Child & Jackson can help you and your family through the claims process after an injury from a dog bite in Folsom. As a parent, few things are scarier than when your child is the one that’s injured after a dog bite, Yet, children can be especially vulnerable to bites and injuries. No matter what the situation is, our team will be there to help you through it. Set up a free consultation today.
Do We Need a Lawyer?
After a dog bites your child in Folsom, you’re not thinking about getting a lawyer. Your focus rightly is on getting them medical care and helping them feel safe again. But between doctor visits, worried family members, and a scared child, the last thing you need is the added stress of dealing with insurance companies or trying to keep up with everything.
So while you don’t technically need a lawyer, having one in this situation makes things a lot easier. Our team at Child & Jackson can help you and your child by:
- Looking into exactly what happened and figuring out who might be responsible for your child’s injuries
- Explaining how California’s dog bite laws apply to your situation and what legal options your family has
- Gathering all the important information and evidence
- Handling the insurance company so you can focus on helping your child get better
At the end of the day, that’s really our goal. We take care of the legal process while you take care of your child.
What Happens When Your Child is Bitten by a Dog in Folsom?
A dog bite can happen for a lot of different reasons, but when your child is involved, it becomes extremely personal. Part of that has to do with the typical injuries that come from this kind of situation. But it’s also about the physical nature of the bite and how it impacts a smaller child differently than an adult. We typically see things like:
- Deep bite wounds to your child’s face, neck, arms, or legs
- Permanent scarring or disfigurement, especially from facial injuries
- Broken bones, torn muscles, or nerve damage
- Serious infections if wounds aren’t treated quickly
- Anxiety, nightmares, or a lasting fear of dogs
- In rare cases, diseases like rabies
Your child’s physical injuries are only part of what they’re left dealing with. Most children continue dealing with psychological and emotional trauma long after these physical injuries have healed in the weeks or even months after the bite itself. But regardless of your child’s injuries, one thing that’s going to be important is information.
Information That Can Help Your Child’s Dog Bite Claim
No parent wants to go through a situation where their child gets bitten by a dog. But in Folsom, it unfortunately happens more often than we’d like. And once it does happen, the first priority is getting your child to safety and getting them medical care. Once you’re away from the dog, though, it’s a good time to try to get basic details like:
- The dog owner’s name and contact information.
- Pictures/videos of your child’s injuries, the dog, or where the bite happened.
- Contact information for anyone who saw the bite.
It’s true that your child’s safety is the number one priority, but it’s equally important to make sure that you report the dog bite to Folsom Animal Services so they can investigate and find more information about the dog’s history. And in the days/weeks following the bite, there’s more information that will start coming in:
- Medical records that show your child’s treatment and recovery
- The report from Animal Services
- Follow-up appointments, therapy records, or counseling records
- Pictures showing how your child’s injuries heal over time
- Receipts and bills related to your child’s medical treatment
- Information about any ongoing emotional or psychological effects your child is going through
Don’t worry if you aren’t able to get everything yourself. Your focus should be your child. Our team can help gather additional evidence and fill in the gaps.
Who’s Responsible When My Child is Bitten by a Dog in California?
When it comes to legal responsibility for a dog bite, Folsom is like any other city in California in that it follows “strict liability.” That generally means a dog owner is:
- Responsible if their dog bites someone in a public place or while they’re lawfully on private property—even if the dog has never bitten anyone before.
In some situations, though, other people or organizations can share responsibility with the owner. It depends on where the bite actually happened, but it could bring in:
- Apartment complexes or landlords in certain situations.
- Schools or daycare centers.
- Businesses that allow dogs on the property.
- Property owners hosting events.
- Dog walkers, pet sitters, or others responsible for controlling the dog.
So, while responsibility is largely going to fall on the dog’s owner, the details about what happened are also important. That’s why it can be helpful to look at where these kinds of things happen.
Where Do Child Dog Bites Usually Happen in Folsom?
This probably isn’t all that surprising, but a child can be bitten by a dog just about anywhere they come into contact with one. Still, there are certain places around Folsom where these kinds of situations are simply more likely because that’s where kids and dogs regularly cross paths, like:
- Homes and apartment complexes. A lot of child dog bites happen with a dog the family already knows. Your child could be visiting a friend’s house, playing with neighbors, or walking through an apartment community when a dog gets startled, protective, or isn’t properly leashed.
- Parks and outdoor spaces. Places like Livermore Community Park, Folsom City Lions Park, and other neighborhood parks are where families spend a lot of their time. You’ll see kids playing, people walking their dogs, and families enjoying the outdoors. But like any situation, all it takes is one wrong move to result in your child getting hurt.
- Neighborhood trails and sidewalks. Folsom’s trail system is one of the city’s biggest draws. Whether you’re walking near the American River, riding bikes, or just heading through your neighborhood, it’s common to run into dogs along the way.
- Dog-friendly restaurants and businesses. More businesses than ever welcome dogs on patios and outdoor shopping areas. That’s great for pet owners, but it also means children and unfamiliar dogs are sharing the same space more often.
Obviously, a child can be bitten by a dog just about anywhere in Folsom. What’s important isn’t so much where it happened—it’s knowing what your options are afterward.
Options to File a Claim After My Child is Bitten by a Dog
For as traumatic as a dog bite is when your child is involved, the law looks at them the same as any other dog bite victim. The main difference is that you (or some other adult guardian) has to file the claim on the child’s behalf. From there, it works the same way as any other injury claim, where you have two main options:
- An insurance claim outside of court
- A personal injury lawsuit
With either option, your child’s damages are going to be made up of things that relate to their:
- Current and future medical expenses
- Plastic or reconstructive surgery
- Counseling or mental health treatment
- Lost income if you had to miss work caring for your child
- Pain and suffering.
- Emotional distress
- Permanent scarring or disfigurement
When there’s an injury claim involving a minor, there’s still a two-year deadline, it just doesn’t kick in until our child turns 18. Even so, it’s usually better to try to file sooner rather than later. Witnesses become harder to locate, evidence can disappear, and memories naturally fade over time.
Get Help From Our Folsom Child Dog Bite Lawyers
No parent expects an ordinary day at Livermore Community Park, Folsom City Lions Park, Historic Folsom, or even in their own neighborhood to end with a trip to the emergency room because of a dog attack.
If your child has been bitten by a dog in Folsom, you don’t have to figure everything out on your own. Our team of dog bite lawyers at Child & Jackson can answer your questions and guide you through the claims process while your family focuses on your child’s recovery. Contact us today for a free consultation to learn how we can help your family move forward.