San Diego Personal Injury Lawyer Blog

SIGNON SAN DIEGO'S Debbi Baker reported that 6-year-old Sarah Villa was the victim of a dog bite by a pit bull in City Heights on August 26, 2011. The attack happened at around 11:30 a.m. as Sarah played at a friend's house on Auburn Drive near Euclid Avenue where the dog had been chained by her friend's father who owned the dog. The dog got loose and attacked Sarah biting her in the face and then in the arm. According to Animal Control Officer Lt. Dan DeSousa the dog's owner was also bit while trying to intervene as well as his daughter. "You can take a good dog and make it bad by chaining it, and take a bad dog and make it even worse," DeSousa said. The 4-year-old, 65 pound Pit Bull was taken to be tested for rabies and quarantined for ten days, pending a decision as to his fate.

Applicable California Law

Despite the dog owner's representations that he had only shortly acquired the dog and the previous owner denied knowledge any dangerous propensities by the dog, the owner will still face potential claims for personal injuries to Sarah (see my prior Blog post San Diego Infant Mauled By Dogs for California Law on Dog Bites). However, the fact that two young children were left alone seemingly unsupervised could potentially result in partial comparative fault on Sarah's parents if they knew the dog was a potential hazard.

Young children are at high risk from dog bites, because they lack the ability to defend themselves or appreciate the potential danger. This is why children should always be supervised if a dog or any animal is around. Dog bites can result in physical and emotional scars that can last a life time. If you or someone you know is the victim of a dog attack talk to an experienced personal injury attorney.

EAST COUNTY MAGAZINE reports that a San Diego Sheriff was attacked by a pit bull on September 14, 2010 in Campo. The dog attack happened around 12:45 p.m. at 30031 Quail Road. Details are unknown other than the deputy, who sustained injuries, shot and wounded the dog after being attacked.

Applicable California Law

If the deputy was on duty at the time of the attack, he could file for workers compensation benefits for his injuries. In addition, the owner of the dog would be liable for the deputy's injuries (see my prior Blog post for the law relating to owner liability for dog bits). Furthermore, if the attack happened on someone else's property, who knew of the dog's dangerous propensities, they could also be held responsible for the deputy's damages.

Anyone can be attacked by dogs at anytime without warning. The attacks usually leave psychological as well as physical permanent scars. An experienced personal injury attorney can assist you in understanding your rights, filing claims, and ascertaining who should be held accountable.

North County Times staff writers, Paul Sisson and Ray Huard, report that 33-year-old Hoa Lin, a letter carrier in Oceanside, died on June 3, 2010 from head injuries resulting from a dog attack. Lin suffered a fatal head injury when a Rottweiler lunged at him causing him to fall as he was delivering mail on his route on the 500 block on Stanley Street. Lin was found lying in the street around 4 p.m. on May 25 with a severe head injury, and was transported to Tri-City Medical Center, where doctors put him into an induced coma to try to control the brain swelling, said his wife Teri. He died on June 3, 2010 from "blunt head trauma" according to the coroners report. The San Diego Humane Society, who has the animal control contract for Oceanside, euthanized the dog at the request of its owner. The incident is under further investigation to gather more details about the incident.

Our deepest sympathy goes out to Teri Lin her children, family and friends.

Applicable California Law

I would refer you to my prior Blog posts regarding the applicable law relating to dog attacks, as well as damages in wrongful death cases, and cases involving work related injuries. In summary, Teri and her children would be entitled to workers compensation benefits, potential damages under a "survivor action" and under California's wrongful death statute.

The loss of any loved one is tragic, however when one is killed in the prime of his or her life, it is even more so. Teri and her three children ages 10-years-old through 5 months will have to adjust to the emotional, and financial loss of their husband and father. Wrongful death, brain injuries, or work related injuries can be complex to prove. When the time is right, advice from an experienced personal injury attorney can be crucial.