Dog Bite Injuries: Understanding Legal Rights and Compensation Options

Understanding Dog Bite Law

A dog bite can leave you with serious injuries, medical bills, and lasting fear. If it happened in Georgia, it helps to understand when the owner is legally responsible and what you may be owed.

How Georgia Handles Dog-Bite Liability

Georgia is not a pure strict-liability state for dog bites. Generally, an owner can be held responsible if they knew the dog was dangerous or had a propensity to bite and failed to control it, or if the bite happened because the owner violated a local leash or animal-control ordinance. That ordinance angle matters, because breaking a leash law can establish the owner's liability even without prior knowledge that the dog was dangerous.

When the Victim's Conduct Is a Factor

If the injured person provoked the dog or was trespassing, that can reduce or defeat a claim. Georgia's comparative negligence rule also applies, so your recovery can be reduced by your share of fault, and eliminated if you are 50 percent or more at fault.

What You May Recover

A dog-bite claim can seek compensation for medical treatment, lost wages, scarring, and pain and suffering. Bites often involve infection risk and, in serious cases, reconstructive care, which is why documenting the injury and treatment early is so important.

What to Do After a Bite

Get medical care, report the bite to animal control, identify the owner and any witnesses, and photograph your injuries. Then talk to a dog bite lawyer before dealing with the owner's insurer. If you or your child was bitten in Marietta or Cobb County, we can tell you whether the owner is liable and what your claim may be worth.