UCLA Law Trained Attorneys in Tarzana
California Civil Code Section 3342 does not require you to prove the dog was dangerous or that the owner was negligent. If a dog bit you while you were lawfully present, the owner is strictly liable. Full stop. This is not a negligence case where you have to prove fault. The bite itself is the proof.
Tarzana has residential streets where dogs are frequently walked off-leash or left unsecured in front yards. Dog bites here often involve children playing outside, joggers on residential streets, and delivery workers entering properties. Arya moves quickly to document the injuries, identify the owner's homeowner's insurance, and file the claim before the insurer tries to minimize the severity. Tarzana cases go to Van Nuys Courthouse West.
Grew Up Minutes Away and Knows Tarzana Firsthand
I grew up in Woodland Hills, attended El Camino Real High School, and earned my law degree at UCLA. I've spent my career representing injured residents in Tarzana and the surrounding Valley communities. I know this area well, from grabbing breakfast at Bea's Bakery to dinners with my wife at Sol Y Luna on Ventura and Winnetka, to spending evenings at Corbin Bowl. I handle every personal injury case from this part of the Valley personally, not a paralegal, not a junior associate.
What We Already Know When You Call
The high-risk corridors, the trauma hospitals, the filing deadlines, and the legal rules that apply to your case. This is the baseline knowledge we bring to every Tarzana injury claim.
Paramedics route to Northridge Hospital (Level II Trauma). Providence Tarzana Medical Center is right here on Burbank Boulevard but is not a trauma center. 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.
What Shapes an Injury Case Here
The Reseda Boulevard medical corridor is one of the most concentrated clusters of treatment centers and specialist practices in the Valley. Providence Tarzana Medical Center sits on Burbank Boulevard. This is where many Valley injury victims end up for treatment whether or not they live here. The practical advantage: we already know the providers who are documenting your injuries, and we know which ones write reports that stand up when the insurance company's lawyer picks them apart.
Tarzana has one of the densest apartment corridors in the mid-Valley, especially along Vanowen and Oxnard. That means landlord and property management defendants are common. Slip and fall on a broken stairwell, assault in a poorly lit parking garage, trip on a cracked walkway: these are all premises cases against management companies, and management companies fight differently than individual homeowners.
The US-101/Reseda Boulevard interchange is a multi-vehicle crash corridor. When several cars are involved, there are multiple insurance policies in play and you need someone who will find all of them, not just the obvious one.
Cases here go to Chatsworth or Van Nuys Courthouse depending on the specifics. Both are courthouses we work in regularly.
The Accidents That Keep Happening
Ventura Boulevard through Tarzana never lets up. It is one of the busiest surface streets in the Valley, and the stretch near Reseda Boulevard combines heavy pedestrian traffic with drivers trying to get to the 101 on-ramp. The result is a mix of rear-end crashes, T-bones at intersections, and pedestrians getting hit in crosswalks.
Reseda Boulevard has the freeway interchange collisions and the medical district traffic. Vanowen and Oxnard run through the apartment belt and see lower-speed crashes that still cause real injuries: a car backing out of a driveway, a kid on a bike getting doored, a delivery truck blocking sight lines at an intersection.
One of our Tarzana cases involved a pedestrian hit in front of a restaurant on Ventura whose owner had removed bollards from the sidewalk patio. Another was a rear-end chain reaction on the 101 on-ramp at Reseda where three different insurance companies tried to blame each other. These cases required different evidence, different experts, and different strategies from day one.
Cases We Handle
Dog bite cases in Tarzana involve residential attacks, incidents with off-leash dogs on sidewalks, bites at apartment complexes, and attacks on children in neighborhood parks. The severity varies, but the owner's liability does not.
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
Dog bite victims are entitled to compensation for every aspect of the injury, from emergency care to long-term scarring and emotional trauma. Here is what California law covers.
Medical Expenses
Emergency care at Providence Tarzana Medical Center, wound treatment, antibiotics, tetanus shots, plastic surgery, and counseling for trauma.
Lost Wages
Work missed during recovery from bite wounds. Infected bites or bites requiring surgery can keep you out for weeks or longer.
Pain & Suffering
The terror of a dog attack and the physical pain of the injuries. Ongoing anxiety around dogs and public spaces is common and compensable.
Scarring & Disfigurement
Bite scars on visible areas like the face, neck, and arms command significant damages. Children who are bitten often face scarring that affects them for life.
Future Medical Costs
Scar revision surgery, reconstructive procedures, physical therapy for hand or arm damage, and ongoing psychological treatment for anxiety and PTSD.
Punitive Damages
Available when the owner was aware their dog had aggressive tendencies but failed to restrain it properly. Prior complaints to animal control strengthen this claim.
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
Call 911 and also report the bite to LA Animal Services. An official bite report creates a government record of the incident.
Seek emergency medical care
Get to Providence Tarzana or the nearest ER right away. Dog bites can cause deep tissue damage, and infection risk increases with every hour of delay.
Photograph injuries immediately
Photograph all wounds before they're cleaned or bandaged. Include photos of torn clothing and the location where the bite occurred.
Identify the dog and owner
Get the owner's name, address, and contact information. Request vaccination records. If the dog ran off, ask nearby residents or businesses if they recognize it.
Contact L&F Brown
Arya Firoozmand represents Tarzana dog bite victims and pursues claims through the owner's homeowners' or renters' insurance. Strict liability means you don't need to prove the dog was known to be dangerous.
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