Dog Bites matters in Yuba City
Dog Bite Incidents Around Yuba City
Dog attacks happen throughout Sutter County, in residential neighborhoods, apartment complexes, parks, and on the rural properties surrounding Yuba City. The agricultural character of the area means many homes and farms keep dogs for security, and a gate left open or a chain that breaks can put a passing neighbor, mail carrier, delivery driver, or child at risk. Bites also occur during everyday moments, when a leashed dog lunges at a jogger on a sidewalk along Colusa Avenue or a loose dog charges someone walking near the orchards.
Children are especially vulnerable. They are closer to a dog's level, may not recognize warning signs, and often suffer bites to the face, head, and neck that can require stitches, surgery, and leave permanent scarring. The emotional impact, including a lasting fear of dogs, can be just as serious as the physical wound.
California's Strict Liability Law
California uses a strict liability rule for dog bites. Under Civil Code section 3342, a dog owner is generally responsible when their dog bites someone in a public place or while the victim is lawfully on private property, even if the dog had never bitten anyone before and the owner had no reason to think it would. This is a powerful protection for victims, because you usually do not have to prove the owner was careless, only that the bite happened and you had a right to be where you were.
Documenting the Attack and Your Injuries
Strong evidence makes a difference. We work to identify the dog and its owner, obtain any animal control or police report, photograph the injuries as they heal, and gather witness accounts. Many bite victims in the area are treated at Adventist Health and Rideout in nearby Marysville, just across the Feather River, and we help clients keep complete records of their medical care, including any treatment for scarring or for the emotional effects of the attack.
Compassionate, Local Representation
Attorney Ghazaryan personally handles each dog bite case, deals with the owner's insurance, often through a homeowner's or renter's policy, and explains your options clearly. If a fair settlement cannot be reached, your case would be filed in the Sutter County Superior Court in Yuba City. We handle the legal work so you and your family can focus on healing.
Protecting Your Claim From the Start
The days right after a dog attack matter for both healing and your claim. Photographs of the injuries as they develop, the identity of the dog and its owner, and any animal control report all help establish what happened, and that information is easiest to gather early. We handle that work and deal with the owner's insurer so you and your family can focus on recovery. Whether the bite happened in a Yuba City neighborhood, at a local park, or on a rural property outside town, attorney Ghazaryan brings a careful, compassionate approach to every case, especially those involving children, and is glad to speak with you in English, Armenian, or Russian at no cost or obligation.
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.