MJQ Law protects the rights of dog bite victims in San Francisco and across the Bay Area. Our skilled dog bite lawyers take action immediately after victims have been bitten in their apartment complexes or in any other residential area. Owners are held accountable in most instances. Landlords must also keep tenants safe, and when they allow visitors or tenants to become exposed to a dangerous dog, they can be held fully responsible for every recovery cost.

Contact us for a free, no-obligation case consultation. This is a no-risk way to find out what your dog bite injury may be worth. It’s vital information that you’ll need as insurance companies work to downplay your injuries and rob you of the support you require to heal physically and financially.

Do I Need to Call a Lawyer After Suffering a Dog Bite?

When your dog bite only causes minor scratches or bruising, you may not need the help of a lawyer. But when you or your loved one’s injuries are more serious, the help of a lawyer may be necessary to make sure you receive everything you need to pay for recovery.

In California, dog owners are held accountable when their dogs bite. But their renter’s insurance adjusters providers can try to blame you for what happened. They may cast doubt on your medical charts and how serious your injury is. Your San Francisco dog bite lawyer will be backing up your injury claim with strong evidence. Then your lawyer demands reimbursement for every hardship you and your family have faced and will face.

Dog Bite Dangers At San Francisco Apartment Buildings

Large and small apartment complexes can house numerous tenants and just as many pets. Many residents will have dogs. They make great companions, but owners have a responsibility to keep others protected from unwanted encounters with their dogs, especially if their pets have shown aggression before.

A dog owner may allow a dog too much leash in a complex courtyard, allowing the dog to get close enough to bite. A dog owner may be negligent after allowing a dog to run out of an apartment and attack anyone nearby.

In general, California dog owners are held accountable any time their dogs bite. Our state follows the legal concept of “strict liability,” meaning that dog owners are liable for recovery costs after a bite injury. The liability exists even if the dog has never attacked anyone before.

The dog owner is liable unless…

• The victim provoked the dog.
• The victim was trespassing at the time.

Landlords and property management companies can also be held liable. A landlord may have gotten numerous reports about a threatening dog and not done anything about it. If a careless tenant is allowed to keep a dog and doesn’t do a better job of restraining a pet, the property management company may face liability if there’s an incident. The landlord could also face financial accountability if it’s shown that a tenant should have been evicted due to a threat the tenant’s dog posed.

What if I’m in Someone Else’s Apartment When I Am Bitten?

As long as you had been invited in, the dog owner would still be responsible if you were bitten inside someone’s apartment.

You could seek help with hospital bills, physical therapy costs, and other hardships. The tenant’s renter’s insurance could usually be called upon for help.

You may feel conflicted about filing a claim against someone you know, a family member, or a friend, but your claim would be directed at the insurance provider. Your family member or friend wouldn’t usually be targeted directly.

An unfortunate accident is exactly why the dog owner pays insurance premiums. Dog owners should want you to be able to afford the best care available so you can recover as soon as possible.

Apartment Dog Park Dog Bites

Some San Francisco apartments have community dog parks on their grounds. But if you were bitten by someone else’s dog while in a dog park enclosure, the dog’s owner would still be liable for your injury costs. The laws don’t change inside a dog park.

However, you probably wouldn’t be able to hold a property owner or property management company responsible for dog bite damages. These dog parks are usually marked as “use at your own risk” locations. This would usually protect property owners from liability if you were hurt due to the expected risks of being around unleashed dogs.

But if you were hurt by something that’s not a reasonable risk, you may have cause to file a lawsuit. This might include a hole in a fence that wasn’t repaired before a dog was able to wiggle out and bite you. Speak to an attorney with MJQ Law to determine if you have a strong case against your landlord.

Take caution though. An apartment management group may have the money to pay for corporate lawyers. These lawyers will find ways to pick apart your case, even if a landlord was at fault. Make sure you have a legal representative of your own to protect your rights.

Compensation Available After a Dog Bite

The force behind dog bites can cause broken bones, severed ligaments and tendons, and nerve damage. The germs in a dog’s mouth can cause dangerous infections that make a wound even slower to heal.

You might need medical support to pay for months of care. You may need physical therapy for weeks just to learn how to use a damaged hand again.

Your MJQ Law representative makes sure all hardships are added to a claim, including a few things you may not have known could earn you additional compensation:

• Support for all current medical bills and those expected in the months to come.
• Compensation for permanent disfigurement or disability.
• Additional support for child dog bite victims who may need medical care if their injuries cause developmental issues later in their lives.
• Support for physical pain endured.
• Compensation for emotional trauma that dog bite victims often deal with.
• Reimbursement for lost earnings and benefits while victims lose time at work.
• Wrongful Death Benefits. A dog bite can lead to the tragic loss of life in extreme cases. Families would be able to file a wrongful death claim and request help with burial costs and paying the remaining medical bills. A wrongful death lawyer could represent close family members and seek full support to replace the income the victim can no longer provide the family in the years ahead.

Contact a San Francisco Dog Bite Lawyer

If you or a loved one were bitten by a dog while at an apartment complex, you should talk over your case with a skilled San Francisco Dog Bite Attorney. A free case consultation with a real lawyer at MJQ Law is the best way to stay informed of every benefit available to you. You should find out what your injury may be worth and how to make sure an insurance company accepts full responsibility. To get started, please contact us as soon as you can to set up a free consultation.

There’s no obligation, but If you feel MJQ Law can help you get more for your injury claim, you don’t need to worry about how you’ll pay us. We actually don’t see a dime unless we win your case for you. Then our fee comes entirely out of the settlement you are awarded.