UCLA Law Trained Attorneys in Calabasas
Under California Civil Code Section 3342, the dog owner is strictly liable for bite injuries. It does not matter if the dog had never shown aggression before. It does not matter if the owner says you startled the animal. If you were lawfully in a public place or on private property and a dog bit you, the owner is responsible for your injuries.
Calabasas has large residential properties, many with multiple dogs, and gated communities where common areas create opportunities for encounters between dogs and neighbors. The owner's homeowner's insurance almost always covers dog bite liability, and policies in Calabasas tend to have high limits. Arya identifies the applicable policy, documents the injuries, and builds the claim to cover medical costs, scarring, emotional distress, and any future treatment. Cases file at Chatsworth Courthouse.
A Calabasas-Area Attorney Who Knows This Community
I grew up in Woodland Hills, minutes from Calabasas, and have spent years representing injured residents across the West Valley. I bike the Las Virgenes trails off Valley Circle and Victory and spend time at The Commons. Plenty of memories at Sagebrush Cantina where graduations, birthdays, and celebrations always ended up. I attended El Camino Real High School and UCLA Law School. I don’t need to look up your neighborhood before taking your call.
The Local Details That Move Your Case Forward
The crash corridors, the hospitals that handle trauma, the legal deadlines, the insurance dynamics. These are the things we know about Calabasas cases on day one, before we even open your file.
Calabasas straddles the county line, so trauma routing depends on crash location: Los Robles Regional (Level II, Thousand Oaks) or Northridge Hospital (Level II). Critical cases go to UCLA Ronald Reagan (Level I).
California's dog bite statute holds owners strictly liable for injuries caused by their dog biting someone in a public place or lawfully on private property. There is no "one free bite" defense. The owner is liable even if the dog has never shown aggression before.
California CCP §335.1 gives you two years from the date of the bite to file a lawsuit. Medical care and documentation must begin immediately — delayed treatment weakens the link between the bite and your injuries and gives insurers room to dispute severity.
Most Firms Will Take Your Case.
Few Will Actually Fight For It.
From the moment a claim is filed, the other side is building a case against yours. Adjusters document inconsistencies, make early offers designed to be accepted, and count on injured people to take less than they deserve. Most personal injury firms respond by loading up their docket: you get assigned to a paralegal, your calls go unanswered, and your case settles fast because the firm needs to move on.
We built L&F Brown differently.
- You talk to a founding partner. Not intake staff, not a junior associate. A UCLA Law-trained senior attorney who handles your case personally from first call to resolution.
- We limit our caseload on purpose. More cases means less attention. We take fewer so every client gets the time and resources their case actually requires.
- We don't settle until the number is right. Insurance companies know which firms fold early. We're not one of them, and they know it.
Evidence fades. Deadlines are real. The sooner you have an attorney building your case, the better your position. This is our personal commitment to every client we take on.
Why These Cases Require Local Knowledge
A large share of residential injuries in Calabasas happen inside gated, HOA-governed developments like The Oaks and The Highlands. The HOA's insurance policy, common area maintenance records, and liability structure are all different from a standard homeowner claim. If you do not know to request the HOA's insurance certificate and incident log early, you are already behind.
The Las Virgenes and Mulholland corridor to Malibu has a documented crash history. When a collision involves road design or poor maintenance on these mountain stretches, Caltrans or LA County may be liable alongside the other driver. But government tort claims have a six-month notice deadline. Miss it and the claim is gone.
Calabasas Commons is corporate-owned retail with a professional claims team. They have lawyers on retainer. They contest everything. We have dealt with them before and know what records to pull and how fast the footage gets overwritten.
Cases file at Chatsworth Courthouse, LA County. And individual defendants here tend to carry umbrella policies well above their primary limits, which changes how we structure the demand.
The Injury Patterns We See Here
The US-101 through Calabasas funnels heavy commuter traffic past the Lost Hills Road interchange. Drivers merge into backed-up lanes and the result is rear-end after rear-end, most of them at speeds that cause real damage: disc herniations, whiplash that lasts months, concussions that do not show up on the first scan.
Las Virgenes Road toward Malibu is where the serious mountain-road crashes happen. Calabasas Road and Lost Hills Road get the commercial and school zone collisions. Agoura Road on the western edge carries mixed commuter and local traffic with its own set of intersection conflicts.
