Dog Bites

You Didn’t Ask for This. But You Deserve Justice.

A dog bite happens in seconds. No warning. No time to react. And in the aftermath, you are left with physical pain, emotional trauma, mounting medical bills, and an owner who may deny everything.

That is where we come in. At Ravan Law, a dog bite lawyer Los Angeles victims trust handles your case personally, from the first call to the final check. We know California’s dog bite law, we know how insurers try to shrink these claims, and we know the four different places your compensation can actually come from. You pay nothing unless we recover compensation for you.

If you or someone you love was bitten anywhere in Los Angeles County, this page explains exactly how your claim works, who can be held responsible, and the one deadline that can quietly end an otherwise strong case.

Dog Bite Lawyer Los Angeles: What California’s Law Actually Says

California is one of the strongest states in the country for dog bite victims, and it comes down to one rule: strict liability. Under California Civil Code Section 3342, a dog owner is liable for a bite that happens in a public place or while you are lawfully on private property, regardless of whether the dog had ever bitten before and regardless of whether the owner knew the dog was dangerous.

That last part is what makes California different. Many states follow a “one free bite” rule, where an owner escapes liability for the first bite unless they already knew the dog was dangerous. California rejects that entirely. Here, the first bite counts.

To win a strict liability claim, you only have to show three things:

• The person you are suing owned the dog
• The dog bit you
• You were in a public place, or lawfully on private property, when it happened

You do not have to prove the owner was careless. You do not have to dig up the dog’s history. The bite itself, in the right place, establishes responsibility. That is a powerful position for an injured person, and it is why a dog bite lawyer Los Angeles victims hire can often move straight to the question that really decides these cases: how much your injury is worth.

California Strict Liability vs. the One-Bite Rule

The Four Places Your Compensation Can Come From

Most pages about who is liable for a dog bite stop at the dog’s owner. That is a mistake, because the owner is often not the only party responsible, and sometimes not the one with the money to pay. A thorough dog bite lawyer Los Angeles families rely on looks at every possible source of recovery.

1. The Dog’s Owner

The primary defendant. Under Civil Code 3342, the owner is strictly liable, and their homeowner’s or renter’s insurance usually pays the claim.

2. The Owner’s Landlord

This is the source almost everyone misses, and it matters most when the owner is a tenant with no insurance and no assets. A landlord is not automatically liable the way an owner is, but under California case law, a residential landlord can be held responsible if two things are true: the landlord had actual knowledge that the tenant’s dog was dangerous, and the landlord had the power to prevent the harm, for example by requiring the tenant to remove the dog or by evicting them. This two-part test comes from Uccello v. Laudenslayer (1975) and Donchin v. Guerrero (1995).

The landlord’s knowledge does not have to be proven with a signed confession. Courts allow it to be shown through circumstantial evidence, prior complaints, a mail carrier’s testimony, or the landlord’s regular presence at the property. In Donchin, a landlord was potentially liable even though the attack happened blocks away, because the dogs had escaped the rental property. Commercial landlords are held to an even higher standard under Portillo v. Aiassa (1994): they have a duty to inspect and can be liable if they knew or reasonably should have known about a dangerous dog.

3. A Homeowner’s or Renter’s Insurance Policy

Most dog bite claims are actually paid by an insurance policy, not out of someone’s pocket. That is good news, but it comes with a catch: many insurers now exclude certain breeds, or exclude dog bites entirely, from their policies. Part of building your case is finding every policy that applies and fighting any attempt to deny coverage. This is exactly the kind of work you want an attorney handling before you talk to any adjuster.

4. A Government Entity

Here is something no other dog bite page in Los Angeles will tell you, and it is a core focus at Ravan Law. If a government entity is connected to your bite, say the dog belonged to a public agency, or an animal control failure or a dangerous condition on public property contributed to the attack, your claim may fall under California’s Government Claims Act. That triggers a much shorter deadline, covered below, and it is easy to miss. We look for it in every case. One important limit applies here: under California Civil Code 3342(b), a government agency is not strictly liable when a police or military dog bites while assisting in an apprehension or investigation, provided the bitten person was a suspect or participant and the agency has adopted a written policy governing that use. An innocent bystander bitten in the same incident is not covered by that exception and may still have a claim. Because these cases turn on their specific facts, we evaluate each one carefully.

