Bicyclists face plenty of dangers from careless drivers on California roads. They sometimes also endure threats from dogs who aren’t leashed and decide to chase cyclists. The end result may be a painful dog bite. Injured cyclists will wonder who is responsible for their recovery. California is a “strict liability” dog-bite state. This means dog owners bear responsibility when their dogs bite someone.  In some states, the dog must have bitten someone in the past before owners can be held accountable. In California, the pet owner can still bear legal liability for a bite injury even if the dog had never displayed aggressive behavior before.  One factor personal injury victims must show is that they were in a public place or lawfully in a private place when they were bitten. In other cases, bicyclists can attempt to sue dog owners even if they aren’t bitten, but wreck or are struck while trying to evade the dog. A claim for damages is filed questioning whether the dog owner was guilty of negligence for not properly restraining the dog.