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Reviewed by David Gammill, California trial attorney · Last reviewed: September 24, 2026
If a dog bit you in Gardena, California law puts the responsibility on the dog’s owner. Under Civil Code § 3342, an owner is strictly liable for a bite when the victim was in a public place or lawfully on private property, whatever the dog’s history and whatever the owner knew. Most California dog-bite lawsuits must be filed within two years. Gammill Law Accident & Injury Lawyers represents dog-bite victims in Gardena and across the South Bay. The firm has recovered more than $100 million for California clients across verdicts and settlements. Its results include a $21.1 million wrongful death verdict, a $16 million school sexual abuse verdict, and a $12 million whistleblower retaliation verdict; every case is different, and prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Most injury cases turn on proving that someone was careless. A California dog-bite case usually does not. Under Civil Code § 3342, the state’s dog-bite statute, the questions are whether the dog bit you and whether you were lawfully where you were; the dog’s past and what the owner knew do not matter. California is a strict-liability state for dog bites, and our plain-English answer to that question explains the narrow exceptions, which reach trespassers, police dogs in defined situations, and people whose paid work is handling dogs. If the same dog had bitten before, § 3342.5 places added duties on the owner to prevent the next bite, and that earlier history becomes evidence. A dog that hurts you without biting, by knocking you down or off a bike, is not a § 3342 case, but it can still be an ordinary negligence claim, which is why the investigation below matters just as much.
Most people hesitate to bring a claim against a neighbor or a friend, but a dog-bite claim is usually paid by insurance, not out of anyone’s pocket. Homeowner’s and renter’s liability coverage commonly pays dog-bite claims, so the case is typically handled by an insurance company. That reality cuts both ways: the adjuster works for the insurer, and an early, friendly offer is almost always priced before the true cost of scar revision, therapy, or a child’s future care is known. A landlord can sometimes be reached where the landlord actually knew a tenant’s dog was dangerous and could have acted. And in the rare case of a police K-9 or an animal the city itself controlled, a public entity may be responsible, which changes the deadline sharply: a written government claim is generally due within six months under the Government Claims Act deadline, and in Gardena that entity would be the City of Gardena, which runs its own police department and its own animal control.
California law entitles a bite victim to the full measure of damages: emergency care and every later stage of treatment, including reconstructive and scar-revision surgery; counseling for trauma, which is common after an attack and especially important for children; lost income while you heal; and non-economic damages, meaning compensation for pain, disfigurement, and the lasting fear many victims carry after the wounds close. What any case is worth depends on its own facts, and no outcome is ever guaranteed. What we will not do is recommend a settlement before the full picture of your injuries is known.
Strict liability reaches the owner, but the investigation does not stop there. Depending on the facts, a claim may also reach a person who was keeping or controlling the dog when it attacked, a landlord who actually knew a tenant’s dog was dangerous and could have removed it, or a business that kept or was responsible for the animal. If the dog had bitten before, that earlier history strengthens the case, which is one more reason the animal-services report matters. We identify every party whose responsibility or insurance may stand behind your recovery, and we name defendants from the facts, not from a template.
Most California dog-bite lawsuits must be filed within two years of the bite under Code of Civil Procedure § 335.1, the state’s two-year statute of limitations. The clock runs differently for children, and it is far shorter when a public entity is involved, as noted above. The practical deadline is earlier than any legal one, because animal-control records, witness memories, and photographs are all at their strongest in the first days. A Gardena dog-bite lawsuit is filed at the Los Angeles Superior Court, Southwest District, Torrance Courthouse, 825 Maple Avenue, the court that hears injury cases arising in Gardena.
No. Section 3342 applies regardless of the dog’s history or what the owner knew, so a first bite is fully covered. If the dog had bitten before, § 3342.5 adds duties on the owner to prevent the next bite, and the earlier report becomes strong evidence.
Report it to the City of Gardena’s own Animal Services Division, under Code Enforcement, at (310) 217-6171 or animalcontrol@cityofgardena.org. Gardena runs its own municipal animal control rather than contracting the service out, and dog licensing is mandatory under Gardena Municipal Code Chapter 6.02, administered through DocuPet, which often makes the owner and the dog easy to identify.
Yes, as long as you were there lawfully, such as an invited guest or someone doing a job the law sends onto the property. Trespassers are the exception. Being on private property does not defeat a § 3342 claim when you had a right to be there.
Nothing upfront. We work on a contingency fee, so a fee is collected only if we win. Our guide to what a personal injury lawyer costs walks through the fee math.
Gammill Law represents dog-bite victims in Gardena and throughout the South Bay, including Torrance, Hawthorne, Lawndale, Carson, Inglewood, El Segundo, Redondo Beach, Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Lomita, and the Palos Verdes Peninsula. Our Torrance personal injury attorney page covers the firm’s full range of practice areas. For other Gardena injury cases, start at our Gardena personal injury attorney page, and you can also read our Torrance dog bite page.
Gammill Law represents dog-bite victims in Gardena and across the South Bay. If a dog attacked you or your child, a free, confidential conversation will tell you whether you have a claim and what deadlines apply. We work on a contingency fee under a written contingency fee agreement that complies with California law, so there is no fee unless we win.
Get your free case evaluation or call 310-750-4149. You will speak with people who handle these cases, and you will pay no fee unless we win.
This page is attorney advertising and general information, not legal advice for any specific situation. Deadlines and outcomes are fact-specific; consult a licensed California attorney about your own circumstances. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
