Ohio Dog Bite Laws: Your Rights When a Dog Attacks
Dog attacks happen fast and leave victims dealing with serious injuries, mounting medical bills, and emotional trauma that lasts long after physical wounds heal. Ohio dog bite laws provide strong protection for victims, helping them feel supported and confident in their right to compensation, even when a dog has never bitten anyone before.
The critical fact: Ohio follows strict liability rules for dog bites. This means owners are responsible for injuries their dogs cause, regardless of the dog’s history or the owner’s knowledge of aggressive tendencies. Knowing this can help victims feel empowered to pursue their rights without needing to prove negligence.
Understanding Ohio’s Strict Liability Standard
Ohio Revised Code § 955.28 makes dog owners, keepers, and harborers liable for any injury, death, or loss caused by their dogs. This strict-liability approach removes major obstacles that victims face in other states.
Unlike states that follow the one-bite rule, Ohio doesn’t give dogs one free attack before owners face liability. Even if the dog never showed aggression before, even if the owner took every precaution, they’re still responsible when their dog injures someone.
This victim-friendly law recognizes that dog attacks cause serious harm regardless of the animal’s prior behavior. It places responsibility where it belongs: with the person who chose to own and control the animal.
Who Can Be Held Liable Under Ohio Dog Bite Laws
Liability extends beyond just registered owners. Dog owners bear primary responsibility for injuries their dogs cause. Keepers, people who temporarily care for or ccontrolthe dog, can be held liable. Harborers, those who allow dogs to reside on their property, face potential liability even without legal ownership.
This broad liability ensures victims can recover compensation even when ownership questions get complicated. If someone exercises control over a dog, they can be held responsible for the injuries it causes.
What Injuries Are Covered
Ohio dog bite laws cover more than just bites. The statute applies to any injury, death, or property damage caused by dogs:
- Bite wounds range from minor punctures to severe lacerations.
- Knock-down injuries occur when large dogs jump on or collide with people.
- Scratches and claw injuries.
- Injuries from aggressive behavior can occur even without direct contact.
The law protects victims from all types of dog-related injuries, recognizing that dogs can harm people in many ways beyond biting.
Exceptions to Strict Liability
Ohio dog bite laws include specific situations where owners aren’t liable. If you were committing criminal trespass or another crime beyond a minor misdemeanor, owners aren’t responsible. If you teased, tormented, or abused the dog, you’re not liable. When dogs protect themselves from attacks or abuse, owners aren’t liable.
However, these exceptions are narrower than many people think. Door-to-door salespeople aren’t trespassing even without permits. Children who wander onto property aren’t often considered trespassers under the law.
Beware of Dog signs don’t eliminate owner liability in Ohio. Courts recognize that warnings don’t prevent injury; proper control of dangerous animals does.
Special Protections for Children
Ohio law treats child victims differently from adults in important ways. Young children can’t be held to the same standard for provocation as adults. A child pulling a dog’s tail out of curiosity typically won’t trigger liability, as it might for an adult.
Children may not understand property boundaries or the concept of trespassing. Courts often protect child victims even when they technically trespassed. The law recognizes children’s developmental limitations and provides extra protections accordingly.
What You Can Recover in Dog Bite Cases
Successful dog bite claims can recover several types of damages:
- Medical expenses, including emergency treatment, surgery, medications, physical therapy, and future medical care.
- Lost wages for time missed from work during recovery.
- Pain-and-suffering compensation for physical pain and emotional distress.
- Scarring and disfigurementcauser permanent physical changes.
- Psychological trauma, including PTSD, anxiety, and fear of dogs.
- Property damage if the dog destroyed personal belongings.
Severe attacks involving permanent disfigurement or psychological trauma often result in substantial compensation awards reflecting the long-term impact on victims’ lives.
Ohio’s Dangerous Dog Classifications
Ohio law classifies dogs based on behavior. Nuisance dogs are those that are frequently at large, damaging property, or causing disturbances without causing serious harm. Dangerous dogs have caused injury without provocation, killed another dog, or been declared dangerous due to their behavior. Vicious dogs have seriously injured or killed people without provocation.
These classifications create additional requirements for owners, including registration, liability insurance, confinement requirements, and warning signs. Violations can result in criminal charges against owners.
Steps to Take After a Dog Bite
Immediate action protects both your health and your legal rights:
- Seek emergency medical treatment even for injuries that seem minor.
- Identify the dog and owner.
- Report the attack to animal control or police.
- Photograph your injuries over time.
- Save all medical bills and document missed work.
- Contact experienced Ohio dog bite lawyers before talking to insurance companies.
Insurance companies often minimize injuries or claim you provoked the attack. Having legal representation protects you from these tactics.
The Quarantine Requirement
Ohio law requires dogs that bite people to be quarantined for at least 10 days to observe for rabies. This public health measure protects victims from this deadly disease.
The local Board of Health handles quarantine enforcement and, if necessary, rabies testing. If the dog shows symptoms or can’t be located, you may need post-exposure rabies vaccinations, a series of shots that, while effective, are expensive and unpleasant.
Time Limits for Filing Claims
Unlike most personal injury cases with a two-year statute of limitations, Ohio gives dog bite victims six years to file a lawsuit. This extended deadline recognizes that some injuries, particularly psychological trauma and scarring, take time to manifest fully.
However, don’t wait to pursue your claim. Evidence disappears, witnesses forget details, and insurance companies are less likely to offer fair settlements over time.
Don’t Handle Dog Bite Cases Alone
Dog attacks cause serious physical and emotional trauma that deserves full compensation. Ohio’s strict liability laws make it easier to hold owners accountable, but insurance companies still fight to minimize payouts.
You need experienced legal representation that understands Ohio dog bite laws and knows how to maximize compensation for your injuries.
Attorneys Bruce Taubman and Brian Taubman have recovered millions for injured Ohioans. They know how insurance companies operate and what it takes to win your case. Contact us today for a free consultation to discuss your dog bite injury and learn about your rights under Ohio law. Learn more about personal injury topics on our blog.