Recent cases from Calabasas have included a parking lot collision at The Commons where the property tried to disclaim liability, a rideshare passenger injured on the 101 with dueling insurance policies, and a cyclist hit on Las Virgenes by a driver who crossed the center line on a blind curve. No two of those cases involved the same legal strategy.
Cases We Handle
Dog bite cases in Calabasas involve attacks in residential neighborhoods, on hiking trails, in HOA common areas, and at properties where dogs are inadequately contained. Children and joggers are frequently the victims.
Direct Dog Bites
Puncture wounds, lacerations, and crush injuries — often requiring emergency care, surgery, and plastic surgery for scarring.
Knockdown Injuries
Dogs that jump on or knock down victims — fractures, TBI, and hip injuries are common, particularly in elderly victims.
Child Dog Bite Injuries
Children suffer disproportionately severe injuries from dog bites — facial scarring, PTSD, and lasting emotional harm are common.
Multiple-Attack Cases
When an owner's dog has a known history of aggression, prior incidents are powerful evidence of negligent restraint.
Service Worker Attacks
Mail carriers, delivery drivers, and service workers on legitimate business — lawfully on the property and protected by strict liability.
Off-Leash Park Attacks
Injuries at dog parks and public spaces — owner negligence and municipal duty of care issues.
Compensation Available in Your Case
A dog bite can require emergency surgery, ongoing wound care, scar revision, and therapy for emotional trauma. California law holds the owner liable for all of it. Here is the breakdown.
Medical Expenses
Emergency wound treatment, antibiotics, rabies evaluation, surgical repair, plastic surgery for scarring, and psychological counseling after a dog attack.
Lost Wages
Income lost while recovering from bite injuries. Serious bites can keep you out of work for weeks, especially if infection develops.
Pain & Suffering
Physical pain from the bite and the lasting emotional impact. Fear of dogs, anxiety while walking outdoors, and flashbacks are common after a serious attack.
Scarring & Disfigurement
Dog bites leave visible scars. Facial scarring and hand injuries are particularly common and carry substantial damages because of their visibility.
Future Medical Costs
Follow-up plastic surgery, scar revision, ongoing therapy for PTSD, and physical rehabilitation for nerve or tendon damage from deep bites.
Punitive Damages
If the owner knew their dog was aggressive and let it roam unleashed, particularly in a neighborhood where families and children walk regularly, punitive damages apply.
What to Do After a Dog Bite
Dog bite injuries can be serious — infected, scarred, and emotionally traumatic. These steps protect your health and your legal claim.
Get to safety and call 911
Report the bite to LA Animal Services or the LA County Department of Animal Care. They'll investigate and create an official record.
Seek emergency medical care
Dog bites require immediate medical attention. Even bites that look minor can become severely infected without proper cleaning and antibiotics.
Photograph injuries immediately
Document every puncture wound, laceration, and bruise with time-stamped photos before treatment. These photos are key evidence for your claim.
Identify the dog and owner
Get the owner's contact information and the dog's vaccination records. In Calabasas neighborhoods, other residents often know the dog and can help identify the owner.
Contact L&F Brown
Arya Firoozmand pursues dog bite claims against homeowners' insurance policies. California's strict liability law means the owner is responsible regardless of whether the dog has bitten anyone before.
Recent Results, Personal Injury
Past outcomes don't guarantee future results, but they show what's possible when evidence is preserved and all defendants are pursued.
Auto versus government entity settlement.
Slip and fall at major retailer.
Slip and fall at major retailer.
Complex auto vs auto case.
Not only was Arya easy to communicate with, incredibly intelligent with how he planned to achieve the goals, but he was also very warm and caring. I really enjoyed working with Arya. Warm, ethical, and intelligent is a great combo!
I cannot recommend L&F Brown highly enough. From the start of my case they were professional, talked me through the process and genuinely cared about my situation and concerns. My case went far longer than any of us expected, and I was ready to just accept the first settlement, but Arya and Curt fought to get me what I was entitled to. All in all, they went above and beyond at every step and I felt supported throughout my experience with them.
My husband was involved in a car accident back in February, and now that everything has been resolved, I just wanted to say how grateful we are for this amazing team. Everyone was incredibly kind, organized, and easy to communicate with. They always kept us updated, answered every question we had, and made sure we understood what was happening every step of the way. Having someone we could trust took so much stress off our shoulders during an already difficult time.
75+
Years Legal Experience
6,000+
Clients Served
One
Case at a Time