Priebe v. Nelson
Supreme Court of California · 2006
39 Cal.4th 1112, slip op., pp. 1–4
Reviewed by Andrew (Andy) R. Gillin
California State Bar #45226 ↗ · Approval recorded November 4, 2026
How we record review approvalWhat brought the case to court?
A worker at a kennel was bitten by a dog boarded there. She sought to hold the dog’s owner liable under the dog-bite statute.
The question before the court
How did the worker’s job and its risks affect her statutory bite claim?
What the court decided
The court applied the work-risk rule to that statutory claim. It also explained that other claims involving a known dangerous trait could raise different issues.
Where the rule has limits
This is a rule for a special work setting. It does not defeat every claim after a dog bite.
Read the actual decision
Priebe v. Nelson — full opinion ↗
Legal review is recorded above.
Questions this decision helps explain
Court decisions have distinct facts. Read the opinion and the qualifications in each guide before applying a rule to a different situation.