In a harrowing incident that underscores the dangers of negligent pet ownership, a resident of Santa Clara County has filed a lawsuit following a vicious dog attack. Kiran Rajkumari, the plaintiff, submitted her complaint on May 2, 2025, in the Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara against Ikuyo Yamada and unnamed defendants referred to as DOES 1 to 25.
The lawsuit stems from an incident on May 4, 2023, when Rajkumari was attacked by two unleashed dogs while taking a morning break at her workplace's business complex in Santa Clara. According to the complaint, these dogs aggressively circled her before one of them bit her right arm. The brown dog responsible for the bite is identified as "Amandine," owned by Yamada. Despite attempts by the owners to restrain their pets, the damage had already been done.
Rajkumari asserts that she did nothing to provoke the dogs and was unaware of their presence until they attacked. The attack left her with physical injuries requiring medical attention at Instant Urgent Care in Santa Clara and psychological trauma necessitating psychiatric care due to flashbacks and anxiety. Investigations conducted by local animal control authorities confirmed Amandine's involvement and revealed it was not her first biting incident.
The plaintiff accuses Yamada and other defendants of negligence for failing to control their dogs properly. She cites specific violations under Title 6, Chapter 6.30 of Santa Clara’s ordinances mandating that dogs be leashed or confined appropriately. Furthermore, Rajkumari invokes California Civil Code section 3342 which holds dog owners strictly liable for damages caused by their pets' bites regardless of prior knowledge about their viciousness.
Representing Kiran Rajkumari is attorney Garry Barbadillo from the Law Office of Garry D. Barbadillo located in Milpitas, CA. The presiding judge is yet to be named in Case No.: 25CV464995.