California Dog Bite Law

California Dog Bite Law

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Understanding dog bite laws is important and the California Dog Bite Law is very cut and dry.  The California Civil Code 3342 is a strict liability statute.  This statute means that the owner of the dog in question is responsible regardless if the owner was aware of, or knew about the dog’s dangerous or ill mannered  nature and behavior, to include any previous history of biting people and or interacting with people in an aggressive way.

The California Dog Bite Law states:

3342.  

(a) The owner of any dog is liable for the damages suffered by any person who is bitten by the dog while in a public place or lawfully in a private place, including the property of the owner of the dog, regardless of the former viciousness of the dog or the owner’s knowledge of such viciousness. A person is lawfully upon the private property of such owner within the meaning of this section when he is on such property in the performance of any duty imposed upon him by the laws of this state or by the laws or postal regulations of the United States, or when he is on such property upon the invitation, express or implied, of the owner.

(b) Nothing in this section shall authorize the bringing of an action pursuant to subdivision (a) against any governmental agency using a dog in military or police work if the bite or bites occurred while the dog was defending itself from an annoying, harassing, or provoking act, or assisting an employee of the agency in any of the following:

(1) In the apprehension or holding of a suspect where the employee has a reasonable suspicion of the suspect’s involvement in criminal activity.

(2) In the investigation of a crime or possible crime.

(3) In the execution of a warrant.

(4) In the defense of a peace officer or another person.

(c) Subdivision (b) shall not apply in any case where the victim of the bite or bites was not a party to, nor a participant in, nor suspected to be a party to or a participant in, the act or acts that prompted the use of the dog in the military or police work.

(d) Subdivision (b) shall apply only where a governmental agency using a dog in military or police work has adopted a written policy on the necessary and appropriate use of a dog for the police or military work enumerated in subdivision (b).

(Amended by Stats. 1988, Ch. 298, Sec. 1.) Source: http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=3342.&lawCode=CIV

With a FREE Consultation, Balali Law will sit down with you and discuss in detail how California Dog Bite Laws pertain to your case and how we can build a proper and aggressive defense to represent you. CALL NOW: (310) 431-9774 or via social media.

 

The Law Office of Mark Balali