Dog bites can cause permanent scarring on children and adults; and also often cause psychological injuries including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Dog owners have a duty to ensure that their dog is leashed and under control. Dog bite claims are most often established by proving the owner/landlord was negligent.

To establish the negligence of a dog owner/landlord for injuries due to a dog bite plaintiff must establish:   
(1) that the dog owner was under a duty to protect the plaintiff from injury
(2) that the owner breached that duty
(3) that the dog owner’s  breach of the duty proximately caused the loss or injury suffered by the dog bite victim
(4) that the dog bite victim suffered actual loss or injury. 

In some states, including Maryland, a dog owner whose dog is running “at large” will be “strictly liable” for injuries caused by the dog. What that means is that there is no need to prove the 4 elements of negligence if the dog is running around outside without a leash. The bottom line is that a dog owner or landlord who fails to exercise reasonable care in preventing someone else’s injury or fails to properly control the animal can be held liable for any injuries caused by the dog. Owners often attempt to defend dog bite claims by arguing that the victim was contributorily negligent.  A key aspect of whether a dog bite case is viable is whether the dog owner has liability insurance to pay any settlement or verdict (it is very hard to collect against an individual if there is no insurance). Such liability insurance is often contained in homeowner insurance policies. We have a track record of finding liability insurance coverage, overcoming the contributory negligence defense, and achieving six figure settlements for dog bite victims.