San Francisco Dog Bite & Animal Attacks Lawyer

Angry dog Dog bites and animal attacks can be traumatic, leaving victims with serious physical injuries, emotional distress, and steep medical bills. Whether you’re recovering from wounds, facing reconstructive surgery, or dealing with the emotional impact, the aftermath can feel overwhelming. At Callaway & Wolf, we understand how these attacks can disrupt your life.

Callaway & Wolf is dedicated to representing victims of dog bites and animal attacks throughout San Francisco. Whether the responsible party is a negligent pet owner or another individual, we’re here to ensure that you receive the justice and compensation you deserve for your pain and suffering.

This page outlines how our lawyers in San Francisco can step in to support you if those responsible for the animal attack have failed to take responsibility. We are committed to helping you get the compensation you need to move forward with your life across San Francisco, CA.

*PLEASE NOTE: We do NOT handle cases involving injured dogs or pets. We only handle cases involving people who were bitten & injured by dogs or other animals.

Dog Bite & Animal Attacks Law Firm Serving All Courts in San Francisco, California

Callaway & Wolf is a San Francisco law firm that understands how a dog bite or animal attack can throw your life into chaos. You may be facing physical injuries, emotional trauma, expensive medical bills, and lost wages. Callaway & Wolf can be part of the team that helps you recover and get your life back on track.

Callaway & Wolf focuses on representing victims of dog bites and animal attacks throughout San Francisco, California. Our office is located at 1388 Sutter St., Suite 1010, San Francisco, CA 94109. If you or a family member has been seriously injured due to the negligence or actions of an animal owner, contact Callaway & Wolf at 415-541-0300 to schedule a risk-free, no-obligation consultation.

Recent Review:

“Throughout the duration of my personal injury case I felt as if Boone Callaway & his colleagues were extremely helpful, always very informative, and most importantly, communicative .I felt very confident letting him represent me. Boone understood me and was a great advocate for me. I was very comfortable letting him speak for me and tell my story. Overall, I feel he had my best interest and was very pleased. From my experience I can tell you Boone is very passionate about his work & helping his clients. If you want someone who exhibits professionalism, great attention to detail, and is very respectful I highly recommend Boone Callaway.” – Justin Z.
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Cases We’ve Handled Involving Dog Bites & Injuries

$800,000 for a woman who tripped and fell, sustaining a badly broken ankle, while protecting her dog from an unleashed dog which attacked it as she walked in Oakland.
A limo driver was attacked and bitten by two dogs when he approached a customer’s house, requiring stitches and antibiotics.
A woman who needed skin grafts and had severe scarring on her arm after she was attacked by a large Mastiff dog when she was at a relative’s house and offered to put out a water bowl for the dog.
A woman who had a concussion and a hip fracture when she was hiking in a park in San Francisco and was knocked down by an otherwise-friendly dog which ran up and jumped on her.
A woman who was walking her own dog near her home in Oakland and sustained a complicated ankle fracture when an off-leash dog rushed up and attacked her dog, causing her to stumble while trying to save her dog.
An elderly woman who had a badly broken hip when a neighbor’s terrier knocked her down while she was outside her home in Sonoma County.

Although there is sometimes no explanation for a dog attack, many incidents clearly are caused by bad pet care-taking. There are a lot more bad dog owners than bad dogs. One case involved a man who sustained facial scarring when he was suddenly bitten by a colleague’s Chow dog when he leaned over to pet the dog. Discovery showed that the owners never walked dog, and even had trained it to use a cat box in their apartment so that they would not have to take it outside.

Know What Your Case is Worth if Attacked by a Dog

Like other injury cases, dog and animal attack claims are valued in comparison to other case jury decisions and settlements. Unlike most injury claims, these claims usually involve much more emotional distress from the attack. Also, animal bites often leave permanent scarring, which is especially hurtful if it’s on a person’s face or highly visible place. To know the full value of your case, you will have to have healed up enough that the extent of scarring and recovery is known.

What’s California’s Law on Animal Bites?

California has a no “one bite” rule. California’s law provides strict legal liability against the owner of a dog for the harm caused by another person bitten by that dog. Liability is imposed whether the bite happens in a public place or in a private place, including on the property of the dog’s owner. Depending upon the facts of your case, if you are injured by a dog you receive compensation for your injuries from the dog owner, or someone who has kept a dog knowing that the dog had vicious propensities.

What is the Statute of Limitations on Animal Bite Injuries in California?

California has a two-year statute of limitations to file a claim for dog and animal bite injuries. This is the time in which your case must be settled, or filed in court. This time limit shrinks to six months if the state or a city is responsible. Even though you may have plenty of time before your time limit is up, our San Francisco dog bite lawyer can help guide you through the process from day one, helping to insure that the proper groundwork is done for your claim.

Who’s Responsible if I’m Bitten by an Animal?

Of course the animal’s owner is typically the primary person responsible. Often, though, a significant financial recovery is impossible without insurance. Homeowner’s insurance is the typical coverage which applies. When the dog owner is a tenant, the landlord might be responsible if he/she knew about the dog’s aggressive behavior.

For example, if the landlord or his representatives had actual knowledge of the dog’s vicious nature prior to the attack and could have had the dog removed before it injured the victim, or if a dog is able to escape from the premises because the landlord has failed to properly maintain a gate or fence. Knowledge of prior incidents with a dog are another way landlords become liable.

Also, the local authorities and animal control officers will often investigate the circumstances of an animal attack and take action against the animal and/or its owner.

What Will They Do to Try to Avoid Paying My Injury Claim?

As in any injury claim, defendants and insurance companies will look for any means to avoid responsibility that they can find. Usually this means pointing the finger of blame at you, either by claiming that you provoked the animal in some way, or that you ignored a warning about a dangerous animal. Many dog bites happen when a person’s own dog is attacked first. This sometimes leads to a defense claim that it was unreasonable to try to break up a dog fight.

Does Insurance Cover Injuries from Dog and Animal Attacks?

Oftentimes, the homeowner’s insurance company for the owner of a dog will be liable for injuries. If the dog owner does not have homeowner’s or renter’s insurance, then collecting any compensation can be more difficult.

Contact a San Francisco Dog Bite Injury Attorney

Boone Callaway of Callaway & Wolf is a leading dog bite lawyer in San Francisco who has numerous awards for accomplishments in the field of personal injury. If you, your child or a loved one has been bitten or mauled by a dog in San Francisco and have been seriously injured, call Callaway & Wolf today to get your questions answered at 415-541-0300 or contact us here to schedule a free consultation.

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