Los Angeles Dog Bite Lawyer

California leads the country in dog bite insurance claims. In 2025, insurers handled 2,830 dog bite claims in California, more than any other state, at an average of $81,789 per claim. Behind those numbers are deep puncture wounds, infections, nerve damage, scars, and, for many people, a lasting fear of dogs. California law is on the victim’s side: a dog’s owner is generally responsible for a bite even if the dog never bit anyone before.

Los Angeles dog bite lawyer Jon Olsson represents people bitten or attacked by dogs across Los Angeles County and the South Bay, and he handles each case personally. The consultation is free, and you owe no attorney’s fee unless we recover compensation for you.

Dog Bite Claims in California: Key Facts

• Strict liability: the owner is liable for a bite in a public place or where you were lawfully on private property, regardless of the dog’s history (Civ. Code § 3342).
• The skin doesn’t have to be broken for the rule to apply (CACI No. 463, citing Johnson v. McMahan (1998) 68 Cal.App.4th 173).
• Who usually pays: the owner’s homeowner’s or renter’s insurance, whose liability limits are typically $100,000 to $300,000.
• Deadline to sue: generally two years from the bite (CCP § 335.1); a claim against a public agency is generally due within six months (Gov. Code § 911.2).
• Reporting: in most of Los Angeles County, bites are reported to the County’s Veterinary Public Health program, and the dog is quarantined for at least 10 days.
• Cost: no attorney’s fee unless we recover compensation for you.

California’s Strict Liability Rule for Dog Bites

Under Civil Code § 3342, the owner of a dog is liable when the dog bites someone who is in a public place or lawfully on private property, including the owner’s own property. It doesn’t matter whether the dog had bitten before or whether the owner knew it could be dangerous. As California’s jury instructions put it, owners “can be held responsible for the harm from a dog bite, no matter how carefully they guard or restrain their dogs” (CACI No. 463).

To win a claim under the statute, you generally need to show:

1. The defendant owned the dog.
2. The dog bit you while you were in a public place or lawfully on private property.
3. You were harmed.
4. The bite was a substantial factor in causing your harm.

Under California’s jury instructions, you were lawfully on the owner’s private property if you were “performing any duty required by law” or were “on the property at the invitation, express or implied, of the owner” (CACI No. 463).

What this means for you: you don’t have to prove the owner was careless, and you don’t have to find earlier victims. The questions in most dog bite cases are who owned the dog, how badly you were hurt, and which insurance policy pays.

When the Strict Liability Rule Doesn’t Apply

• Trespassers. Someone who wasn’t lawfully on the property generally can’t use the statute (CACI No. 463).
• Veterinarians and kennel workers. People whose job is caring for dogs generally assume the risk of being bitten (Priebe v. Nelson (2006) 39 Cal.4th 1112).
• Police and military dogs. Government agencies are exempt in certain situations, such as when a police dog bites a suspect it’s helping apprehend (Civ. Code § 3342).
• Injuries without a bite. If a dog knocked you down or chased you into the street, the statute doesn’t apply, but you may still recover by showing the owner knew or should have known of the dog’s dangerous tendencies, or was careless (CACI No. 462).

The owner can also argue that you were partly at fault, for example by provoking the dog, which can reduce what you recover.

Can a Landlord Be Responsible for a Tenant’s Dog?

Sometimes. A landlord can be liable if the landlord knew or must have known a tenant’s dog was dangerous, could have taken reasonable steps to prevent the attack, and didn’t (CACI No. 1013, added in July 2025). The landlord must have had the right to have the dog removed, such as under the lease (Uccello v. Laudenslayer (1975) 44 Cal.App.3d 504). A landlord’s liability insurance can add another source of payment when the owner’s coverage is small or missing.

How Homeowner’s and Renter’s Insurance Covers Dog Bites

Most dog bite claims are paid by insurance, not out of the owner’s pocket. The liability section of a homeowner’s or renter’s policy usually covers a bite up to the policy’s limit, typically $100,000 to $300,000; the owner is personally responsible for anything above that.

Source: Insurance Information Institute and State Farm.

A few things to know about coverage:

• Renters are often covered too. A renter’s policy includes liability coverage that works much like a homeowner’s policy for a dog bite.
• Coverage can have gaps. After a bite, an insurer may exclude the dog from coverage, raise the premium, or decline to renew, and some insurers won’t cover certain breeds at all (Insurance Information Institute). Finding out early what coverage existed on the day of the bite matters.
• More than one policy can apply. Depending on where the bite happened, a landlord’s or a business’s liability policy may also be involved.
• Get the owner’s information at the scene: name, address, phone number and, if possible, the insurance company.

In most cases the owner’s insurer handles the claim and pays any settlement. Many people hesitate to make a claim against a neighbor, friend, or relative; in practice, the claim is usually resolved with their insurer.

