California One Bite Dog Law

When dog owners are strictly liable for bites.

California one bite dog law. It can be used to show the defendant was negligent in restraining. California civil code section 3342 3324 5. This means that the owner is liable for the damages caused by their dog biting another person whether it s. California is one of the states with strict liability laws that make pet owners responsible for most dog bite injuries.

Civil liability for dog bites. California food and agricultural code section 31601 et seq. However there are exceptions to the strict liability law in california s dog bite statute where it does not apply the one bite rule can become a factor. It does not recognize the one bite law at all.

Some states have a one bite rule under which an owner would not be liable for a dog bite unless the dog was known to have bitten before. Strict liability for california dog bite injuries damages. This means the owner of a dog who bites someone is liable in a civil lawsuit for the victim s injuries even if the animal has never bitten before and the owner had no reason to believe the animal was dangerous. California does not use the one bite rule for most dog bite cases instead it holds dog owners strictly liable for the legal damages caused by their dog s bites.

However california is a strict liability state as related to dog bite injury claims. In california if a person is somewhere public or private that they are legally allowed to be and they do not provoke the dog the owner is liable for the dog biting the person. Basically california s stand is this. California dog bite law imposes strict liability on owners.

This contrasts with the one bite rule in effect in other states by which the owner is only held liable if the. California penal code section 398 399 5.