When It Is Not a “Bite”: Injuries Outside Strict Liability

California’s strict liability statute is powerful but narrow, it applies to actual bites. If a large dog knocks you down, causes you to fall, or injures you without biting, Civil Code 3342 may not apply. That does not mean you have no case. These injuries can still be pursued under ordinary negligence, or under California’s common-law rule holding owners responsible for animals with known dangerous tendencies. The legal path is different, but the compensation can be just as real. An experienced attorney identifies which theory fits your facts.

The Defenses an Owner or Insurer Will Raise

Strict liability is strong, but it is not airtight. Expect the owner’s insurer to try one of these:

• Trespassing. Strict liability protects people who were lawfully present. If you were unlawfully on private property, the owner may argue the statute does not apply, though other claims can still exist.
• Provocation. If the insurer claims you teased, hit, or startled the dog, they will argue you caused the bite. Under California’s pure comparative fault rule, this reduces your recovery by your share of blame but does not necessarily erase it.
• The veterinarian’s rule. Professionals who accept the risk of bites as part of their job, veterinarians, groomers, kennel workers, may be barred from strict liability recovery while working.

Knowing which defense is coming, and how to answer it, is a large part of what a dog bite lawyer does.

What to Do After a Dog Bite in Los Angeles

The steps you take right after a bite directly affect the strength of your claim:

• Get medical care immediately. Even a small-looking bite can carry serious infection, including cellulitis and MRSA. Get examined and get it documented.
• Identify the dog and owner. Get the owner’s name, contact information, and proof of the dog’s rabies vaccination. Get witness information too.
• Report the bite. File a report with LA County Animal Care and Control or your local animal control. This creates an official record and may reveal a prior bite history that strengthens your case.
• Document everything. Photograph your injuries as they heal, the location, and anything relevant. Keep every medical record and note every missed workday.
• Do not talk to the owner’s insurer alone. Adjusters are trained to get statements that shrink your claim. Let your lawyer handle that conversation.
• Call a dog bite lawyer. Evidence disappears and witnesses forget. The sooner an attorney is involved, the stronger your claim.

How Much Is a Los Angeles Dog Bite Case Worth?

There is no single number, and any lawyer who promises one before reviewing your case is not being straight with you. What a case is worth depends on the severity of the injury, the permanence of any scarring, the insurance available, and the strength of the liability picture. What we can tell you is the categories of compensation that drive that value.

Economic damages cover the measurable costs:

• Emergency treatment, surgery, and reconstructive surgery for scarring
• Follow-up care, wound care, and physical therapy
• Lost wages and lost future earning capacity
• Ongoing medical needs for permanent injuries

Non-economic damages cover the human costs:

• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress and PTSD, which is common after an attack, especially in children
• Permanent scarring and disfigurement
• Loss of enjoyment of life, and the fear and anxiety that follow a mauling

In rare cases involving egregious conduct, punitive damages may be available under California Civil Code 3294, but only with clear proof of malice, oppression, or fraud. The honest answer to “how much” is that your case is worth the full, documented picture of what this has cost you, and building that picture properly is the difference between a lowball offer and full compensation.

The Deadline That Can End Your Case

For most dog bite claims, you have two years from the date of the bite to file a lawsuit under California’s statute of limitations. If the victim was a child, the deadline is generally paused until they turn 18.

But there is a critical exception. If a government entity is involved, the California Government Claims Act generally requires a formal written claim within just six months of the injury under Government Code 911.2. Miss that window and an otherwise strong claim can be barred permanently. This is one of the most common ways good cases are lost, and it is exactly why early legal evaluation matters. Do not wait.

How Ravan Law Builds Your Case

When you bring your case to Ravan Law, we leave nothing to chance:

• We investigate the dog’s history of prior attacks or aggression
• We identify every source of recovery, owner, landlord, insurer, and any government angle
• We evaluate whether the owner took reasonable precautions, proper leash, muzzle, secure fencing
• We gather the medical records that document the full extent of your injuries
• We bring in expert witnesses where needed to establish liability and damages

Every case is handled personally by attorney Ted H. Ravan. You will never be handed off to a case manager or left wondering what is happening with your claim.

Your Trusted Los Angeles Dog Bite Lawyer

At Ravan Law, we have built our reputation fighting for people hurt through no fault of their own. If you or someone you love was bitten by a dog in Los Angeles or anywhere in LA County, from residential neighborhoods and city parks to public transit areas, you deserve an attorney who will find every source of recovery, answer every insurer defense, and never settle for the first lowball offer.

Ted H. Ravan handles every case personally, because injured clients deserve a real attorney in their corner, not a case manager. Call today at (424) 465-2500 or book your free consultation online. You pay nothing unless we recover compensation for you.