The Law Offices of Matthew J. Quinlan represents San Francisco children that have been injured in dog bites. Many times, these injuries involve your child’s face, leaving them with permanent disabilities or scarring. We understand the challenges of recovery and will handle your child’s claim while they focus on healing. Contact us today for a free consultation to learn how we can help you.

Should You Hire Our Lawyers?

Every dog bite situation is different, but whether or not you need our lawyers depends on how hurt your child is. Hopefully, their incident was only minor and won’t require our legal help. However, given that facial injuries are especially traumatic and damaging, our team can be a huge benefit to you and your family. Here’s how we can help:

• Investigating the incident
• Explaining your child’s legal options and rights
• Gathering evidence
• Negotiating with insurance companies and opposing lawyers
• Making things easier for you and your family
  
  

In a lot of ways, it’s harder to watch your child go through the trauma of a dog bite than it would be if it were you. But, just like any other injury victim, your child has certain legal rights in this situation.

Claims Process After Your Child is Bitten by a Dog

It’s worth repeating that your child has the exact same legal rights as any other injury victim in San Francisco. The one difference is that you will represent them in the claims process. At that point, it looks virtually the same as any other injury. The starting point is figuring out who’s responsible. In California, this is handled through our state’s “strict liability” statute. This means:

• The dog’s owner bears primary legal liability for any injuries or damage their dog causes.
  
  

So, while the owner of the dog is going to be the one with the primary responsibility of paying for your child’s damages, others can potentially share some liability (depending on the circumstances):
 

• The city, if the bite happens on a sidewalk or at a park
• Homeowners or landlords
• Store owners or managers
• Schools

While the concept of “comparative negligence” is in play–like if your child was unsupervised during the incident–you still retain the right to pursue a claim for damages on behalf of your child. Comparative negligence reduces any recovery based on your (or your child, in this case) percentage of fault in the incident.

Damages

When it comes to your child’s damages, it’s important to understand that the effects of the bite go beyond the immediate event. This is especially true when the injuries in question involve your child’s face.

Whether you’re pursuing an insurance claim or a lawsuit, here are the usual types of damages you can recover:

• Medical expenses
• Ongoing care requirements
• Scarring or disfigurement
• Property damage
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Diminished quality of life

In California, the deadline for filing an injury claim is usually two years from the accident date. But for children, the clock starts when they turn 18. So, if a child is bitten by a dog, they have until two years after turning 18 to begin the claim process. Acting promptly is still crucial to get financial help. But it’s also important to understand what types of facial injuries your child can experience.

Facial Injuries After a Dog Bite

The unfortunate reality is that your child is especially susceptible to a dog bite incident, no matter how experienced they are with dogs. There’s a variety of reasons for this, but given a child’s smaller stature and lack of observation in recognizing warning signs, it leads to bites.

Further, your child’s face and head are particularly vulnerable for these reasons. This often results in facial injuries like:

• Eye injuries – When the dog’s teeth come in contact with your child’s eye, it frequently leads to punctures or orbital fractures that affect their long-term vision.

• Cuts and lacerations – These can range from superficial cuts to deep lacerations depending on the force of the bite.
• Bruises – Areas of the face may become bruised due to the impact of the bite.
• Scrapes – Scrapes or abrasions may occur from the dog’s teeth or claws.
• Bite marks – The bite can also impact other areas of your child’s face, leaving them with scarring and disfigurement if it’s deep enough.
• Tissue damage – The bite can cause damage to muscles, skin, and other tissues in the face.
• Fractures – Severe bites can result in fractures of the facial bones, such as the jaw or cheekbone.
• Nerve damage – Injuries to facial nerves can occur, leading to numbness, weakness, or paralysis in certain areas of the face.

With these range of injuries, your child faces a long road to recovery, and possibly even permanent damage. This makes the damages that can be recovered all the more important. So, you need to do whatever you can to bolster your child’s claim. This includes taking the right steps after the dog bite itself.

What You Need to Do After Your Child is Bitten

When your child is bitten by a dog, you have to react quickly to get them out of harm’s way. But when the dog bite is on your child’s face, it’s even more important. Process-wise, this is also important for their potential claim. So, here’s what you need to do:

• Get medical care – Your first priority is getting immediate medical attention for your child and moving them away from the dog to a safe location. Whether by calling an ambulance or going to an emergency room or urgent care center, prompt medical care is crucial.
  
  
• Call animal control – Once your child’s medical needs are addressed, report the bite to the relevant authorities, such as the local police department or San Francisco Animal Care Control. They can investigate the incident and gather additional information about the dog.
  
  
• Find the owner – Take steps to find both the dog and its owner, getting their contact and insurance information. This information is vital for the claims process. If you’re uncomfortable or can’t find them, you can ask for help from the police or animal control.
  
  

• Document the scene – Collect evidence to support your child’s claim, including photographs of the injuries, the incident location, and statements from witnesses. This evidence can bolster your child’s case.
   

• Preserve evidence and track damages – Keep detailed records of your child’s medical treatment and expenses related to the dog bite, including hospital visits, surgeries, medications, and ongoing care. These records are crucial for accurately evaluating their damages. Also, don’t repair any damaged property right away.

Remember to remain calm and focus on your child’s health and safety throughout this process. You can lean on experienced professionals for guidance and support as you navigate through the recovery process.

Trust MJQ Law After a Child Dog Bite in San Francisco

Any time your child is injured in an accident is challenging, but this takes on new meaning when it involves your child’s face after a dog bite. Not only is physical recovery necessary, but these incidents take a toll on your child’s appearance and whole identity. At MJQ Law, you can trust our team of San Francisco child dog bite lawyers to help your family through this process. To learn more about you and your child’s legal options, contact us today for a free consultation.