Who Is Liable for a Dog Bite in Valley Glen?

Arya Firoozmand, Esq.

Local Valley Glen Injury Attorney · UCLA Law

Arya Firoozmand is the founding partner at L&F Brown. He grew up in Woodland Hills, graduated from El Camino Real High School and UCLA Law School, and has built his practice representing injured clients from communities across the San Fernando Valley.

When a dog bites you in Valley Glen, determining who is legally responsible is the first step toward getting compensated for your injuries. California has one of the strongest dog bite laws in the country, and it places clear liability on specific parties. Here is who can be held accountable and how the law works.

The Dog Owner: Strict Liability

Under California Civil Code Section 3342, the dog's owner is strictly liable for any bite that occurs while the victim is in a public place or lawfully on private property. Strict liability means the owner is responsible regardless of:

Whether the dog has ever bitten anyone before. Whether the owner knew the dog was aggressive. Whether the owner took precautions to restrain the dog. Whether the owner was even present when the bite happened.

If the dog bit you while you were walking on a sidewalk along Victory Blvd, visiting the owner's home as an invited guest, delivering a package to a residence on Fulton Ave, or passing through a common area of an apartment complex on Oxnard St, the owner is liable. You do not need to prove they did anything wrong. The fact that their dog bit you is enough.

This is a significant legal advantage for dog bite victims. In many other types of personal injury cases, you must prove negligence. In dog bite cases in California, the law does that work for you.

Landlords

If the dog bite occurred at a rental property in Valley Glen, the landlord may also be liable under certain circumstances. California courts have held landlords liable when:

The landlord knew the tenant's dog was dangerous. If other tenants or neighbors had complained about the dog's aggressive behavior, and the landlord failed to take action (such as requiring the tenant to remove the dog or terminating the lease), the landlord may be liable for negligence.

The landlord had control over the area where the bite occurred. Common areas like hallways, stairwells, courtyards, and parking lots are typically under the landlord's control. If a tenant's dog bit you in a common area, the landlord's failure to enforce pet policies or address known dangers can support liability.

Valley Glen has many apartment complexes and multi-unit residential buildings where these scenarios arise. A landlord who allows tenants to keep dangerous dogs without restrictions, or who ignores complaints about aggressive animals, is putting other tenants and visitors at risk.

Dog Sitters, Walkers, and Caretakers

If the dog was not with its owner at the time of the bite, the person who had custody of the animal, whether a dog sitter, dog walker, or other caretaker, may be liable for negligence. While strict liability under Section 3342 applies specifically to the owner, a person who negligently fails to control a dog in their care can be held liable under general negligence principles.

For example, if a dog walker lost control of a leash on Oxnard St and the dog bit a passerby, the dog walker may be liable for negligence alongside the owner's strict liability. Both parties and their respective insurance policies become potential sources of compensation.

Property Owners and Business Operators

If the bite occurred on commercial property, the property owner or business operator may share liability. A business that allows dogs on the premises has a duty to ensure those animals do not pose a danger to customers and visitors. A store on Victory Blvd that allows dogs inside, a restaurant with an outdoor patio that permits pets, or a commercial establishment that fails to secure its property against stray animals may all face liability if a dog bite occurs on their premises.

Defenses the Owner May Raise

Dog owners and their insurance companies commonly raise several defenses to reduce or eliminate liability:

Provocation. The owner may claim you provoked the dog, causing it to bite in self-defense. Under California law, provocation must be more than minor or incidental contact. Petting a dog, walking near a dog, or making noise are generally not considered provocation. The burden of proving provocation is on the dog owner.

Trespassing. Strict liability under Section 3342 only applies when the victim is in a public place or lawfully on private property. If the owner can show you were trespassing, the strict liability statute may not apply. However, you may still have a negligence claim even if you were trespassing.

Assumption of risk. If you voluntarily placed yourself in a situation where a bite was foreseeable, such as interacting with a dog you knew was aggressive, the owner may argue you assumed the risk. This defense is difficult to establish and is rarely successful when the victim had no prior knowledge of the dog's temperament.

How to Establish Liability

Your attorney will build the liability case through several types of evidence:

LA Animal Services report. Filing a bite report with Los Angeles Animal Services creates an official record of the incident, identifies the dog and owner, and triggers a quarantine investigation.

Medical records. Treatment records from Valley Presbyterian Hospital or your doctor document the severity of the bite, the type of wounds, and the treatment required.

Photographs. Photos of your injuries taken immediately after the bite and throughout the healing process show the severity and progression of the wounds and any resulting scars.

Witness statements. Neighbors, bystanders, or other people who witnessed the attack or who have knowledge of the dog's prior behavior provide supporting testimony.

Prior incident records. If the dog has bitten before or has a history of aggressive behavior documented with Animal Services, this strengthens your case and may support a claim for punitive damages.

Multiple Liable Parties Means More Coverage

When multiple parties share liability for a dog bite, multiple insurance policies may be available to compensate your injuries. The dog owner's homeowner's or renter's insurance is the primary policy. A landlord's liability insurance may provide additional coverage. A dog walker's or sitter's professional liability insurance adds another layer. Each source of coverage increases the pool of available compensation.

A Valley Glen dog bite attorney at L&F Brown identifies all potentially liable parties and pursues every available source of compensation. Any lawsuit would be filed at the Van Nuys Courthouse West.

We offer free consultations and work on contingency. Visit our Valley Glen personal injury page or contact us directly to discuss your dog bite case.