Dog Bites and Attacks

Personal Injury Attorney Expertise to Look for When Hiring in California

When you have been injured due to someone else’s negligence or intent, you deserve full compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and other losses due to the injury. Because the laws regarding personal injuries are so specific, the best way to maximize your settlement is to find an attorney with experience in the precise type of personal injury case you are pursuing.

Here are some examples of personal injury cases so you can hire the right attorney to meet your personal circumstances.

• Motor Vehicle Accidents – This doesn’t always mean that you were a driver or a passenger. You may be a pedestrian or a cyclist injured by a driver. Plus, a motor vehicle accident is not the same thing as just saying “car accident.” You could also be involved with a tractor-trailer or a motorcycle. There are many ways that motor vehicle accidents can lead to injuries.
• Animal attacks – Dog bites, in particular, are common in California. Each state has its own laws regarding animal attacks when a pet is involved.
• Slip and fall accidents – Whether the accident occurred in a private home, at a business, or at a public entity (for example, a government building), you need an experienced attorney to help you build a case.

San Diego’s Experienced Personal Injury Attorneys

If you have been injured in any of these ways in southern California, Petrov Law Firm has the experienced attorneys that you want on your side. Give us a call today at 619.344.0360 to get your case started immediately.

Facts You Need to Know About Dog Bites in California

As a nation, Americans are estimated to own nearly 77 million dogs! More than one out of every three US households has at least one dog, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association. It shouldn’t be a surprise that about 4.5 million dog bites occur annually (according to the CDC). Dog bite settlements are usually handled by the owner’s homeowners or renters insurance. Here are three things you should know about dog bites in California.

• There is a dog bite statute in the state of California – This means that as long as you were not trespassing or intentionally provoking the dog, the owner is always liable for the attack.
• California does not go by the “one bite rule” that some other states use. Such a rule would mean that the owner is only liable for an attack if the dog has bitten someone in the past. In California, the owner is potentially liable from the very first attack.
• California law does not require proof of negligence on the part of the owner. However, if you can prove that the owner was negligent when it came to protecting others from being attacked, this may provide you with a basis for requesting a larger settlement.

Help for Dog Bite Victims in Southern California

Insurance companies always want to pay as little as possible on a claim, so you need the help of an experienced personal injury attorney to make sure that you don’t get stuck covering your own medical bills or any other losses. Contact Petrov Law Firm today at 619.344.0360 to speak with an experienced attorney in San Diego.

Personal Injury Claim Statute of Limitations in California

Each state determines its own statute of limitations laws regarding personal injury claims. In California, how long do you have to make a claim if you want to receive compensation? Here are a few different answers based on the type of settlement you are trying to secure.

• Suing a government agency – Let’s say you experienced a slip and fall accident, and the negligent party was a government agency. This is when you have to take your case to a lawyer as soon as possible. California only gives you six months to go after a settlement when a government organization is the negligent party.
• Property damage settlements – If you are settling a property damage case, you get three years to make your claim. This is common in car accidents and cases of that nature. However, it is important to remember that this only applies to the property portion of your claim. The injury claim will have to be filed faster.
• Personal injury claims – In California, you get two years to file a personal injury claim. This should allow you to tabulate the medical bills and missed work. However, some injuries incur long-term care or the inability to continue a career. Therefore, the settlement may have to estimate your continued future losses.

Personal Injury Settlements in San Diego

If you have experienced loss in southern California due to someone else’s fault or neglect, now is the time to get your case started. Call Petrov Law Firm today at 619.344.0360 and let us help you to maximize your settlement.

