Steve Recordon

Steve Recordon, a California attorney with nearly 30 years of experience whose practice represents individuals who have been injured by dog bites, says that dog bite victims are entitled to many different types of damages. He explained:

Basically, any damages that you’ve suffered as a result of the injury are going to be covered. You have medical bills. In many cases, if the injury is serious, you have lost wages. Quite often, if there’s a dog bite, clothes have been destroyed or maybe the victim was wearing glasses and they where knocked to the ground and they were broken. You will have pain and suffering damages. There also may be damages based on fear as a result of the dog bite. That person may have fear that he or she will be attacked again and, as a result, may now be afraid of dogs or not go anywhere that dogs might be present. That’s all recoverable.

Punitive damages may also be available

Recordon says that punitive damages, those awarded to punish the dog owner, are available in any state. He provided the following example:

Let’s say that you’re walking by a house. There happens to be a Pit Bull there and the owner of the Pit Bull doesn’t like you or just wants to play games with you. He lets his dog out and tells his dog, ‘sick em, go get em.’ Damages in dog bite cases could be in the millions. Let’s say that a young professional is killed by a dog or a pack of dogs. The owner is going to be responsible for lost wages for the entire life of that professional, which an economist would determine, and that could be millions of dollars.

Beware of statutes of limitations

In order to be compensated for your injuries, you have to file a case within a certain time period. Statutes of limitation in a dog bite case parallel a personal injury case and states vary on those limitations. Recordon says that, in general, state statutes of limitation will range from six months to two years or beyond. California has a two year limit.

If you’ve been injured due to a dog bite, contact an attorney whose practice focuses in this area of law to discuss your situation. Consultations are free, without obligation and are strictly confidential. To speak with an experienced attorney, please click here.