How to Report a Dog Bite in the South Bay

There are two separate reports, and they do different things.

1. The bite report (for rabies control). In Los Angeles County, anyone with knowledge of a bite may report it to the County’s Veterinary Public Health program online or at (213) 288-7060; doctors and animal control agencies file most reports. Long Beach, Pasadena, and Vernon handle their own bite reports. A biting dog is quarantined for at least 10 days, usually at the owner’s home.

2. The animal control report (for a dangerous dog). A bite report alone doesn’t mark a dog as dangerous. If you believe the dog is a danger to others, the County says to file a separate report with the local animal control agency:

Call 911 if an attack is happening or someone is badly hurt. Both reports also create an official record of the bite, which helps your claim.

What to Do After a Dog Bite

1. Get medical care, even for a bite that seems minor. Dog bites can become infected, and a doctor’s record documents the injury from the start.
2. Identify the dog and its owner: names, address, phone number, insurance company, and whether the dog’s rabies vaccination is current.
3. Report the bite to Veterinary Public Health and, if the dog may be dangerous, to local animal control.
4. Photograph your injuries right away and as they heal, along with torn clothing and the place where it happened.
5. Get witnesses’ names and phone numbers, and ask nearby homes or businesses to keep any video.
6. Talk to a lawyer before giving the owner’s insurer a recorded statement or signing anything.

What Compensation Can You Recover After a Dog Bite?

• Medical costs: emergency care, surgery, infection treatment, and future care such as scar revision
• Lost income: time missed from work and any reduced ability to earn
• Pain and suffering: physical pain, scarring and disfigurement, and emotional distress, including fear and anxiety after an attack

Why Jon’s Corporate Defense Experience Helps Your Dog Bite Claim

Jon spent the early part of his career on the other side of injury cases, so he knows how insurers and their lawyers will size up your claim. Before founding Olsson Law, he spent six years at a large international law firm defending companies in complex litigation, including serious injury and product liability matters. He then joined a Los Angeles personal injury firm, where he represented injured people in motor vehicle collisions, dangerous property conditions, public entity cases, and disputed liability matters. That background tells him what evidence moves a defense lawyer, and what they look for to justify paying less.

Jon stays directly involved from your first consultation through the resolution of your case, and works to reduce medical bills and liens so more of any settlement goes to you.

• Education: Georgetown University Law Center (J.D.); New York University (B.A.)
• Bar admissions: California, Texas, and Massachusetts
• Community: member of the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles County Bar Association, and the South Bay Bar Association

Prior Results

• $3.85 million: wrongful death settlement
• $700,000: car accident, back and neck injuries
• $400,000: slip and fall, knee injury

These results include matters personally handled by Jon Olsson at prior law firms and matters in which he participated as part of a legal team. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

Read more about Jon Olsson, our approach, and prior results.

Los Angeles Dog Bite Lawyer FAQs

The Dog Never Bit Anyone Before. Is the Owner Still Responsible?

Yes, if you were in a public place or lawfully on private property. California’s dog bite statute applies regardless of the dog’s history or what the owner knew.

The Bite Didn’t Break My Skin. Do I Still Have a Claim?

You may. California courts have held that the skin doesn’t have to be broken for the dog bite statute to apply. Bruising, crushing injuries, and falls during an attack can all cause real harm.

A Dog Knocked Me Down but Didn’t Bite Me. Can I Recover?

Possibly, but not under the strict liability statute, which covers bites. You would generally need to show the owner knew or should have known the dog had dangerous tendencies, or was careless, for example by letting it run loose.

I Was Bitten by a Friend’s or Neighbor’s Dog. Will I Have to Sue Them?

Usually the claim is handled by their homeowner’s or renter’s insurer, which pays any settlement up to the policy limit. Most are resolved without a trial.

How Long Do I Have to File a Dog Bite Claim?

Generally two years from the bite to file a lawsuit. If a public agency is involved, such as a bite from a police dog, a written claim is generally due within six months. Evidence like video and witness memories fades quickly, so act early.

How Much Does a Los Angeles Dog Bite Lawyer Cost?

You pay nothing to start. Our fee is a set share of any recovery, so if nothing is recovered, there’s no attorney’s fee. By law, that fee agreement has to be in writing (Bus. & Prof. Code § 6147).

Talk to a Los Angeles Dog Bite Lawyer

If you or your child was bitten by a dog, call Jon Olsson at (310) 304-4756 or contact us online for a free consultation. You owe no attorney’s fee unless we recover compensation for you.

Jon represents dog bite victims throughout Los Angeles County, including Torrance, Redondo Beach, Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, El Segundo, Palos Verdes, San Pedro, Carson, and Gardena. Learn more about personal injury claims.

This page provides general information about dog bite claims in California. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Deadlines and rules can change and may depend on the facts of your case.