Oakland Dog Bite Attorneys

The Oakland personal injury attorneys at Estey Bomberger understand that a child or loved one’s dog bite injury can be a traumatic and extremely painful experience. Our firm has come to the aid of many injured parties and helped them recover compensation for any expenses related to a dog bite injury. The Oakland dog bite attorneys at Estey Bomberger have more than 70 years of collective legal litigation experience and have recovered more than $100 million in verdicts and settlements for our clients’ injuries or wrongful death. Many of our personal injury clients have been victims of dog bites and animal attacks. We have recovered substantial compensation for victims' injuries, including money for medical expenses, plastic surgery costs, lost earnings, and pain and suffering.

Causes of Dog Bites and Animal Attacks

There are several contributing factors as to why a dog bites, including the dog’s breed, training and health. A dog’s breed is always of significance when investigating a dog bite attack. Several dog breeds are arguably born with an aggressive nature, including pit bulls, Rottweilers, Chows, American bulldogs and their mixes. These breeds account for a large number of attacks on humans, particularly pit bulls, who during a 3-year time period were responsible for 59 percent of the recorded 88 fatal dog attacks, according to Dogsbite.org. Unfortunately, some dog owners will train a dog to act vicious or aggressive, even if it is not inherent for a dog to behave that way. For a dog to bite when they are suffering from an injury or illness is also common. An illness or injury affects a dog’s mood and behavior drastically. To prevent a dog bite from happening, a sick dog should be kept at a distance from any new people or surroundings.

Types of Dog Bite Injuries

Injuries to the nose and mouth are common for a dog bite attack, especially for young children, whose size puts them face to face with a dog. Dogs can also pass deadly infections through their saliva, such as rabies, tenosynovitis (tendon inflammation) and sepsis. These potential infections are a serious concern when treating dog bite victims. Dog bite victims may sustain numerous serious injuries, including:

Bone fractures
Lacerations
Puncture wounds
Scarring
Bruises
Blindness
Nerve damage
Soft tissue damage
Brain injury
Salvatory gland damage
Post-traumatic stress disorder
Wrongful Death.

Children and Dog Bites

More than half of the 800,000 dog bite injuries each year are to children 10 years old and younger, reports the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC also recommends the following tips to help prevent a child from being bitten by a dog:

Do not leave a young child alone around a dog, not even the family dog.
Spay or neuter your dog (studies show that it reduces a dog’s aggressive tendencies).
Never let your child approach an unfamiliar dog.
If a dog is sleeping, eating or caring for puppies, do not disturb them.
Stay still if a dog approaches, do not run or scream from the dog.
Do not let your child play with a dog until it has seen and sniffed them first.
Do not let a child play, unsupervised, with a dog.
Immediately report a dog bite.

Recovering Compensation for Your Oakland Dog Bite Injuries

In California, the owner of a dog is responsible for injuries caused by their pets. If you or a loved one has been harmed by a dog, you may be entitled to compensation from the negligent or careless dog owner for your all expenses related to you or your child's accident, as well as damages for pain and suffering. To learn more about your legal rights following an animal attack, call an Oakland personal injury lawyer at Estey Bomberger to discuss your case and review your legal options. Fill out our online case evaluation form or call us at (510) 978-4380.