Compensation Available After a Personal Injury

From car accidents to dog bites and slip and fall accidents to medical malpractice, there are many ways in which a person can be injured due to someone else’s fault or negligence. When this happens, you may experience financial and other forms of loss. How does a personal injury suit seek to provide compensation? Here are several ways:

• Medical expenses – The responsible party should have to cover all of the medical bills that result from the injury.
• Damage to property – If the injury also causes damage to your property (a car, motorcycle, bicycle, etc.), the repair or replacement costs should be included in the settlement.
• Lost work – If you miss work due to the injury, you should receive compensation for the days of work that you missed. If you are no longer able to work, the compensation should include the money you would have made during the rest of your career.
• Pain and suffering – This may include emotional damages that come from the injury. Pain and suffering settlements can often be larger than other more tangible expenses because it is difficult to put a price tag on these types of damages.

Personal Injury Attorneys in San Diego

At Petrov Law Firm, we have the experienced attorneys you want in your corner when seeking a personal injury settlement. To get your case started, give us a call at 619.344.0360. Whether you live in San Diego, North County, or Chula Vista, we have local attorneys to provide the assistance you need.

5 Tips to Help Your Child Avoid Dog Bites

When a dog bite occurs, it leads to medical care about one in five times. However, the odds are far more likely for a child to need medical assistance after a dog attack. The reason is that a child’s head, face, and neck are closer to a dog’s mouth, so the bites are more likely to take place in a dangerous area. Here are five tips to help prevent dog bites for your family.

1. Teach your child to let the dog sniff them before petting.
2. Teach your child to avoid dogs that are caring for pups, sleeping, or eating – Dogs are more likely to attack during these vulnerable times.
3. Encourage your child to ask the dog’s owner for permission before attempting to pet it – Even if the dog seems friendly, the owner can alert you if it is prone to snap at strangers.
4. Don’t leave your child alone with a dog, even if it is your family pet.
5. Help your child know what to do around a threatening dog – If a child gets scared when a dog growls, this will only encourage the animal to get more aggressive. It is important to remain calm, back away, and avoid eye contact.

Help if a Member of Your Family Has Been Bitten

If you are accumulating medical bills due to a dog bitting a member of your family, Petrov Law Firm can help. This is one of the forms of personal injury law that we specialize in. Just call 619.344.0360 to speak with one of our San Diego based lawyers, and we can get your California injury settlement started today.

Don’t Go Into a Personal Injury Case Without the Proper Preparation

The overwhelming majority of personal injury cases are settled out of court. This is because the insurance company realizes that money is owed. It is just a matter of agreeing on how much. If the insurance company can keep this number as low as possible, they are happy to settle. However, you have to prepare properly if you are going to maximize your settlement.

• Gather evidence of negligence – If you want to receive a settlement, you have to have some evidence that the insurance company’s client is in the wrong. This could take the form of a police report from the scene of a car accident or an accident report filled out at the scene of a slip and fall injury.
• Gather evidence of loss – Keep track of your medical expenses, missed work, and other losses that you experience as a direct or indirect result of the injury.
• Find a personal injury attorney – A personal injury attorney can help you to maximize your settlement by letting you know what types of losses should be included. Also, the insurance company will know that you are not willing to take the bare minimum settlement to walk away, but that you are seeking help to get what you really deserve.

San Diego’s Trusted Personal Injury Lawyers

If you have experienced a personal injury in the San Diego area, contact the attorneys at Petrov Law Firm by calling 619.344.0360. We can help to ensure that you receive the compensation that you are owed for your losses.

Turn a Preexisting Condition into a Positive for Your Personal Injury Case

You may think of a preexisting condition as something that would hurt your personal injury case. For example, if you get whiplash in a car accident but already have a history of neck problems, won’t that affect your ability to get a settlement? Not if you handle it the right way. Here are a few important tips:

• Don’t keep it a secret – If it looks like you have something to hide, then you turn your asset into a liability. If you have a preexisting condition, make it known, but use the info in the right way.
• Have your doctor compare your records – A preexisting condition means test results, x-rays, and the like. Have your doctor compare the progress you were making with your condition to where you stand now following the injury. This can show that your new medical bills are resulting from the injury and not from the preexisting condition.
• Hire the right attorney – If your attorney is telling you to do something shady like hiding your condition, then you are with the wrong guy. Getting caught is a sure way to lose out on the settlement you deserve.

