You should seek medical help immediately. Wild animal attacks are one of the most frightening personal injuries anyone can experience. And getting the necessary medical treatment should be your top priority.

Afterwards, your next step is to consult with a lawyer who can help you evaluate if you have a legal claim. In California, wild animals are considered to be inherently dangerous. Thus, those who decide to keep wild animals in captivity are strictly liable for damages and injuries that the animals might have caused. Under strict liability, owners of wild animals can be held liable for injuries even if they took reasonable care to prevent such harm.

You may also have a legal claim depending on where the animal attack occurred.

If the attack happened on a private land, you have to prove that the property owner is negligent in preventing the injury. Property owners are not strictly liable for wild animal attacks on their land. But they do have a duty of reasonable care to anyone who uses their property.

On the other hand, some states and local government can be held responsible if the attack happened on public land. However, that’s not the case in California. The California Torts Claim Act protects government entities from liability caused by natural conditions on unimproved public land. Wild animals are considered to be a natural part of an unimproved public property. And the government is not required to provide warning signs of such dangers.

To make sure that you receive just compensation for your injuries and suffering, it is a must that you find a lawyer who has experience in handling animal attack cases. Take care.