Granada Hills, CA asked in Animal / Dog Law for California

Q: Neglegent vet did blood work on my dog did not call me to discuss his results. Can i sue the vet

Now my dog is blind and diabetic. I need to spend thousands of dollars for his medical bills.

He needs insulin and eye surgery, this could have been avoidable if he was not negligent gent and doing his professional job

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1 Lawyer Answer
William John Light
William John Light
Answered
  • Animal & Dog Law Lawyer
  • Santa Ana, CA
  • Licensed in California

A: You could sue in Small Claims court for your damages, if any.

Your recovery would be limited to the value of property damage (the value of a similar breed, age, gender, sightless dog versus one with sight), OR the expense for treating the damage (the cost of treating the blindness). The vet did not cause diabetes, in all likelihood, so that is not part of the damages equation.

We are assuming that the blindness was preventable, but that is also an issue that would have to be addressed through testimony of another veterinarian after examination of your dog and review of your dog's veterinary records.

Further, you should get a copy of the veterinarian's records concerning your pet. I would wager that there are references to an attempt(s) to contact you with the results of the blood work. Even if there is not, there was nothing preventing your from calling on your own, so I am not confident that you have a winning case.

You might file a complaint with the Veterinary Medical Board if there was no attempted contact. https://www.vmb.ca.gov/consumers/comp_inf.shtml.

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