California dog bite law in Costa Mesa
The owner pays for any bite in public or where you were lawfully, with no proof of past viciousness needed. That is Cal. Civ. Code 3342(a) and it covers a bite anywhere in Costa Mesa.
You have 2 years to file a lawsuit (Cal. Code Civ. Proc. 335.1). A claim can settle with the owner's insurer sooner, but the date still matters.
One more California rule to know. Claim against a public agency: present it within 6 months (Cal. Gov. Code 911.2).
Read the full California dog bite laws for the exceptions and the rules on shared fault.
Reporting the bite and filing in Orange County
Report the bite to OC Animal Care, report an animal bite. Give the date, the place, the dog and the owner's name if you know it. The report also becomes a record for your claim.
The law requires every bite that breaks the skin to be reported and OC Animal Care's Rabies Control Desk takes those reports for the county. Civil cases go to the Orange County Superior Court, based in Santa Ana.
If the claim does not settle, it is filed with the Superior Court of California, County of Orange.
Costa Mesa dog bite lawyer: what the free call covers
- Whether California's rule fits what happened and what the owner knew about the dog.
- Whose policy pays, usually the owner's home or renters insurance.
- Your own last day to file, which comes sooner against a public body.
Want a rough number first? The settlement calculator asks three questions.
