North County San Diego Injury Lawyers

Dog bite injuries are common in California, whether you are in Valley Center or elsewhere in Southern California. A recent article in the Los Angeles Times emphasized the particularly high rate of dog bites in the state of California and how injuries in attacks appear to be increasing. Indeed, the article reports that “dog bites are sending record numbers of Californians to the emergency room.” Data from the California Department of Health Care Access and Information shows that emergency department visits due to dog bite injuries rose by about 12% between 2021 and 2022, the last year of available data in which almost 50,000 people sought emergency treatment for dog bites. 

Yet, as the article underscores, it is actually quite uncommon to have a situation where a dog that is known to be vicious is loose and attacks a stranger. Rather, most dog bites happen in circumstances where the dog is known to the person bitten and in situations with “animals being put under stress and humans not understanding their signals.” Does this information have any bearing on liability? In other words, if you misread a dog’s signals, can the attack be your own fault? In short, the answer is usually no. California follows a strict liability law, which tends to hold a dog owner responsible for most bites. Our Southern California dog bite injury attorneys can explain.

Owners are Liable for Dog Bites in Most Circumstances