If a dog attack has left you dealing with injuries, medical bills and time away from work, GoSuits handles dog bite cases in California, Texas and Illinois and can help you hold the owner, and any other responsible party, accountable. Dog owner liability laws vary by state, which can make a claim or lawsuit hard to resolve without the guidance of an experienced lawyer.
Dogs are among the most commonly kept pets in the United States, and they are a common sight in neighborhoods, parks and public spaces. Most encounters are harmless, but some lead to serious injuries. GoSuits attorneys can help you pursue compensation from those responsible for your dog bite or dog attack injuries.
In dog bite cases, insurance companies tend to treat the injury as minor and value it that way. At GoSuits, our attorneys handle dog bite cases as seriously as any other injury claim.
California and Illinois have strict liability laws, which means a dog owner can be held responsible even if the dog had never shown signs of aggression. Texas works differently: it has no general dog bite statute, and a claim usually depends on showing the owner knew the dog was dangerous (the “one-bite” rule) or was negligent in controlling it. Strict liability gives injured people firmer footing when an insurer returns with a low offer, and where it does not apply, strong evidence of the owner’s knowledge takes its place.
Insurers often challenge dog bite claims by arguing that the victim provoked the dog or had no right to be on the property. Our attorneys anticipate those arguments from the start of every case and come prepared with the evidence and legal strategy to answer them. Doing that groundwork early puts our clients in a stronger position at the negotiating table and in the courtroom.
Every claim we handle is built around the rules of the state where the attack happened.
Across California, Texas and Illinois, our lawyers handle dog bite cases involving:
Each client deserves to understand their rights before hiring a lawyer. Our attorneys share their legal knowledge beyond the courtroom through the guides in our knowledge base, which draw on years of representing injured clients and cover topics such as dog owner responsibilities, what to do after an animal attack, and how injury claims are resolved. An attorney reviews each guide before it goes live.
You are welcome to speak with our dog bite lawyers before you decide anything. Consultations are free, and there is no attorney fee unless we recover (case expenses may still be owed).
Key records start in the first 10 days. Official documentation of the incident starts in the first week and a half. Most areas require dog bites to be reported to the local health or animal control department. The dog is then confined and observed for a standard period set by public health officials to check for signs of rabies. The records created during that observation period document the dog’s identity, its owner and its vaccination status, and they are among the first documents an insurance company reviews.
Early dog history requests can strengthen your claim. Animal control files contain the recorded events before the attack. Previous bite reports, neighbor complaints and formal dangerous dog designations are tracked under each state’s dangerous dog laws. These records can be requested directly from the agencies that hold them.
Security camera recordings can disappear within days. Some home security cameras do not keep recordings unless the owner pays for a subscription plan, and some do not keep recordings at all. Business cameras near parks and sidewalks may capture the incident, but those recordings are often deleted after a set period. Requesting them early can make a real difference.
An injury changes quickly as it heals. The injury itself is evidence, and it needs to be captured early. Photographs and medical records from the days right after the attack help preserve the severity of the wounds before healing changes how they look.
The statute of limitations for most personal injury claims, including dog attacks, is two years in California, Texas and Illinois. Evidence and records should still be gathered as soon as the attack occurs.
Primary legal responsibility in most dog bite cases falls on the dog owner. Liability can be shared, though, depending on where the attack happened and who was handling the dog at the time.
Liability can also reach the person in charge of the dog, such as a sitter, a walker or a relative watching it for a few days. How that plays out depends on the state. California usually holds a non-owner caretaker to a negligence standard, while Illinois law defines “owner” broadly enough to include people who keep or care for the dog. Landlords and property managers can be held accountable too if they know a tenant’s dog has a history of aggression and fail to contain the dog or take safety precautions on the property.
Dog bite claims are mostly covered by homeowners and renters insurance policies. Some policies exclude certain breeds or dogs kept for business purposes. An umbrella policy, if the owner has one, may add coverage once the primary policy’s limits run out, which is why we look into every policy that could apply.
Most dog attacks happen in situations an owner could have controlled. Some of the most common include:
According to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), roughly 4.5 million people are bitten by dogs each year, and an estimated 800,000 of them require medical care.
Dog bite wounds can be more serious than they look and, unlike many other injuries, can be much harder to repair. Bites to certain areas of the body may damage tendons and nerves. Dog bites also carry a risk that most other injuries do not: if the dog’s rabies vaccination cannot be confirmed, doctors may recommend a series of preventive rabies shots.
