What counts as a dog bite in California?
Imagine the scenario where German shepherd escapes from the confines of its house in California runs into the yard and seizes the leg of a workman on a ladder. The workmen falls from the ladder and injures himself, but he sustains no breakage of the skin as result of the dog’s mouth clamping his leg with its mouth. Does this count as a dog bite under California’s dog bite statute, Civil Code 3342? In California, this issue was addressed in Johnson vs. McMahon (Cal. App. 4 th Vol 68 Johnson v. McMahan (1998). California dog bite statute: Civil Code 3342 California Civil Code 3342 states: “The owner of any dog is liable for the damages suffered by any person who is bitten by the dog while in a public place or lawfully in a private place, including the property of the owner of the dog, regardless of the former viciousness of the dog or the owner’s knowledge of such viciousness.” [68 Cal. App. 4th 176]. Given the above example involving the Germ...