Proving Damages in a California Dog Bite Case
All injuries stemming from a California dog bite require proof of damages in order to recover all damages you are entitled to under California law from an irresponsible dog owner. Most dog attacks result in puncture wounds, lacerations, and scarring that is visible. Dog leashes can also become entangled around your arm during the attack, causing strangulation wounds to nerves inside the body tissues. These injuries are often times permanent. Also, dog attacks can cause significant acute fright and long-term emotional trauma. Depending on the severity of the bite, placing your mental health at issue in a dog bite injury claim may be something to consider as you may need professional counseling and therapy after a dog attack. 
Recently, my client underwent several plastic surgeries on her right arm after a vicious dog attack. She most definitely needed counseling. My first reaction is to protect my client’s privacy as to any mental health concerns. However, on this particular bite, I had no hesitation that a jury would understand why she needed professional help as to her emotional trauma. Needless to say, it is much easier to support these types of damages in a dog bite injury case as opposed to other types of injuries. Mental health damages are much more serious than your garden's variety of pain and suffering damages, and they need to be proven by a licensed therapist in balance with the injuries sustained. An experienced San Diego dog bite lawyer will help guide you in this element of your damages claim.
All medical damages in a California dog bite case need to be supported by medical doctor documentation. Oftentimes, a dog bite injury only requires a few visits with a doctor. Nonetheless, an unsightly scar develops, and depending on its location and severity, a plastic surgeon may need to be retained to document any future scar revision surgery. We do this all the time in both children and adult dog bite cases. With children, it is more difficult because we don’t know how much the scar will affect the emotional development of the child as she or he grows older. Also, a child’s skin is still developing in comparison to an adult's. Most often, any future scar revision on a child may need to wait until after they are 18 years of age, depending on the severity of the injury.
In my legal practice, I sometimes employ bio-mechanical illustrations of injuries. This can be useful in both settlement demand packages and trial preparation. Medical chart notes, illustrations, professional medical experts, future medical prognosis, and documentation are all building blocks to establishing and proving damages have occurred in your dog bite injury case.
If you, or someone you know, has been injured in a California dog bite attack, first download my free injury guidebook. The book will let you know about what you can expect, your legal rights, and if you even need a lawyer for your dog bite.
If you have further questions or concerns and would like to speak to me for free, you can call me directly at (619) 813-7955. I will be more than happy to point you in the right direction for your injury case. Stay strong, Attorney Mark Blane.
