Dog bites cause injuries that are worse than they first appear: puncture wounds that become infected, nerve and tendon damage in the hand, and facial scarring that leads to years of surgery when the person bitten is a child.
Blank Kim Injury Law handles dog attack claims across Maryland. We deal with the insurer and the animal control paperwork so the family can concentrate on treatment.
When a dog owner is responsible in Maryland
Maryland law helps people bitten by someone else's dog. When a dog causes injury, the law presumes the owner knew or should have known the dog was dangerous. The owner can try to rebut that presumption, but the starting point favors the injured person rather than requiring proof that the dog had bitten before.
Other things still matter to a claim:
- Where it happened. A bite in a public place, or while the dog was loose, is treated differently from one that happens to someone who was somewhere they had no right to be.
- Provocation. Insurers frequently argue the dog was provoked, especially when the person bitten is a child.
- Contributory negligence. Maryland can bar recovery entirely if the injured person is found even slightly at fault, which is why the account given to animal control and to doctors matters so much.
- Leash and local rules. County and city animal control rules can support a claim when they were being broken at the time.
Who actually pays a dog bite claim
Families often tell us they do not want to sue a friend, a relative or a neighbor. In most cases the money comes from insurance rather than from that person's savings:
- Homeowners insurance, when the owner owns their home
- Renters insurance, when the owner rents
- A landlord's policy, in some situations where the landlord knew about a dangerous dog on the property
- A business policy, when a bite happens at a workplace, a store or a grooming or boarding facility
Some policies exclude certain breeds or exclude dogs with a bite history, which is one of the first things we check.
What to do after a dog bite
- Get medical care. Puncture wounds carry a real infection risk, and a record from the first visit matters later.
- Report the bite to your county animal control or health department. The report documents the dog, the owner and the circumstances.
- Ask about the dog's rabies vaccination status, and give that information to the treating provider.
- Photograph the injuries as they heal, starting the first day, and photograph the location if you can.
- Get the owner's name, address and insurance information, plus contact details for anyone who saw the attack.
- Keep every bill and record, including time missed from work or school.
Be careful about signing anything the owner's insurer sends over, or giving a recorded statement, before you know the full extent of the injuries. A free case review costs nothing and can prevent an early mistake.
When the person bitten is a child
Children are bitten at face and neck height, so their injuries are more often serious and more often permanent. Claims involving children carry issues adults' claims do not:
- Scarring that requires revision surgery as the child grows
- Lasting fear of dogs and other psychological effects, which should be documented and treated
- Different timing rules for claims brought on behalf of a minor
- Court involvement in approving a settlement for a child, which protects the money until adulthood
What a dog bite claim can include
- Emergency treatment, wound care, antibiotics and rabies treatment when needed
- Reconstructive and plastic surgery, including future procedures
- Counseling and mental health treatment
- Lost wages, or a parent's time away from work to care for a child
- Pain, suffering, scarring and disfigurement
Maryland caps non-economic damages and adjusts that cap over time. Most Maryland injury claims must be filed within three years, and claims for children follow their own timing rules. Past results in other cases do not predict the outcome of yours.
