How To Report A Dog Bite To Animal Control In San Bernardino County

Sadly, dog bites occur daily in San Bernardino County, but many are not reported or adequately treated. Victims think that a minor dog bite, one with little bleeding or tissue damage, is not worth the time to report it or seek proper medical care. However, those are also often the victims who suffer the most severe infections.

It is critical to understand that legally, a dog bite does not need to cause bleeding, puncture the skin, or cause visible tissue damage. The harm could be caused by the pressure of the dog’s jaw, which causes nerve damage, the injuries from the victim falling and hitting their head, or countless other scenarios. However, you should also understand that even a tiny puncture from a dog’s tooth can result in a severe infection such as staph, strep, or cellulitis that could become life-threatening without proper medical treatment. The bacteria in a dog’s saliva is not harmful to them. But even a microscopic amount in a wound can kill a human. It is always wise to seek a medical evaluation of any dog bite, even if you feel it is minor.

While it is always recommended to have a dog bite evaluated by a medical professional, if the injury is not severe, you might opt to clean the wound yourself and make an appointment to see a doctor later in the day or in the coming days. If this is your choice, it is critical you correctly clean and dress the dog bite wound to decrease the potential of an infection. The advised cleaning process for a dog bite wound is:

• Flush the wound and surrounding area with warm water for five to ten minutes
• Carefully wash the wound with mild soap and thoroughly rinse with warm water
• Using a clean bandage, apply gentle pressure to stop any bleeding
• Coat the wound with an antibiotic cream or ointment
• Cover the wound with a clean, dry bandage
• Monitor the wound site for additional swelling, discharge, redness, or increased pain, which would indicate an infection – if you discover any of these signs of infection, seek immediate medical treatment for the wound

You can never predict how a person will react when they are asked to take responsibility for harm caused by a dog bite. Nor can you foresee a dog bite becoming infected and requiring costly medical care. So, it is always prudent to protect yourself and gather as much information as possible after suffering a dog bite. Not only will the details you gather be helpful in completing your dog bite report, but they could be essential if you are forced to pursue legal action. The information to gather includes:

• Pictures of your wounds immediately after the dog bite, as well as any other injuries you suffered due to the incident
• List any issues or symptoms you suffer that might not be visible, such as a headache or sore back if you feel when attacked by the dog
• Get a picture of the dog if possible and create a detailed description that includes the breed, size, color, any identifying markings, and tags and collar description
• Contact information for the owner, if available, or a possible location where the dog lives
• Contact information for all witnesses of the dog bite
• Copies of all your medical records for the incident, receipts, invoices, and a list of all work hours missed due to the injuries you suffered and medical appointments for those injuries

Fortunately, California is a strict liability state related to dog bites. The law states that a dog owner is financially responsible for the harm and damage caused by their dog. The only exceptions are when the dog bites a person who is abusing or hurting it or if the victim is illegally on the property when bit by the dog. For example, you are not liable for the expenses of a burglar who is breaking into your home and is bitten by your dog. It is also noteworthy that these laws apply to public and private property. Reach out to DTLA Law Group to learn more about seeking the compensation owed to you after a San Bernardino Dog Bite.

Your allowable expenses and losses will determine the value of your dog bite lawsuit. The typical items included in calculating the value are:

• All medical costs
• Any lost income
• The replacement cost of damaged or destroyed personal property
• All legal costs
• Possible pain and suffering compensation

Victims have two years from the date of their dog bite injuries to file a claim with the court against the dog owner. If you have not pursued legal action, then you will lose the right to seek compensation for the losses and harm caused by that particular event. Please also know that the court’s workload and the defendant’s actions can impact the time it will take your legal team to resolve your dog bite lawsuit.

The DTLA Law Group is proud to offer superior legal services and exceptional compensation amounts to our valued dog bite clients. You will also be pleased to learn that we never ask for any upfront legal fees. We only get paid after you have compensation to cover your legal costs. Finally, you owe us nothing if we fail to win your case and secure compensation.

Please make the time at your earliest convenience to contact DTLA Law Group to speak to a seasoned San Bernardino dog bite attorney to discuss your case. You deserve to have the stress of mounting financial concerns created by the dog bite eliminated so you can focus on healing.

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