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 to secure the financial compensation victims need to make a full recovery from a devasting bite wound. This is a necessary step to safeguard victims whether they are bitten at a park, in a yard, or at someone’s house.

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 recover.

Do I Need a Lawyer After Getting Bit by a Dog at a Relative’s Home?

If you or a loved one suffers a dog bite while visiting a family member, and the wound is serious, speaking to a skilled attorney about your case can keep you from losing out on the money you’ll need to pay for recovery.

When victims suffer something like a broken bone, tendon damage, or permanent disfigurement due to a dog bite, the costs for medical care and even restorative surgery could be astronomical. These are costs that most families can’t cover alone without going into bankruptcy.

A homeowners insurance provider doesn’t want to cover these costs either. That’s why they immediately look for ways to blame a dog bite on a victim and start downplaying the injuries suffered. All to avoid having to pay a victim what’s fair for recovery. Your San Francisco dog bite lawyer shields you from these unfair tactics and demands the most compensation available for your family.

Liability after a Dog Bite in Someone’s Home

A family member may invite you over for a holiday get-together or just a random visit during the week. You probably wouldn’t think twice about your safety or your children’s safety when entering an aunt and uncle’s home or the home of another loved one. And those relatives would, of course, never want to hurt you or your children.

But when homeowners invite guests in, they are legally required to do more than just hope that no one gets hurt. They must take action to keep people safe or face legal liability for an accident. These accidents can include a dog on the loose that could bite an adult or a child during a party. Family members should restrain dogs who could prove an unintentional threat to family and friends.

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 injuries when their dogs bite. That’s 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.

Of course, you wouldn’t be trespassing while visiting a relative. A personal injury claim would be the best way for you to secure the money necessary to pay for the medical bills you’ve already received and the bills that may arrive in the future.

Why You Should Consider Filing a Dog Bite Claim After an Accident at a Relative’s House

Your relatives would never want you or a loved one hurt by their dog. In the same sense, you would never want to have to file an injury claim against your relative to seek help in the aftermath of a serious dog bite.

But you shouldn’t worry about filing a claim that involves a family member. You are usually filing the claim against the relative’s homeowners insurance or renter’s insurance company. A family member, like a parent or grandparent, or a brother or sister wouldn’t be directly targeted. The insurance company would pay to help you with medical bills and support your family while you may have to skip shifts at work.

The family member’s premiums may go up and that’s unfortunate, but that’s not more important than you or your child having the money to pay for care and to make a full recovery. Your loved one pays homeowners insurance premiums for this reason and should want you to fully recover from a dog bite incident.

Remember that filing a lawsuit and taking your family member’s insurance provider to court would rarely be necessary. The vast majority of dog bite claims are settled out of court. Insurance companies don’t want to pay to defend themselves in a trial. They also don’t want the negative publicity.

Compensation for San Francisco Dog Bite Victims

Victims or their family members would file a dog bite injury claim with the insurance company asking for help with every damage and hardship an injury caused.

That’s a critical step because anything left out of a claim wouldn’t be eligible to be compensated in a dog bite settlement claim. Those damages omitted could end up as a cost the victim would have to pay.

Your MJQ Law representative would make sure all hardships were 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 at someone’s house or on someone else’s property, you should talk over your case with a skilled San Francisco Dog Bite Attorney. Take advantage of a free case consultation with a real lawyer at MJQ Law to find out what your injury may be worth and how to make sure an insurance company accepts full responsibility.

We are compassionate advocates for accident victims and we seek settlements that protect victims and their families now and in the years ahead. 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.