Practice Area

Every year hundreds of thousands of people are bitten by dogs in the United States and oftentimes these bites result in serious injuries. In California, owners are, in most situations, strictly liable for injuries caused by their dogs and victims of dog bites are entitled to compensation for their injuries. As San Diego dog bite attorneys, we assist our clients in pursuing their claims from pre-lawsuit negotiations with the dog owners and their insurers through trial if necessary. Our objective as San Diego dog bite lawyers is to secure all available compensation for our clients. Unlike the law in some other states, there is no such thing as “one free bite” for dog owners in California. Owners and those charged with the handling of dogs are responsible at all times for controlling their dogs and are required to protect others from attack by their animals. This is true even if the dog has never shown signs of aggression and never bit someone before.

At Harrison Patterson & O’Connor, our San Diego dog bite lawyers understand that dog bites often result in significant physical and emotional injuries. In fact, attacks by dogs and other domesticated animals often result in serious injuries requiring extensive medical treatment and those injured are often entitled to compensation from owners, handlers and/or their insurers. While certain dog breeds may be more prone to attack, a dog of any breed can bite and a dog’s proclivity to bite is typically not the result of breeding or the dog’s nature. Instead, dog owners are often to blame and, regardless of blame, those owners are responsible for the actions of their pets. Whether it is a poodle or a pit bull, the owner is, in most cases, strictly liable for the injuries sustained by the victim. The reality of dog bite cases is that even seemingly benign pets can surprise their owners by suddenly deciding to snap and dogs that have never bitten before have bitten people with sometimes devastating consequences.

If you or your child has suffered harm because of a dog bite or animal attack, contact the greater Southern California and San Diego dog bite attorneys at Harrison Patterson & O’Connor. Our San Diego dog bite lawyers are thorough in our representation of all of our clients. If necessary, we will assist you in securing appropriate medical treatment and take all steps necessary to preserve pertinent evidence, investigate your claim and pursue monetary damages. Additionally, should litigation be required, our clients know that we are ready, willing and able to prosecute the matter in court and, if a favorable resolution is not possible, pursue the case through trial. Our goal is to secure maximum compensation for our clients for their damages, including medical expenses, lost wages and pain/suffering. In order to maximize this recovery, we urge those who have been injured as the result of a dog bite to discuss his/her case with a knowledgeable San Diego dog bite attorney who can explain your legal options. Should it, at that point, make sense for you to retain that San Diego dog bite attorney, we regularly accept the representation of personal injury clients on a contingent fee arrangement and often agree to advance costs. We are thus able to offer the highest level of legal representation with no up front, out-of-pocket expense to our clients.