Expert Advocacy

Protecting Yourself from Dog Attacks in San Diego

While dogs provide wonderful companionship to families and individuals every day around the world, man’s best friend can also pose a danger of bites that can leave long-lasting harm to a victim. Although these attacks are often sudden and unexpected, steps can be taken to protect yourself and your loved ones from a dog bite incident in San Diego, so follow these tips.

Preventing a Dog Bite

In order to prevent an attack when encountering a dog, follow these steps:

• Do not interact with an unknown dog, and only interact with an animal when its owner gives permission.
• Do not interact with canines that are eating, drinking, restrained, sleeping, resting, injured, very old, or with their puppies. They will naturally be more defensive and more likely to attack.
• If in danger of an attack, prevent interaction with the animal and remain calm. Do not run away, as this will cause the dog to chase and attack you. Instead, stand still at a 90-degree angle to the dog, avoid eye contact, and slowly back away after it loses interest.

During a Dog Attack

If you are attacked by a dog, it is important to follow these tips in order to minimize injury and the duration of the attack:

• Give the animal any loose items you have, such as jackets and bags, to distract them and keep them from biting you.
• Put anything you can between you and the dog (tables, chairs, etc.) to stop it from getting close and biting.
• Loudly and authoritatively yell commands such as “No” and “Stop,” which the dog may be trained to obey.
• If you are knocked down, curl up on the ground with your legs tucked underneath you, head facing the ground, and hands behind your head and neck. This will minimize the damage that a dog can do while attacking.

While many dog attacks can be prevented every year, there are still many others that are unavoidable. When such attacks are the result of another’s negligence or reckless behavior, injured victims can seek compensation from the responsible party. If you or a loved one has been injured in such an incident, the San Diego dog bite injury attorneys can apply their years of experience to help you find compensation for your injuries. For more information on how we can aid you in your case, contact us.