Rabies is not the only concern. A dog’s mouth can also contain bacteria that cause infection and may require antibiotics or additional treatment.
Not every dog-related injury is a bite. A dog can knock someone down and cause a fracture or head injury without breaking the skin. In California, the strict liability rule applies to bites only, so a knockdown claim there usually depends on showing the owner was negligent.
Insurers also defend dog bite claims in their own way. Most dispute who is responsible, how severe the injury is and how it has affected the victim’s life. The best answer is to seek treatment right away and keep complete medical records.
Dog bite claim values depend on the injuries, the treatment they require, and how the incident has affected the person’s daily life and ability to work. Several factors matter:
Find out what your claim may be worth. Schedule a free consultation with our team, and we will review your case and give you a clear picture of your options.
Get medical care the same day. Your health comes first. Move away from the dog and get care the same day, even if the bite looks minor. Puncture wounds can be deeper than they appear, and early treatment lowers the risk of infection. A same-day visit also creates a medical record that links your injury to the attack, which makes it harder for an insurer to suggest the injury came from something else.
Report the bite and identify the owner. Report the bite to local animal control or the police, and get the owner’s name, address and phone number if you can. Ask for proof of the dog’s rabies vaccination as well. The report identifies the dog and its owner and becomes part of the official record of the incident.
Document your injuries and the scene. Photograph your wounds on the day of the attack and as they heal, and keep any torn or stained clothing in a sealed bag. Note the addresses of nearby homes or businesses with cameras so the recordings can be requested quickly. Then write down what you remember, including the time, the location, and what the dog and owner did, while the details are still clear.
Decline a recorded statement to the insurer. An adjuster from the owner’s insurance company may call soon after the attack and ask for a recorded statement. You have no legal obligation to give one, and simple comments about how you approached the dog or where you were standing can later be used to argue that you provoked it or had no right to be there.
Speak with a dog bite lawyer first. Before you speak with the insurer, schedule a free consultation with our team. We will review what happened, explain your options, and handle all communication with the insurance company so you can focus on your recovery.
How long do I have to file a dog bite lawsuit? In California, Texas and Illinois, you generally have two years from the date of the attack to file a dog bite lawsuit. That timeline can shift. When the person bitten is a minor, the clock may not start until they turn 18. Claims against a government agency often require formal notice within months rather than years. In California, that notice is usually due within six months. These exceptions depend on the facts, so it is worth confirming your deadline early.
How much does it cost to hire a dog bite lawyer? GoSuits handles dog bite cases on a contingency fee basis, so you pay no attorney fee unless we recover compensation for you. Your initial consultation is free. Medical bills and certain case expenses may still be owed, and we explain exactly how our fees work before you sign anything, so there are no surprises later.
How do I get a copy of the dog bite report? Dog bite reports are usually kept by the animal control agency or police department that responded. You can typically request a copy by contacting that agency directly, and some accept requests online. Access rules differ by location, and some agencies release reports only to the people involved. Once you hire GoSuits, we request the report and related records on your behalf.
Can I file a claim if I was bitten while working? Yes. If you were bitten on the job, such as while delivering a package or reading a meter, workers’ compensation may cover your medical care and part of your lost wages. You may also be able to bring a separate claim against the dog’s owner, since the owner is not your employer. That second claim can include damages workers’ compensation does not cover, such as pain and suffering. Coordinating the two claims takes care, because a workers’ compensation insurer may be entitled to repayment from the recovery.
What if the dog’s owner does not have insurance? Most dog bite claims are paid through homeowners or renters insurance, but not every owner has a policy. The owner may still be personally responsible for your damages, although collecting from an individual can be harder. Other parties, such as a landlord or a business that had custody of the dog, may carry insurance that applies. Your own health insurance can help cover medical bills in the meantime. We review every possible source of recovery before recommending a path forward.
Will the dog be put down if I file a claim? Filing a personal injury claim does not determine what happens to the dog. A claim seeks compensation from the owner or their insurance company for your injuries. Decisions about the dog, including restrictions or other measures, are made separately by animal control or the courts under local dangerous dog laws, and they usually depend on the severity of the attack and the dog’s history. Many people hesitate to file for this reason, so we are always glad to talk through any concerns during your consultation.
Related pages: dog bite attorneys in Chicago, slip and fall accident lawyers, wrongful death lawyers, and our guide to California dog bite liability under Civil Code 3342.