Dog Bites matters in Fresno
Fresno is a dog-friendly city with abundant parks, trails, and tight-knit residential neighborhoods, and that means frequent contact between people and dogs. Most encounters are harmless, but an unleashed or poorly controlled dog can cause serious injuries in seconds. California's strict liability rule gives bite victims a strong legal footing that many other states do not.
MMG Law Firm represents dog bite victims throughout Fresno from our Glendale base, handling the owner's insurer and the claim so you can focus on recovery.
Where dog bites happen in Fresno
Bites and attacks commonly occur in everyday public and residential settings:
- Woodward Park and other large parks, where off-leash dogs encounter joggers, families, and children
- Neighborhood parks across central and north Fresno, where leash rules are often ignored
- Walking and biking trails, where a startled or aggressive dog can lunge at passersby
- Residential areas, including front yards, driveways, and doorways where delivery workers, visitors, and neighbors are bitten
California's strict liability rule
California Civil Code section 3342 makes a dog owner strictly liable when their dog bites someone who is in a public place or lawfully in a private place, including the owner's property. Strict liability means you generally do not have to prove the owner was careless or knew the dog was dangerous. This is why California has no true "one free bite" defense for bite claims: the owner can be liable even if the dog never bit anyone before. There are limits, such as bites to trespassers or to people who provoked the dog, but the core rule strongly favors victims who were lawfully present.
Injuries and case types we handle
- Puncture wounds and deep lacerations
- Permanent scarring and disfigurement, especially facial injuries to children
- Nerve and muscle damage
- Infections and the need for reconstructive surgery
- Emotional trauma and fear of dogs after an attack
Compensation you may recover
California allows both economic and non-economic damages in dog bite cases. Economic damages cover medical treatment, future procedures such as scar revision, and lost income. Non-economic damages address pain, suffering, emotional distress, and the impact of permanent scarring or disfigurement. Because pure comparative negligence applies, any share of fault assigned to you reduces, but does not eliminate, your recovery. No outcome is guaranteed, and each claim's value turns on its own facts.
Deadlines and the Fresno courthouse
Dog bite claims in California carry a two-year statute of limitations under Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1, measured from the date of the bite. Claims involving a child may be handled differently, so it is best to ask early. These cases are generally filed in the Fresno County Superior Court at the B.F. Sisk Courthouse in downtown Fresno. Prompt action helps preserve medical records, photographs of injuries, and witness accounts.
How MMG Law Firm helps from Glendale
We are based in Glendale, roughly 220 miles from Fresno, and we provide statewide representation to bite victims without a local office, which we state plainly. Most of your case is handled remotely by phone, email, and video, and we travel to Fresno for court appearances and depositions when needed. We deal with the dog owner's homeowner or renter insurance carrier so you do not have to. Consultations are free and available in English, Armenian, and Russian, and we work on a contingency fee, so there is no fee unless we win.
Our attorney
How Mihran M. Ghazaryan helps with dog bites
California holds dog owners strictly liable, and Mihran M. Ghazaryan works directly with the owner's homeowners or renters insurer so families aren't put in the position of suing a neighbor out of pocket. He documents the bite, the medical treatment, and any scarring with the seriousness these injuries — especially to children — deserve.
Types of dog bite injuries we handle
Children's dog bites
Scarring on a child has a long arc. We document the injury carefully and, when appropriate, hold the recovery in a court-supervised account.
Postal carrier and delivery worker bites
Workers' compensation and the homeowner's policy can both apply. We coordinate to maximize total recovery.
Multi-dog incidents and provocation defenses
Strict liability has narrow exceptions. We address provocation defenses head-on with witness work and documentation.
Damages
What compensation can cover
Every dog bite injury claim is different, but California law allows injured plaintiffs to seek several categories of damages. We build each one with documentation — medical records, wage statements, expert opinions — so nothing is left on the table.
Medical expenses
Emergency care, hospitalization, surgery, rehabilitation, and the future treatment your providers say you'll need.
Lost wages
Income you lost while recovering — and, where the injury affects your ability to work, diminished future earning capacity.
Pain and suffering
Compensation for physical pain, emotional distress, and the ways the injury has changed how you live day to day.
Property damage
Repair or replacement of your vehicle and other property damaged in the incident.
Out-of-pocket costs
Transportation to appointments, medical equipment, household help, and the other expenses an injury forces on you.
How we work
- 1
Free, no-pressure consultation
We listen first. We answer your questions. There is no fee for the initial conversation — and you decide whether to engage us at the end of it.
- 2
Investigation and evidence preservation
Police reports, scene photos, witness statements, vehicle data, surveillance video, medical records. The earlier we collect, the harder it is for the other side to reshape the story later.
- 3
Treatment, demand, and negotiation
We coordinate with your providers, document the full extent of damages — medical, lost income, pain — and present a demand backed by evidence. We push back firmly when an insurer lowballs.
- 4
Litigation when necessary
Most matters settle. When an insurer refuses to be reasonable, we file. Preparing every case as if it will be tried is what makes the settlement number move.
What to do right away
- Get medical attention; rabies and infection risk drive immediate care.
- Report the bite to animal control and request a copy of the report.
- Photograph wounds at intake and during healing — scarring damages depend on documentation.
- Get the owner's homeowners or renters insurance information.
- Call us before signing anything.
The information on this website is for general information purposes only. Nothing on this site should be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. This information is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship.
Deadlines that matter
Most California personal-injury claims must be filed within two years of the injury (Code of Civil Procedure §335.1). Miss the window and the court will almost always dismiss the case, no matter how strong it is.
Claims against government entities are much shorter — generally a written claim within six months (Government Code §911.2). Crashes involving city vehicles, public buses, or dangerous public-road conditions can fall under this rule.
Exceptions exist in both directions — discovery rules, minors, continuing violations, out-of-state defendants — so don't assume your deadline has passed or that you have time to spare. Call (818) 539-7969 and we'll tell you exactly where you stand.