Landlord Liability With a California Dog Bit Injury![A man riding a bicycle while two dogs chase after him]()
To be successful in proving liability against a landlord for a dog bite injury in California, you need to prove the following elements:
1. The landlord knew of the dog being on the premises of the property which they were renting to the owner of the dog;
2. The landlord also was aware of the dangerous propensities of the dog that caused the bite injury;
These elements can be difficult to prove due to the inefficiency of documenting evidence soon after a dog owned by a renter has bitten someone, causing bodily injury. Evidence is sometimes destroyed or rearranged, too. You must obtain all witness information quickly to help satisfy the elements against a landlord who knew a dangerous dog was living in their rented properties.
California law makes landlords take responsibility for the reasonable inspection of their properties. If a dangerous dog could have been discovered upon reasonable inspection, you still need to prove the landlord knew of the danger the dog posed being on said property. An experienced San Diego dog bite attorney can help with a case that involves a negligent landlord.