The Governor of California, Gavin Newsom recently passed AB 588 Dog Bite Bill. The move came soon after dogs of the German Shepherd and Pit Bull breeds offered for adoption at the shelters of Los Angeles Animal Services attacked people. It is now part of the California dog bite law.
The law applies to people who adopt dogs from animal shelters, humane societies or rescue groups, plus anybody who lives in a state community with dogs. AB 588 necessitates that every animal shelter and rescue group inform adopters of the dog’s bite past, and get a signed acknowledgement from the latter. In other words, the rescue group or animal shelter must get it in writing from the adopter that he or she is informed of the same.
It does not mandate telling animal aggression to individuals who adopt dogs. Therefore, one must ask whether the dog they are going to adopt have any aggressive behavior history.
Dangers Of Adopting Dogs Having Bite History
In California, strict liability applies to dog bite cases. So, whether or not the dog owner knew about the animal’s viciousness history, they would be liable for the bite-injury it causes. The victim might be eligible for compensation should the incident happened on public property or lawfully on private property. Should the injured party was found trespassing, then he or she might be unable to get compensation for damages.
Earlier, there was no other way for adopters to know whether dogs had any biting history. They just had to take the animal shelter or rescue group’s word for it. However, the recent law gives adopters that extra protection. The law makes so much sense that it makes us wonder why it was not in place some years ago.
When Should You Submit A Dog Bite Lawsuit?
There is a statute of limitations in California, which means a time limit on injury-related civil lawsuits. Under the statute, the injured party must submit the lawsuit within 24 months of the dog bite incident. Before that time, one must file it either on their own or through a dog bite lawyer, or else they will lose their right to do so.
Is your lawsuit against a county or city council in California? If yes, you must file a claim in court in six months after your dog bite, to arrive at a settlement before submitting a lawsuit.
To know more about personal injury law, you can just get in touch with Davidovich Law group who has dealt with a big number of various types of cases.