Trustworthy Personal Injury Attorneys in Southern California

The personal injury lawyers at Petrov Law Firm have the experience you want on your side when dealing with stingy insurance companies to get a personal injury settlement. Give us a call today at 619.344.0360 to schedule a consultation. We look forward to helping you receive the compensation that is owed.

3 Questions Your Lawyer Will Want Answers to for a Personal Injury Case

If you have been injured in a car accident, slip and fall, dog attack, or in any other way that involves the fault of someone else, you need the assistance of a personal injury attorney. Having a lawyer on your side can help you to maximize a settlement, especially when an insurance company is involved. However, your attorney is going to need to understand the case well to go to bat for you, so here are a few questions you can expect.

• How did the injury occur? – This is important because if the injury was due to your own fault or negligence, you might not be due any compensation. However, if the fault is with someone else, or even shared, you may be able to receive a settlement.
• Do you have any proof? – Evidence that the injury was the result of someone’s negligence will help ensure that the case settles faster and for a greater amount.
• What losses have you experienced as a result of the injury? – Losses are usually more than just medical bills. Did you experience material loss? Have you missed work or even lost your job? Will you now have a long-term disability? Was there emotional stress added to the physical pain or damage caused?

Personal Injury Attorneys in Southern California

Petrov Law Firm is here to help if you have experienced a personal injury in southern California. Call 619.344.0360 today to get started on your case so you can receive the compensation you deserve.

Dog Attack Prevention Tips for Families

Millions of dog attacks occur each year across the US, resulting in hundreds of thousands of dollars in compensation. However, you would obviously prefer to avoid an attack on a member of your family then have to seek a settlement, so here are a few tips to help prevent dog bites, particularly when it comes to children.

• Don’t approach chained dogs – Teach your kids to avoid dogs that are chained up. Clearly, the owner knows the dog is high-risk for an attack, so getting close to the dog is asking for trouble. It is unlikely that an insurance company will cover an attack by a dog that has been provoked.
• Be careful about certain breeds – Pitbulls and any sort of pitbull mix are known to be an issue when it comes to dog attacks. However, you also need to be careful with several other breeds. One that may surprise you is the German shepherd. They are very protective of their own family, so their kids will be safe, but you may not be.
• Have your family dog neutered or spayed – Statistics show that this will decrease the risk of your household pet attacking a member of the family.

San Diego Personal Injury Attorneys for Dog Attacks

The lawyers at Petrov Law Firm can handle any personal injury claim. However, one of our specialties is dog bites. So if you or a loved one has experienced an attack in southern California, we’re here to help. Call 619.344.0360 to get your case started today.

Important Areas of Expertise for California Personal Injury Attorneys

When you experience an injury and it is someone else’s fault, you want help getting the compensation that you deserve. After all, compensation is usually going to come from an insurance company with an attorney whose one job is to make sure they pay out as little as possible. What are some of the more common personal injury cases in California, and why should you hire an experienced attorney?

• Slip and fall injuries – Getting your case going well before the statute of limitations is up is the first important step when it comes to a slip and fall accident. Now is the time to start gathering evidence so as to negotiate a settlement.
• Dog bites – Insurance companies payout money on a daily basis for dog bites that occur all across the country. If someone else’s dog has attacked you without provocation, you should at least receive compensation for any medical bills that you incur as a result of the attack.
• Car accidents – As more cars get back on the road, you can expect to see the number of accidents and injuries on the rise again. The COVID-19 pandemic didn’t stop people from driving recklessly, distracted, or just too fast. California is a fault state, so if it is the other driver’s fault, their insurance should be paying out.

Personal Injury Attorneys with Experience in San Diego

If you have sustained a personal injury in these or other ways, you need the help of experienced attorneys to maximize your settlement. Petrov Law Firm is here to help residents of San Diego, North County, and Chula Vista. Call 619.344.0360 to get started right away.