One of the most common causes of personal injuries is dog bites. Note that even though the dog owner trains their furry friends to be obedient and well-behaved, they are likely to snap and attack an innocent person under certain circumstances. After all, they are wild by nature and you cannot predict their behavior. Sadly, children are more susceptible to dog bites. This is mainly because of their small size. Note that their neck and torso are closer to the teeth of a dog making their injuries worse. In fact, many children have died out of dog bites in California.
Dog Bites and Children
In case your child gets involved in a dog bite accident, give immediate medical assistance to your kid and then, consult a credible dog bite attorney to file a dog bite claim against the dog owner. Note that California boasts a strict liability policy and hence, the owners are held liable for the accidents caused by their dogs. The victim will not have to prove their innocence or the liability of the defendant in court.
Rather, just illustrating the dog bite incident will be enough to obtain a fair dog bite settlement from the defendant. However, things will be different if the victim is also equally liable for the dog bite. For instance, if your child provoked the dog that led to the accident, if your kid went to the dog ignoring the warning signs, etc. In such cases, your compensation amount will be reduced based on your share of fault.
Which Dogs Bite the Most?
Many studies conducted in the field claim that Labrador retrievers bite the most when compared to Rottweilers and German Shepherds. Similarly, most teenage victims in the United States are bitten by Pitbulls and children younger than 3 are mostly bitten by Shih-Tzus. Some studies also claim that Chihuahuas bite frequently. However, the bottom line is that even though the breed of a dog is a major factor in case of such incidents, the upbringing of the dog is even more determinative. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, below is the list of most dangerous dog breeds.
- Pitbull
- Rottweiler
- German shepherd
- Wolf hybrid
- Siberian Huskey
- Bullmastiff
- Boxer
- Alaskan malamute
- Great Dane
Note that most insurance companies in California tend to exclude the dog breeds that are certified to be dangerous by the authorities from their homeowners’ policies. Hence, if the dog of the defended belongs to any of those categories, the defendant will have to provide compensation to the victim from their personal assets.