California Personal Injury Attorneys

A female pit bull was turned over to authorities after a fatal Orange County dog bite attack where a little terrier was brutally mauled to death. According to a news report in the Dana Point Times, resident Mary Bestgen was walking her terrier on August 10, 2009, near Baby Beach in Dana Point, when a loose pit bull suddenly charged, grabbed the little terrier and began mauling it. A group of men came to her aid and finally freed the terrier from the pit bull's hold. Read the rest of this entry »

A 17-month old boy was severely injured in a Los Angeles dog bite attack on July 28, 2009 after the family's pit bull grabbed the toddler by his face and mauled him at their home in Redondo Beach, California. According to a news report in the Daily Breeze, the dog attack took place when the child reportedly touched or pulled the pit bull's tail. The child's mother pulled the dog's jaw off her son's face and called police. Redondo Beach police officials said the child suffered severe dog bites in the face, puncture wounds and eye injuries. The toddler was taken to an area hospital.

The pit bull was apparently still agitated and remained in a back room of the house. It took two animal control officers to corral the dog as two other police officers stood by. A vicious dog investigation is underway. This attack comes only a week after two loose pit bulls killed a smaller dog, just blocks away, although the two incidents were not connected. In that incident, the pit bulls attacked a young girl walking her dog. When the girl picked up the dog, the pit bulls reportedly pulled it from her arms and killed it. Read the rest of this entry »

Laguna Hills resident, Dr. Elaine Christian, has filed a Orange County dog bite claim against the city after she was mauled by three bull mastiffs in December. According to an article in The Orange County Register, the California dog bite lawsuit states that the city should have done more to protect her from the dogs. The 61-year-old Christian was the victim of a vicious dog attack on December 18, 2008. Christian alleges that the city was aware of specific incidents that should have prompted an investigation into whether the dogs were "dangerous or vicious" dogs.

The dog owner is identified in the claim as Leslie Rodriguez. The claim also gives several examples of the bull mastiffs' aggressive behavior. The claim includes instances when the dogs were loose in the neighborhood, when a woman was accosted by one of the dogs in her garage and another time when the mastiffs got into a dog fight in Newport Beach. Christian alleges that the city is liable because it was aware of general deficiencies in Orange County Animal Care Services' dealing with dog bites and had noticed the dogs were "potentially dangerous or vicious," but failed to use reasonable diligence to ensure the animals were properly restrained. Read the rest of this entry »

Orange County officials have said that a German Shepherd involved in an April 20, 2009 Newport Beach dog attack when it bit a 2-year-old boy, has been released from quarantine and will not be euthanized. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, the dog attack injured Connor Errington who stopped to pet the unattended dog that was tied to a tree outside a restaurant. The owner was eating at a restaurant close by. Little Connor suffered significant facial injuries as a result of this dog bite. He had to get several stitches to get the wounds closed up.

The dog was quarantined two days after the Newport Beach dog attack to monitor it for rabies, but as of April 30, 2009, it has been cleared and released. Orange County animal control officials say an investigation into the Orange County dog bite incident is ongoing. They will examine the dog's history of aggression but will wait until the investigation is complete before releasing further details. It's possible that officials will impose steps such as a mandatory muzzle, required liability insurance and "Beware of Dog" signs at the animal's Anaheim home, but it's also possible that no disciplinary measures will be taken.

I'd be interested to find out if this dog had a history of aggression or viciousness. I hope authorities take a closer look at this dog to determine its viciousness.

Connor Errington's family, if they have not already done so, would be well advised to contact an experienced Orange County dog bite attorney, who will help protect the victim's rights. California Civil Code Section 3342 states: "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."

Note that the law says it is not necessary for the plaintiff in a California case to prove that the dog was known to be vicious or had a propensity to bite. One bite is alone sufficient to support liability. Under California law, all the injured person must prove to recover damages for a dog bite injury is:

• The defendant owned the dog
• The dog bit the plaintiff
• The plaintiff was lawfully on the premises where the bite took place
• The bite caused the plaintiff injuries

Based on the law, there is no question that the dog's owner is liable for the dog attack, the personal injuries Connor suffered and the related damages caused by the dog bite.

