Dog Bite Lawyers

My Dog Bit Someone on My Property

  • The Fee Is Free Unless You Win®.
  • America's Largest Injury Law Firm™
  • Protecting Families Since 1988
  • 20 Billion+ Won
  • 1,000+ Lawyers Nationwide

Free Case Evaluation

Tell us about your situation so we can get started fighting for you. We tailor each case to meet our clients' needs.
Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances.
Our results speak for themselves

The attorneys featured above are licensed in Florida. For a full list of attorneys in your state please visit our attorney page.

My Dog Bit Someone on My Property

A dog attack is one of the most unpredictable injuries that can happen to anyone. No one is immune to dog attacks. While we can try to prevent them as much as possible, most animal attacks are not expected; no one ever expects that their sweet, loving pet could cause anyone injuries., and you typically don’t expect someone else’s friendly dog to cause you injuries. 

If your dog bit someone on your property, it is important to know your rights. What happens if your dog bit someone who was trespassing on your property? What if your dog has a history of attacking and biting people? The answer will always depend on the state you’re located in, but the same general rules can apply in many circumstances. If you need assistance, don’t hesitate to contact Morgan & Morgan. We can help you with your next steps. We have been handling dog bite cases for decades and are here to help. Contact Morgan & Morgan today to set up a free consultation. 

State Dog Bite Laws

The laws of dog bites vary depending on which state you’re located in. While some states operate on strict liability, others operate on the “one bite” rule. Further, some states allow you to bring a personal injury claim for any type of dog injury based on a negligence framework. 

The “One Bite” Rule

Under the “one bite” rule, an owner is only liable the first time a dog bites someone if they knew or should have known that the dog might act in a dangerous manner and was prone to biting. If the dog has never bitten someone before and the dog wasn’t dangerous in any way, the first bite is a “free bite,” and the owner won’t be held liable in most circumstances. After the first bite occurs, it essentially puts the owner on notice of the dog’s propensity to attack and bite. If the dog bites a second time, the owner will be held liable. 

To hold someone liable under the “one bite” rule, the following must be proven:

  • The dog had a propensity to act in a dangerous manner
  • The owner knew or should have known of these propensities
  • The animal’s dangerous propensity — attack or bite — caused damage to another person 

Defending Knowledge of Dangerous Propensity

As an owner whose dog bites someone, the plaintiff will be trying to prove that you knew or should have known of your dog’s propensity to act in a dangerous way. Your job, then, is to defend that and show that you didn’t know this and had no reason to know this. 

Some ways to defend this include the fact that the dog has never bitten anyone before, it isn’t used, kept, or trained as an attack or guard dog, and it is not of a breed that is considered to be dangerous. 

You could have friends, family members, and neighbors testify to the fact that your dog has never bitten anyone or shown any aggressive tendencies before, which would help defend the fact that you didn’t know and shouldn’t have known that your dog might bite someone.     

Strict Liability for Dog Bites

Strict liability applies for dog bites in many states. As opposed to having to show that the dog has bitten someone before or that the dog has a propensity to be dangerous, strict liability simply means that the owner is liable the first time the dog bites someone no matter what. It doesn’t matter that the dog was never dangerous before, has never bitten anyone before, and that the owner couldn’t have done anything to prevent the bite. No matter how careful the owner was, they can still be held strictly liable for that first bite.

There are some exceptions to strict liability, depending on which state you’re located in. Typically, the owner will not be held liable even in a strict liability state in the following situations: 

  • The person bit was trespassing 
  • The injured person provoked the dog
  • The dog was performing its duties as a police or military dog

Consequences of Dog Bites

Another question that is not uncommon is regarding what happens to a dog after it bites someone and the owner is found liable. As the injured party, this is of great concern. As the owner of the dog, this is also of great concern. Will your dog have to be given up? Will it be euthanized? This is a significant worry for everyone involved. 

The answer to this question depends again on the state. In some states, nothing happens, though the victim can certainly file a personal injury claim against you. In other states, your dog may have to be quarantined for a certain period of time. In other areas, your dog may be taken away from you or euthanized. Sometimes, you may just have to put a beware of dog sign out front. If you live in certain parts of the country, you may actually be required to move to a different area if you want to keep the dog. This is a question for a lawyer, as it is very location dependent. 

