What to Do After a Dog Bite Injury
A dog bite raises an immediate health question and a separate ownership and location question. California public-health guidance says to wash a bite and seek medical assessment when appropriate; local animal control can investigate the animal and vaccination status. Record the dog, person controlling it, location and agency case number. California Civil Code section 3342 concerns qualifying bites by an owner’s dog in public or while someone is lawfully on private property; it does not automatically cover every dog-related injury or guarantee insurance payment.
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Raffi Naljian
Founder, Civil Litigation, Personal Injury & Criminal Defense Attorney
Raffi Garabed Naljian is the founder of Naljian Law Offices and an active California attorney under State Bar #238919. A Los Angeles Times profile says he founded the firm in 2008 after beginning his legal career in 1997, and the State Bar lists personal injury, litigation, criminal law, and business law among his self-reported practice areas.
View Raffi Naljian's full verified profilePrimary identity record
Learn more about Raffi Naljian
This is a focused supporting page. Use Raffi Naljian's full sourced attorney profile as the primary identity record for biography, role, languages, office information, and public-record links. Review that profile alongside the issue-specific preparation and public sources below.
The State Bar record lists Raffi Garabed Naljian as an active California attorney, State Bar #238919. Hurt Advice is a separate referral and legal information service, not the attorney's law firm.
How to Evaluate Attorney Fit for This Issue
A useful consultation should distinguish a bite from a knockdown or scratch, verify the dog owner and lawful location, and identify the animal-control and medical records. Ask what remains uncertain before assuming a statutory claim or homeowner-policy coverage.
Consultation worksheet
Dog, owner and bite-event worksheet
Record observed facts and the health agency’s response. This worksheet does not determine medical treatment or the legal cause of action.
There is no submit or save action. Copy your notes before leaving this page.
Where did the bite or other contact occur, and were you in a public place or lawfully on private property?
What identifies the dog? Who was handling it, and who is confirmed as its owner?
Which animal-control or health agency has the report, and who holds vaccination, observation and medical records?
Was this a bite under Civil Code section 3342 or a different dog-caused injury? Which facts remain uncertain?
Sources for this guide
- California Department of Public Health: Rabies
Official animal-bite hygiene, medical and local animal-control reporting guidance.
- California Civil Code section 3342
Primary dog-owner bite statute with place and statutory limits; does not automatically cover nonbite injuries.
- California Department of Public Health: Rabies resources for local health departments
Official local-health investigation and animal-bite reporting context.
- California Courts: Deadlines to sue someone
Explains why the claim, parties, exceptions, and government-claim requirements must be checked before relying on a general lawsuit deadline.
What to Do Next
- 1Follow public-health guidance for washing a bite and seek appropriate medical assessment, particularly for a serious wound or rabies concern.
- 2Report the event to local animal control or public health and keep the agency and incident number; give observed dog and owner details.
- 3Photograph the injury and exact location, record witnesses, and preserve medical and animal-control communications as they arrive.
- 4Verify dog ownership and vaccination or observation information through the relevant agency; review the specific bite, location and insurance facts before drawing a legal conclusion.
Evidence Checklist
- Dated injury and location photos, care records and wound follow-up
- Animal-control report number, agency, dog description, owner or handler identity and witness contacts
- Vaccination, observation or rabies-assessment records held by the owner, veterinarian or health agency
- Written insurer position if one is provided, without assuming a policy covers the event
Keep your unanswered questions handy when comparing the attorney’s public profile with your needs.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Treating a nonbite knockdown as automatically covered by the dog-bite statute
- Assuming the handler and legal owner are the same person
- Waiting to identify animal-control records while the dog’s status remains unclear
- Assuming a prior bite is always required for a qualifying owner-bite claim or that insurance is guaranteed
How the Process Typically Works
Health and agency response
Address the wound, seek appropriate care and report the dog and event to the local animal-control authority.
Fix ownership and location
Document who owned and handled the dog, where the event occurred and your presence there.
Review the correct claim theory
Separate a qualifying bite from another dog-caused injury, then check evidence, coverage and applicable procedure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does California require proof of a previous bite for every dog-bite case?
Civil Code section 3342 does not require proof that the owner previously knew the dog was vicious for a qualifying bite. Ownership, bite, place and statutory exceptions still need review.
Does the same dog-bite law cover a knockdown without a bite?
Section 3342 is a bite statute. A nonbite injury may raise a different legal theory, but the statute should not be represented as automatically covering it.
Why report the bite to animal control?
Local animal-control and public-health agencies can investigate the animal and rabies/vaccination questions. Keep the agency name and case number to locate the official record.
Use the attorney’s public background as a starting point for a direct conversation about fit.
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