Bitten by a Dog? Our Attorneys Have Been Helping the Injured in Central Valley Since 1980

When you have been seriously injured in California from a dog attack, who can assist you in recovering the compensation and fair results you deserve? When a dog bite results in medical expenses or in scarring or other injuries, who can ensure that your rights will be protected?

The Bakersfield dog bite lawyers of Rodriguez & Associates have decades of experience assisting accident victims in the Central Valley, including accidents and injuries involving animal attacks and collisions with farm animals. To discuss your case at no charge, please contact our downtown Bakersfield office.

Rodriguez & Associates has successfully resolved dozens of dog bite injury cases in California. Contact us at (661) 777-7575 or 800-585-9262 Toll-Free for a free consultation and experienced legal assistance.

In California, Strict Liability Applies to Dog Owners

In many types of Bakersfield personal injury lawsuits, it’s necessary to prove that a party was negligent in order to establish the right to compensation. This is not the case in California when dogs attack.

Rather, California has “strict liability” laws that hold dog owners responsible for injuries caused by their dogs. Following an attack, there is no question regarding whether someone is responsible or not. Instead, the primary question is how much compensation is owed.

We are highly knowledgeable regarding California’s dog bite and insurance laws, and our Bakersfield personal injury lawyers have successfully negotiated and obtained high-value awards for numerous dog bite victims. For more information, please contact our firm.

Where Can Dog Bites Happen?

Dogs are some of the most common pets that people own in California and throughout the United States. A 2024 survey reported that 65.1 million American households own at least one dog and that almost 90 million dogs live as pets in America. Because of the prevalence of these animals, dog attacks can be unpredictable and widespread.

An estimated 4.5 million people are bitten by dogs annually, and about 800,000 must seek medical attention (source: Dog Statistics by Breed 2024, Forbes.com).
According to the CDC, 81 people died from being bitten or struck by a dog in 2021.
The average cost of a dog-bite-related hospital stay was $18,200, according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality report.

Dog bites can happen at any time and at any place. You may be spending time at a friend’s house while their dog is roaming freely around the house, you may be walking down the street or in a park, or you may even be on your own property when a dog bite occurs. Not every dog has the inclination to bite and attack humans unprovoked, but dangerous and aggressive animals do exist across the country.

Common Dog Bite Locations

When dogs bite, they tend to target areas that are vulnerable to attack. A 2019 study by Randall Loder of Riley Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis examined the anatomic location of dog bites by examining approximately 3 million non-fatal dog attack cases across the United States. According to his results, the following locations are the most common areas where dogs can bite.

Hands, accounting for 591,706 of the cases examined in the data set
The face, accounting for 535,380 cases
The lower arm, accounting for 373,518 cases
The lower leg, accounting for 351,092 cases
Fingers, accounting for 306,555 cases
The mouth, accounting for 190,615 cases
The upper leg, accounting for 173,653 cases

Other common dog bite locations examined in this study include the lower trunk (78,390 cases), the wrist (76,374 cases), and the upper arm (58,478). Dog bites also occurred on the head, ear, eye, neck, upper trunk, and feet and ankle area at lower rates, ranging between 10,000 to 40,000 cases.

What to Do After a Dog Bite

The aftermath of a dog bite can be disorienting and scary, but it is also crucial for collecting the evidence you need to seek compensation for your injuries. If you are the victim of a dog bite, it is important to take the following steps to prevent further injury and infection, as well as preserve evidence for your future case.

Get to safety as soon as you can following the dog bite. Run inside, get into a car, or knock on someone’s door to help you get away from the dog. As soon as you are away from the aggressive animal, you can seek help.
Call 911. This will bring police officers and medical attention to the scene. Speaking to a police officer will result in the creation of a police report, which will be a significant piece of evidence for your future case. If you do not know who the owner of the dog is, the police can also help you investigate and identify him or her.
Seek medical attention as soon as possible. Dogs can carry a lot of harmful bacteria in their mouths, which they can pass to our bloodstream via bites. Complications from dog bites include infections such as tetanus, rabies, and sepsis. The sooner you receive treatment, the greater chance you have of preventing these conditions. In addition, your medical records will provide a crucial piece of evidence for your case. If you feel that your wounds were not correctly treated, contact our personal injury lawyers in Bakersfield to discuss your case.
Identify any witnesses in the area and collect their contact information, provided that you can walk without further injury or pain. These witnesses can help provide testimony in your future claim.
After you seek treatment, contact Rodriguez & Associates as soon as possible to begin filing your lawsuit. In California, you have two years from the date of the dog bite to file your claim, or the civil court will refuse to hear your case. We can help you expedite the filing process so that you can claim the compensation you need to recover.

Injured by a Dangerous Dog? Contact One of Our Dog Bite Attorneys

We are available for weekend and evening appointments, charge no fee for consultations and speak both English and Spanish. To contact us, please call (661) 777-7575 or 800-585-9262 Toll-Free.