Damages

If your dog bit someone on your property and they filed a personal injury claim against you, you could have to compensate them for any injuries and harm they suffered. The most common examples of damages that could be paid out in a personal injury lawsuit include the following: 

  • Medical expenses
  • Plastic surgery
  • Physical pain and suffering
  • Emotional pain and suffering
  • Lost wages
  • Future lost wages
  • Lost earning capacity
Scroll down for more
FAQ

Get answers to commonly asked questions about our legal services and learn how we may assist you with your case.

Morgan & Morgan

  • What Should I Do After My Dog Bites Someone?

    Dog bites are traumatic to the victims. But when it’s your pet that bit someone, you might be incredibly worried about what to do next. You want to make sure the person they bit is okay, but you also want to make sure nothing negative is going to happen to your dog. This is totally understandable. 

    After your dog bites someone, make sure you confirm that your dog’s vaccines are up to date, especially their rabies vaccine. If they aren’t, you will need to inform the victim right away, as they and your dog will likely have to be quarantined. It’s important to always make sure your dog has its rabies vaccine.

    Additionally, if someone claims your dog bit them but you don’t believe it’s true, you should gather evidence to refute this claim. This could include witnesses or video footage. 

    If your dog did bite someone but they were trespassing or provoking your dog, you should do the same: see if there are witnesses who can testify or gather video footage that will refute the victim’s claim.

    Statute of Limitations

    The statute of limitation for animal bite cases is typically the same as the statute of limitation for every personal injury claim. However, the statute of limitation varies from one state to another. This statute of limitations puts a deadline on when a dog bite case must be filed. These deadlines can be from one year to six years. However, the most popular deadline is two to three years. This means that after the specified number of years has passed, victims are not eligible to file for an attack that had happened.

    This means that if your dog bit someone on your property and fails to file a lawsuit within that time frame, you can no longer be held liable for any damages they suffered, regardless of how strong their case would have been. 

  • Can Trespassers Who Are Bit by a Dog File a Lawsuit in Any States?

    In some states, trespassers are permitted to file a lawsuit if your pet attacked them on your property. If your state accepts a lawsuit by a trespasser, a trespasser might have a case even if they are thieves or burglars. In some states, a trespasser can file a lawsuit for a dog bite based on the owner’s negligence. 

  • What if the Victim Was Partially at Fault for the Bite?

    In some cases, even if the victim was partially at fault for the incident, they can still recover monetary compensation from you. This holds true in a strict liability state as well as those that are governed by “one bite” rules or negligence. When a plaintiff is partially at fault, the court will determine their percentage of responsibility, and any monetary compensation they are awarded will be reduced by that percentage. 

  • Contact Morgan & Morgan Today

    If your dog bit someone on your property and you are wondering if you can be held liable, it’s important to contact an experienced dog bite attorney right away. Morgan & Morgan has been handling dog bite cases for decades — for owners and victims — and will do whatever it takes to ensure that your case is handled appropriately. The attorneys at Morgan & Morgan understand that money isn’t the only thing at stake here; they will do whatever it takes to make sure your dog is safe and treated appropriately. When you hire us, you’re hiring a firm that cares about your case as much as you do. Contact Morgan & Morgan today for a free case evaluation. 
     

Scroll down for more Load More

How it works

It's easy to get started.
The Fee Is Free Unless You Win®.

Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances.

  • Step 1

    Submit
    your claim

    With a free case evaluation, submitting your case is easy with Morgan & Morgan.

  • Step 2

    We take
    action

    Our dedicated team gets to work investigating your claim.

  • Step 3

    We fight
    for you

    If we take on the case, our team fights to get you the results you deserve.

Settlement

$40,000,000

Customer Story

“I was in a difficult situation when I was injured by a faulty product. I was hesitant to seek legal help but with the help of Morgan & Morgan, they made the process easy. They took immediate action and got me the compensation I deserved. I couldn't have done it without them. I highly recommend their services.” Estate of Patricia Allen v. RJ Reynolds, et al. | 2014

Client success
stories that inspire and drive change

Explore over 55,000 5-star reviews and 800 client testimonials to discover why people trust Morgan & Morgan.

Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances. Based on Select nationwide reviews

  • Video thumbnail for 5l3q2e67j8
    Wistia video play button
  • Video thumbnail for yfe952tcop
    Wistia video play button
  • Video thumbnail for z1bqwg9hkl
    Wistia video play button
  • Video thumbnail for s5nb3hnvkv
    Wistia video play button
  • Video thumbnail for t4elibxene
    Wistia video play button
  • Video thumbnail for 5nr9efxqj3
    Wistia video play button
  • Video thumbnail for e8s1x6u5jp
    Wistia video play button