# What if a dog knocked me down but did not bite?

Canonical: https://californiapersonalinjurylaws.com/guides/dog-knocked-me-down/

Reviewed by Andrew (Andy) R. Gillin; publisher reported approval on 2026-11-04. Original review date was not supplied.

## Short answer

A dog can cause harm without a bite. The dog-bite law does not automatically cover a knockdown. Other rules, such as negligence, may apply.

## Hypothetical example

A loose dog runs into a person. They fall and break a wrist.

## How the rule works

Negligence means a failure to use reasonable care. For a knockdown, the owner’s conduct and the dog’s behavior may matter. Do not assume the bite-specific statute covers every dog injury.

## What can change the answer

How the owner controlled the dog may matter. So can what they knew and how the fall happened.

## A useful next step

Save witness names and proof of how the dog caused the fall.

## Court decisions behind this answer

### Drake v. Dean (1993)

15 Cal.App.4th 915, pp. 923–932. The court said dog-owner negligence has its own rules. It is not limited to proof that the dog had known dangerous traits.

Limit: A fall caused by a dog does not prove a claim by itself. The owner’s care and the cause still matter.

Source: https://law.justia.com/cases/california/court-of-appeal/4th/15/915.html

## Sources

- [California Civil Code § 1714 — Responsibility for harm](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CIV&sectionNum=1714.)
- [CACI No. 400–401 — Negligence and the standard of care (2026 edition)](https://courts.ca.gov/system/files/file/judicial_council_of_california_civil_jury_instructions_2026.pdf)
- [Civil Code § 3342 — Dog bite liability](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CIV&sectionNum=3342.)
- [Drake v. Dean (1993) 15 Cal.App.4th 915](https://law.justia.com/cases/california/court-of-appeal/4th/15/915.html)

General information, not legal advice.