In fact, did you know that California processes more dog bite claims than any other state in the U.S.? They also process claims with the highest average payment – about $59,560 per instance. According to the Insurance Information Institute, over $120 million in settlements were paid for the 2,2026 claims recorded in 2021.

Reasons Why a Dog May Bite

Dog bites, despite their appearance to the contrary, do not happen without reason. You can form several scenarios of why a dog may decide to bite a stranger or even someone familiar to them. 

Injuries, as well, can turn into full-blown infections. This can easily occur if you don’t pay enough attention to the wound or to some of the indicators that warn that a bite may be imminent. 

Warnings that Signal a Dog Is Ready to Bite

For example, before biting someone, a dog will make noises or gestures–snarling, growling, barking, or snapping to express their fear or reason for the attack.

In addition, dogs may also bare their teeth. 

Therefore, bites may happen for the following reasons:

Fear

Fear is a common underlying reason for canine aggression. A dog may feel threatened if you access its personal space. They may resort to biting if they feel terrified or have reached their threshold of tolerance. Biting presents a way for the dog to place a distance between itself and its detractor.

Alarm

Dogs may also bite if they feel alarmed. For example, a dog will bite if it is disturbed during sleep, or it feels anxious or confused. It may also resort to biting if it is unsure of its environment. An older dog is especially vulnerable to this behavior if it has reduced vision. Never try to rouse a sleeping dog and tell your small children not to climb into dog beds.

Guarding

A dog may bite if it is worried about losing a prized toy or scrap of food that it has been guarding. Dogs, regardless of the breed, may also bite if they think their home is being invaded or they fear for a family member’s safety even if the danger isn’t real.

Stress and Frustration

Dogs may also bite when feeling stressed or frustrated. These levels rise sometimes when a dog is leashed or cannot get to something it wants. In turn, the dog may attack or bite anyone they think is holding them back. This is referred to as a “redirected bite.”

Pain

If a dog gets injured or is feeling sick, it may feel anxious and fearful. Even the most gentle dog, when in agony or pain, may resort to biting. Therefore, you may need to be extra cautious if you’re moving an injured dog. 

Play

Most people don’t think much of playful biting. However, this type of mouthiness during play can also lead to a serious injury. While dogs typically like to roughhouse with humans and other dogs, even play-biting can lead to an unwanted injury.

What the Law Says About Dog Bite Injuries in California

If a dog bites you in California, you have a good chance of winning a dog bite personal injury claim. That is because California, unlike other states, does not follow a one-bite rule of law. 

Instead, the state upholds a strict liability rule for any injury caused by a dog. Even if the dog has never bit someone or shown any aggression in the past, the owner is responsible for paying for any ensuing damages.

On the other hand, the one-bite rule follows the assumption that the owner should have known the animal might act in a harmful or dangerous manner. Therefore, the animal can have one free bite, but after that, the owner is responsible for any aggression or viciousness the animal displays.

What Should You Do If You’re Bitten by a Dog

If you’re attacked or bitten by a dog, seek medical attention immediately. This will help establish that the dog bit you and caused your injuries. You should also contact a personal injury attorney who specializes in dog bite cases. Take pictures of your injuries. 

The sooner you act, the easier it will be to provide the details of your case and more quickly receive a settlement.

Contact the Law Firm of Jance M. Weberman Right Away

To learn more about where you stand in a dog bite claim, contact us, the law firm of Jance M. Weberman today. Call (213) 386-9100 or contact us through the contact form for further details or to arrange a consultation.

The post Dog Bite Claims: Why Dogs Bite and What to Do If You’re Bit appeared first on Jance Weberman | Winning Los Angeles Lawyer.

Anyone may suffer from injuries caused by slip and fall accidents although they can be especially dangerous for the elderly. If you are one in this group who experienced this kind of accident in your Senior Care Home, it’s recommended to get in touch with a slip and fall lawyer immediately.

Report the incident

Anybody can file a complaint about abuse, neglect, or unsafe conditions, including poor care and understaff in nursing or senior care homes. In these facilities, there can be many reasons why you might experience a slip or a fall.

In some cases, there is no one to blame while in others, the nursing home itself or its staff might have done something they shouldn’t have or have failed to do something they should. If you get injured because of a slip and fall accident, the first thing you must do before contacting an accident lawyer in LA is to report to the authorities.

