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Legal Help for the Injured
While most pets never hurt anyone, there are frequent cases when dogs attack. Even a brief incident can leave you with a serious bite injury that will require immediate medical attention.
Because dog owners have a responsibility to protect others from harm caused by their pets, consulting with our skilled Toledo injury lawyers can help you understand your options. Our injury lawyers have worked with many animal bite victims, and we understand how important compensation can be when you are injured due to a dog bite.
Contact Kisling, Nestico & Redick to speak with one of our experienced dog attack lawyers in Toledo. We are familiar with how Ohio personal injury law will apply to your case.
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According to the Centers for Disease Control, there are almost 5,000,000 dog bites in the United States every year. Ohio has a significantly higher average than most states, ranking among the worst in the country for dog attacks.
Dog attacks frequently strike municipal or delivery workers as they travel into neighborhoods throughout the Toledo area for work. Furthermore, victims are often bitten by a dog when outdoors in recreational areas like the Maumee Bay State Park.
Some of the most alarming dog bite statistics include:
Toledo city and Ohio laws establish a dog owner’s responsibilities. For example, Toledo’s chapter 1706 of its local ordinances covers dog owners. Specifics include a duty to keep dangerous dogs secured in a cage or on a leash and to provide assistance if their dog bites someone.
Your dog bite law firm should be familiar with local laws and statutes as well as Ohio’s accident laws and duties for dog owners.
Ohio’s personal injury law may allow for your dog bite attorney to pursue a strict liability case against the owner for a dog that attacked you. This means that you will not have to show that the owners should have been aware of unreasonable dangers with their pets.
Instead, they are responsible since the dog in question is their property. No matter the details of your case, your attorney will have to successfully argue against the defenses of the other party if you are to recover compensation. Elements that must be demonstrated by your attorney include:
Ohio’s dog bite statute, Ohio Revised Code 955.28(B), imposes strict liability on the owner, keeper, or harborer of a dog for any injury, death, or loss the animal causes. A keeper is anyone who has custody or control of the dog when the attack happens, such as a dog walker or sitter, and a harborer is a person who controls the property where the dog lives and allows it to stay there. That broad scope is why our Ohio dog bite lawyers look beyond the legal owner to identify everyone who may be responsible.
The statute also reaches more than just bites. If a dog knocks you down, lunges at you, or otherwise causes an injury, the owner can still be strictly liable under ORC 955.28. The law does include limited exceptions: an owner is not liable if you were trespassing or committing another criminal offense, or if you were teasing, tormenting, or abusing the dog at the time. Understanding Ohio leash laws and an owner’s duty to restrain a dangerous animal often helps establish that the owner failed in their responsibilities.
The injuries that you sustain in a dog attack can be traumatizing, and you may be affected for a long time or even the rest of your life. Do not hesitate to seek emergency medical help after a bite from a dog or other animal.
It’s important for you to have legal counsel who understands how to determine the complete extent of your injuries.
As Toledo dog bite lawyers, we work with our clients’ doctors and therapists to determine the complete care you’ll need to get better. You cannot expect to recover appropriate compensation if your lawyer fails to do this.
Every dog bite is unique, and the damage can be extremely serious. A dog does not only have sharp teeth, but they instinctively bite in a fashion that allows them to inflict as much harm as possible. The tissue will often be ripped apart, and it can be difficult or impossible for it to heal fully.
Common injuries that victims sustain in a dog bite include:
Your health and wellbeing are in great danger in the event of a dog attack. The first thing that you must do is get yourself and your loved ones to safety. This can be very difficult in certain circumstances. Your injuries can make it hard for you to move, and your escape to safety can be blocked by a dangerous dog. Once getting to safety, call for emergency help. Police and medical first responders help many victims of dog attacks, and they know how to get you to safety and the help that you need. Once you are no longer in danger, we encourage you to take the following steps:
Fight for Everything You're Owed
Following a dog bite a person might seek compensation for:
Dog bite damages can look very different from other injury claims. Deep puncture wounds and torn tissue often lead to permanent scarring and disfigurement, and reconstructive surgery may be needed months or years later. Children are bitten more often than adults and can carry lasting emotional trauma, which is why claims involving a child bitten by a dog deserve special care. We account for both the visible injuries and the long-term effects when we value your claim.
Medical treatment and rehab related to dog bites can be long-term and costly. KNR has helped numerous dog bite victims get compensation for their needs. Let us guide you through the legal process, help you get treatment, negotiate with the insurance company, and fight for everything you deserve.
Speak with a Toledo dog bite lawyer today. Call KNR at 1-800-HURT-NOW for a free, no-obligation review of your case.
Immediately following a dog bite, you should see a doctor. Medical treatment is important for immediate injuries and to prevent infection. You might not be sure you need to see a doctor right away. We recommend you go to a doctor within 72 hours. The longer you wait, the more complicated your claim may become.