Dog bite fatalities can be found throughout the United States. DogsBite.org, a national dog bite victims' support group, has released their first three-year report on dog bites in the United States. This report covers the three-year period from January 1, 2006 to December 31, 2008 and analyzes data gathered from 88 fatal dog bite incidents. What did this report find about dog bites in America? Here are the results at a glance:

• Of the 88 fatal dog attacks, pit bulls were responsible for 59 percent or 52 incidents. The data also shows that pit bulls commit the vast majority of off-property attacks that result in deaths.
• Pit bulls are more likely to kill an adult than a child. In this three-year period, pit bulls killed more adults than they did children – 54 percent of those killed were adults.
• Of the six victim age groups documented, the 55 and older group suffered the most fatalities (26 percent) followed by the 2-4 age group (22 percent)
• Based on breed of dog, pit bulls accounted for 59 percent of fatal dog attacks, rottweilers, 14 percent, American bulldog and Husky, 5 percent each.

This dog bite fatality finding is more or less consistent with an earlier report released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, which states that pit bulls and rottweilers together account for 60 percent of fatal dog attacks.

Facts and numbers do not lie. It is time that we stop denying this information. California prohibits breed bans. However, a number of California cities and municipalities have started imposing more stringent regulations on pit bull owners such as restraining, spaying and neutering, and requiring liability insurance coverage. Insurance coverage is an important issue because in cases where the negligent dog owner does not have liability insurance the dog bite victim is forced to bear the costs and expenses associated with his or her personal injuries, which is extremely unfair. This study also dispels the myth that pit bulls or dogs in general attack only young children. As California dog bite attorneys, Bisnar | Chase is representing several adult dog bite victims who have undergone severe physical and emotional trauma as a result of such dog attacks. We will not rest until we have obtained justice and fair compensation for these injured victims.

A 2-year-old boy suffered a severe facial injury in a Newport Beach dog bite incident the afternoon of April 20, 2009, The Orange County Register reports. He is now recovering from a serious dog bite to the face by an unattended German Shepherd at the Newport Pier. The boy apparently had petted the dog, which was tied to the tree without incident while walking by with his parents. A few minutes later, standing about 2 feet away, the child wanted to say goodbye to the dog when it lunged forward, jumped on him and bit the boy without any provocation.

The mother said she kicked the dog in the head to get it away from her son. The German Shepherd dog bite resulted in six stitches. The boy's face was so swollen after the dog attack that it was hard for doctors to determine whether the child's nose was broken. The dog's owner was located and was able to provide documentation of rabies vaccinations. Officials will be placing the dog under quarantine to watch for any symptoms of rabies. A decision on whether to euthanize the dog will depend on the outcome of the ongoing investigation, Orange County Animal Control officials say.

I'm relieved that little this little boy is recovering from this horrific dog attack case. I hope and pray his dog bite injuries heal and that he also recovers emotionally from this incident. I wish him the very best for a quick and complete recovery.

I agree with the mother that this owner was irresponsible to leave his dog unattended although it was tied to a tree. I hope Newport Beach police are also looking into whether this German Shepherd had a history of attacking humans or other animals. However, California has a "strict liability statute" when it comes to California dog bite cases, which means a dog owner is responsible for personal injuries or damages suffered by any person who is bitten by the dog in a public place or in private property, provided they are there legally.

In California a person bitten by a dog sues in state court under California’s Civil Code Section 3342 which states: "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."

The family would be well-advised to retain the services of an experienced Orange County dog bite lawyer, who can help them protect their son's legal rights and make sure they get fair compensation to pay for medical expenses and future medical treatment if necessary. Bisnar | Chase has represented families of young dog bite victims and we have seen in many cases that children often need plastic surgery to help remedy the scars. In some cases, the scars cannot be repaired. Children and adult dog bite victims also suffer emotionally and psychologically and often need therapy to deal with their fears and apprehensions stemming from the attack.