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Dog Bites

Click here to see Mr. Blackman's video on dog bites

Dog attacks represent and cause some of the most gruesome personal injuries, particularly when a child is involved. Dog bites often happen to the face, and any bite can cause sever injury and infection. Many children's lack of judgment and ignorance about how to behave around a dog and their inability to fend off an attack can add to the risk. From the most recent statistics available, at least 27 people died as the result of dog bite attacks in the two year period of 1997 and 1998. Of the 27 human dog bite related fatalities, 70% (19) were children. This figure shows how important it is to teach children to be safe around dogs to prevent these catastrophic events from occurring. There are many ways to help keep your children safe, with the most important being to carefully supervise them when dogs are present. Other ways to help prevent dog attacks include:

• Never approach an unfamiliar dog.
• Never run from a dog and scream.
• Stay still when an unfamiliar dog comes up to you.
• If knocked over by a dog, roll into a ball and lie still.
• Do not look a dog in the eye.
• Do not disturb a dog that is sleeping, eating, or caring for puppies.
• Do not pet a dog without letting it see and sniff you first.
• Never play with a dog unless supervised by an adult.
• Never leave an infant or child alone with any dog.
• Teach your dog submissive behaviors, like rolling over to show its stomach.
• Do not play aggressive games with your dog, such as wrestling.
• Support animal-control programs in your community and the enforcement of local laws regulating dangerous or vicious dogs.
• Support dog bite prevention educational programs in schools.
• Get the advice of a veterinarian about the right breed of dog if you are thinking about getting a family dog.
• Spay or neuter your dog, this often reduces its aggressive tendencies.
• Be sure all pets are properly immunized.
• Seek a veterinarian's advice quickly if your dog becomes aggressive.

California has a strict liability dog bite statute that makes the owner of a dog liable for damages inflicted by his/her dog if it bites a person who is either in a public place or lawfully in a private place, including the property of the owner of the dog. Cal Civ Code § 3342. The dog owner is liable regardless of whether the dog had ever been vicious before and regardless of whether the owner had reason to believe it would behave in a vicious manner. The dog does not get "one free bite".

If a stray bites you, you have little legal recourse because you must file your claim against a dog's owner or keeper. Your municipality is not responsible for the dog, even if you have called the animal warden several times to pick up the stray.

In all dog bite cases it is essential that measures be taken promptly to preserve evidence, investigate the incident in question, and to enable physicians or other expert witnesses to thoroughly evaluate any injuries. If you or a loved one is a victim of a dog bite, call Blackman Legal Group now at 1-800-444-5602 or CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT YOUR QUESTIONNAIRE FOR A FREE CASE EVALUATION. The initial consultation is free of charge, and if we agree to accept your case, we will work on a contingent fee basis, which means we get paid for our services only if there is a monetary award or recovery of funds. Don’t delay! You may have a valid claim and be entitled to compensation for your injuries, but a lawsuit must be filed before the statute of limitations expires.

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