Going to a doctor also serves another purpose. By seeing a doctor right away, you document the dog bite and the harm it caused. This is important for proving that you have a right to compensation.
We recommend you call an experienced dog bite lawyer from Kisling, Nestico & Redick, right away. If the dog owner was in control of the dog at the time, your lawyer might file a claim against the owner’s home or renter’s insurance.
We also might recommend filing a personal injury lawsuit. Going to court might be necessary if there is no insurance coverage. It also is important if the insurer denied your claim or offered a low settlement. Proving you are ready to go to court can encourage an insurance company to settle for a fair amount.
Our legal team at KNR is not afraid to go to trial. We have handled many dog bite cases. We have a strong record of obtaining fair settlement or court awards for our clients.
The deadline to sue depends on the legal theory behind your claim. A strict liability claim under Ohio’s dog bite statute, ORC 955.28, generally must be filed within six years of the attack under ORC 2305.09. A claim based on common-law negligence is treated as a personal injury claim, so it must be filed within two years of the attack under ORC 2305.10. This is known as the statute of limitations.
Because the two-year window is the shorter of the two, you should never wait to see which deadline applies. These time limits only govern lawsuits. They do not apply to an insurance claim, and you need to get started on an insurance claim right away. If you wait for weeks or months, the insurer may deny your claim for compensation.
A dog bite can lead to two separate cases: a criminal case against the owner and your own civil claim for compensation. They are not the same. Under Ohio Revised Code 955.22 and 955.99, an owner who fails to properly restrain a dangerous dog can face a fourth-degree misdemeanor on a first offense. If the owner negligently fails to prevent a dangerous or vicious dog from seriously injuring or killing a person, the charge can rise to a third-degree felony, and a vicious dog that kills someone can result in a fourth-degree felony for the owner.
A criminal conviction punishes the owner, but it does not put money in your pocket. Your civil claim is what recovers your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. You can pursue your civil case whether or not the owner is ever criminally charged, and we handle that side for you.
Dog bite-related deaths are rare. But they happen. In 2023, the Centers for Disease Control recorded 96 dog-bite-related fatalities in the United States, and tracking organizations report that fatal attacks have trended sharply upward in recent years.
If you lost a relative because of dog bite injuries, call KNR immediately. We are here to handle a wrongful death claim based on a fatal dog attack.
Through a Toledo wrongful death lawsuit, we will seek compensation for:
Dog Bite
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What Makes KNR Special?
Since our inception in 2005, Kisling, Nestico & Redick has been dedicated to helping personal injury victims fight for the compensation they deserve after an accident affects their way of life. We have helped more than 10,000 people, and we’re ready to keep fighting for Ohioans and anyone who deserves compensation for their personal injury claims.
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Dog attacks are violent and can inflict terrible pain. It’s important to act without delay. Ohio’s statute of limitations can require personal injury claims to be filed within two years of the injury, depending on how your case is brought. This does not give your attorney a lot of time.
Our skilled Toledo dog bite lawyers know how to investigate your case. We will determine who is at fault and help you recover the damages you deserve. However, gathering evidence and negotiating with dog liability insurance companies may take longer than you think. Therefore, it’s strongly advised that you call our office as soon as possible after an attack.
Reach our Toledo personal injury team for a free consultation. Call 1-800-HURT-NOW and let us start fighting for the compensation you deserve.
Every dog bite case is unique, and your potential financial compensation depends on your or your loved one’s injuries. Generally, you should consider your medical bills, lost wages, pain, and suffering, and other damages in determining what your dog bite case is worth.
Under the law, the dog owner is liable for the injuries their dog causes. This extends to anyone in charge of caring for the dog at the time of the attack. This includes dog walkers, dog sitters, kennels, and doggy daycares.
It might depend on what you consider playing. If you annoyed, irritated, or provoked the dog, you might not be eligible for compensation. But if you believed your actions were friendly, talk with a Toledo dog bite lawyer.
Your eligibility is based on whether you had a right to be on the property. If you were explicitly or implicitly allowed to be there, you could bring a claim. However, if you were trespassing, you may not be entitled to compensation.
This can depend on the situation or where the dog bite occurred. In many cases the dog owner’s homeowner’s or renters insurance would apply, but there may be other policies to consider. For instance, businesses that work with animals usually have their own policies.
It depends on how your claim is brought. A strict liability claim under Ohio’s dog bite statute, ORC 955.28, generally must be filed within six years, while a negligence-based personal injury claim must be filed within two years of the attack. Because the shorter deadline can apply, you should speak with a Toledo dog bite lawyer as soon as possible.
Possibly. Ohio’s dog bite statute is not limited to bites. If a dog knocks you down, lunges at you, or otherwise causes an injury, the owner can still be held strictly liable for the harm. If you were hurt by someone’s dog without being bitten, it is worth having a lawyer review your case.
