Dog Bite Fatalities in Oceanside

Nobody in Oceanside or elsewhere in North County wants to think about the possibility of a fatal attack when interacting with a dog. The American Veterinary Medical Association estimates that nearly 60 million households across the country have dogs, and California residents have a higher percentage of dog ownership than people in many other states. For families throughout San Diego County, dogs can be a source of joy, but they can also be dangerous. Whether you are interacting with a dog that is unknown to you or to your child, or interacting with a dog owned by a family member or friend, it is critical to remember that dogs can bite and cause serious harm.

Children are especially vulnerable to dog attacks, and dog bites in younger children in particular are often fatal. If someone you love sustained deadly injuries due to a dog bite, it is essential to learn about the steps you can take to file a claim and hold the dog owner accountable by engaging an Oceanside dog bite lawyer.

Understanding Dog Bite Injuries and Fatalities

In an average year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that, for many years, there were just over 40 deaths on average from dog bites. Yet that number has been increasing in recent years, and significantly so. In 2022, the most recent year that the CDC reports on dog bite mortality data, there were nearly 100 dog bite deaths across the country, and more than 80 in the prior year. California routinely has a record-high number of dog bite cases and deaths compared to other states.

According to a recent USA Today report, over the last decade, the “number of fatal dog attacks more than doubled,” especially since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Children and elderly adults were those most often killed in dog attacks.

Filing a Wrongful Death Lawsuit After a Fatal Dog Attack

Most dog bite lawsuits in California are filed under a theory of strict liability. If the person bitten was lawfully on the property and did not provoke the dog, then the owner is strictly liable for injuries, including fatal injuries. This means the plaintiff does not have to prove that the dog owner was negligent, or that the dog owner knew or should have known the dog had a propensity to cause harm. Merely owning the dog is sufficient for liability.

Under California law, a wrongful death lawsuit can be filed by a person’s surviving family member (such as a spouse or domestic partner, a child, or a parent in the event of a child’s death) or the representative of the estate. A wrongful death lawsuit must be filed within two years from the date of death.

Contact Our Oceanside Dog Bite Injury Attorneys Today

Many of us share our homes with family dogs, and dogs can be wonderful companions for Southern California residents of all ages. Yet dogs can also be dangerous, and they can cause serious and deadly injuries when they bite. Although children are most frequently killed in dog bite cases, people of any age can suffer fatal injuries in a dog bite incident. If someone you love suffered fatal injuries after being bitten by a dog in San Diego County, you should seek advice from an Encinitas dog bite injury attorney as soon as you can. Contact the Walton Law Firm today for more information about how we can help you with a wrongful death lawsuit.

See Related Blog Posts:

• I Suffered a Dog Bite Injury — Was it My Fault?
• Dog Bites Reach Record Numbers in California