Find out the cause

Experienced lawyers will investigate the details of your claim thoroughly to determine why you fell and whether the senior home or its staff didn’t provide adequate care.

Slip and fall lawyers have the knowledge and experience in representing residents of nursing homes in different injury cases caused by slips or falls. Many of these accidents involve frail patients who try to walk by themselves because they don’t get any response from the staff after pushing a button for assistance.

In some cases, the staff might forget to put up your bed rails or attach safety restraints, which might have caused you to fall off the bed. The most common injuries caused by slip and fall accidents are broken legs, hip fractures, head trauma, or broken wrists. In addition, your suffering can worsen since older people heal slowly. In some cases, you might even be too weak to withstand the surgery that you need for your injury.

Don’t give in

When an injury caused by a slip and fall accident happens, one significant legal concept that will come into play is “comparative negligence.” Here, any damages you will receive will depend on how much of the accident is your fault. In most cases, the defendants in a slip and fall case will be very quick to lay the blame on the victim.

They can say that you should have seen the hazard or that you shouldn’t have been in the area where you fell. At this point, it becomes very important to contact an accident attorney LA immediately instead of giving in to settlements suggested by the staff in your nursing home.

Contact a lawyer now

The fact is, slip and fall accidents shouldn’t happen as these can have a serious impact on your life. Sad to say, no matter what precautions are in place, accidents may still occur. If you are a resident of the Los Angeles area and you need a lawyer, can contact us at Jance Weberman Law. We have a staff of experienced slip and fall lawyers who will answer any inquiries about your case. Call us today at (213) 386-9100 for an appointment.

The post LA Attorney on Slip and Fall Injuries in Senior Care Homes appeared first on Jance Weberman | Winning Los Angeles Lawyer.

The police have the right to carry out their duties but there are limits to how far they can go to do their duty and uphold the law. Abuse of police power is a serious matter.

When police are brutal or ignore your civil rights, they are undermining the Constitution. You may be able to file a police misconduct lawsuit in Los Angeles to clear your name, make them liable for their actions and recover damages you’ve incurred.

Forms of Police Misconduct Lawsuits

Police misconduct comes in many forms. If you’ve experienced it in the following forms, filing a police misconduct lawsuit is an option:

• The use of unnecessary force
• Failure to read you the Miranda rights
• False imprisonment
• Illegal searches
• Seizing of property unrelated to a crime
• Planting evidence

It can be difficult to sue the police because of certain legal protections that apply to them. The idea is that police have a difficult job to do and they shouldn’t have to constantly worry about being subjected to lawsuits.

They have a certain type of immunity which generally insulates them from lawsuits. This immunity does not apply if you can show that they acted in an unreasonable manner. Negligence is not enough to overcome immunity.

If you want to sue the police for harassment or discrimination, you need to show a pattern of behavior. One incident isn’t enough. If you want to sue for false arrest, you need to show that the police did not have sufficient evidence to warrant the arrest. If you want to sue for excessive force, you will need to show that the amount of force used in the situation was unnecessary.

How to file a case

It is important to speak to a civil rights attorney as soon as possible if you want to file a case. As the above information indicates, these cases are complex and can be difficult to try in court.

An attorney who has considerable experience in dealing with such cases is preferable. If you have been charged with a crime as part of the incident, such as resisting arrest, your case is even more complex. An attorney will help you to navigate the case and the criminal charge.

An attorney usually conducts an independent investigation to find out as many details as possible to build a solid case. Interviewing witnesses, checking medical reports and more is all part of this process. They may ask if you took any photos and have kept any clothing or objects damaged by the police in the incident.

If you sue and win, you will be awarded compensation as restitution for the violation of your rights, and any physical or emotional injuries. The court may also require payment of punitive damages as punishment for the misconduct.

If you’re concerned about costs, you can ask the attorney you meet with if he or she will accept a contingency fee. This means the attorney will only get paid if you win.

At Weberman Law Office we do everything we can to make a difficult situation as painless as possible. Our team has an excellent track record in police misconduct lawsuit in Los Angeles,  and many years of experience in this area of the law. Call us at (310)396-0731 for a free initial consultation.

The post How to File a Police Misconduct Lawsuit in Los Angeles appeared first on Jance Weberman | Winning Los Angeles Lawyer.