Legal Question in Consumer Law in California
Veternary Malpractice
After purchasing a puppy from a breeder I discovered the dog had a hip problem.The breeder recommended a Vet who assured me that the dog would walk normal after he performed surgery. I agreed to the surgery. But a week or so after I picked the dog up I found a swelling on the dogs side. When I returned to the Vet he claimed it was a bug bite. But suspicion sent me to another Vet who said it was a burn. He said it was common for a Vet to place a dog on a warmer during surgery.When I confronted the original Vet he admitted thats what happened. I also asked the Vet why my dog was now walking on the top of her paw and he admitted that not all surgeries go right. He said we should contact his insurance.But now his insurance claims we have to prove that the Vet did what he did. We want to take him to small claims but need to know the prededence and/or how do we go about proving our case.And lastly what would we ask small claims to award us.
1 Answer from Attorneys
Re: Veternary Malpractice
The best way to prove the case if have another vet testify that the treating vet was negligent. You can sue for the price you paid for the dog.