What Is The California Dog Bite Statute?

The California Dog Bite Statute is Civil Code Section 3342. It states:

3342. (a) The owner of any dog is liable for the damages suffered
by any person who is bitten by the dog while in a public place or
lawfully in a private place, including the property of the owner of
the dog, regardless of the former viciousness of the dog or the owner’
s knowledge of such viciousness. A person is lawfully upon the
private property of such owner within the meaning of this section
when he is on such property in the performance of any duty imposed
upon him by the laws of this state or by the laws or postal
regulations of the United States, or when he is on such property upon
the invitation, express or implied, of the owner.

Note that it does not matter whether the dog owner knew that her dog was vicious or not. Many people mistakenly believe that a dog owner has to know that her dog had a history of aggressive or vicious behavior. That is not the law. If someone’s dog bites you, your child, your loved one, the dog owner is liable for all of the damages that result from the bite. That could be the medical cost of caring for the wounds caused by the bite, plastic surgery to improve the appearance of any scarring, psychological counseling, loss of earnings and potentially family counseling if members of your family witnessed the dog bite. If you or a family are bitten by a dog then you need help in pursuing the full compensation for your harms and losses that have resulted from the bite. You need an attorney’s assistance to make sure that the dog owner’s insurance company adequately compensates you for your harms and losses.