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The Limitations on New York Dog Bite Claims

Dog bite claims are very different from other types of personal injury cases.

If you’ve been injured in an unprovoked dog attack, you are most likely entitled to compensation for your medical expenses. Since New York employs a “strict liability” rule for dog bite claims, you do not have to establish the pet owner’s negligence to recover most costs associated with care.

1. Understand Your Rights After a Dog Attack

Dog bite victims have a legal right to obtain compensation for their injuries, but state law could determine and limit your right to recovery. In most cases, pet owners are strictly liable for a victim’s attack-related medical expenses but may not be liable for other types of damages or loss unless they knew, or had reason to know, that their dog was dangerous.

Proving negligence is not always possible, but establishing a pet owner’s irresponsibility could significantly impact the course of the case—and the size of your settlement.

1. Follow Through on Your Doctor’s Orders

Your top priority after being attacked by a pet dog should always be your health.

Aside from obtaining a diagnosis and determining your next steps, seeing the doctor serves a critical legal purpose: it creates a paper trail, ensuring that your injuries are documented and that an insurance adjuster or defense lawyer cannot easily contest their severity.

Far too many people think that experienced legal representation always comes at an unaffordable price. However, you do not have to pay a premium for a dog bite lawyer. You may not have to pay anything at all.

Dog bite lawyers know that most clients cannot afford high hourly rates or massive flat fees. We understand that medical treatment for your injuries may be costly.

So, instead of only representing New Yorkers with big bank accounts, personal injury attorneys work on a contingency fee basis. You do not pay anything upfront and we will not send you a bill unless we win your case.