and the legal options that are available for you. Our case evaluations are always free and without obligation. For more information, call us at (310) 659-1826 or contact us online.
