If you or your child has been bitten or attacked by a dog in New York, you have rights, and you likely have a real case. Segal Law Firm helps dog bite victims across New York City, Long Island, Westchester, New Jersey, and Connecticut recover the money they need to heal.
Dog bites are traumatic. Beyond the puncture wounds and scars, victims often face infections, surgeries, lost time from work, and lasting fear. We handle the insurance companies and legal deadlines while you focus on healing. There is no fee unless we recover for you.
How dog bite liability works in New York
New York uses a two-track system. A dog owner is strictly liable for your medical and veterinary costs the moment their dog bites you, no proof of fault required. To recover pain and suffering, lost wages, and other damages, you must show the owner knew (or should have known) the dog had 'vicious propensities', a prior bite, aggressive behavior, growling at strangers, or being kept behind 'Beware of Dog' signs.
In many cases, negligence also applies, a leash-law violation, an unlatched gate, a landlord who ignored complaints. New Jersey is even more claimant-friendly: it is a pure strict-liability state. Connecticut is too. Wherever the bite happened, we know how to prove it and who to hold responsible, usually through homeowners or renters insurance.
What you may recover
Emergency room & surgery costs
Reconstructive & plastic surgery
Scar revision (past & future)
Lost wages & earning capacity
Pain, suffering & emotional distress
PTSD & counseling costs
What to do after a dog bite
These seven steps protect your health and your case.
Get medical care immediately
Dog bites carry serious infection risk. Go to the ER or urgent care even if the wound looks small. Ask about rabies and tetanus.
Photograph everything
Wounds, torn clothing, the dog, the location, and the scene. Take new photos as bruises and scars develop over the following days.
Report the bite
File a report with NYC 311, the local police, or animal control. An official record proves the incident and starts the dog's bite history.
Get the owner's information
Name, address, phone, homeowners or renters insurance carrier, and the dog's rabies vaccination records.
Do not talk to insurance
The dog owner's insurer may call within days. Do not give a recorded statement or sign anything until you speak with a lawyer.
Call Segal Law Firm
We handle the claim, preserve evidence, and give you a clear plan, free, and with no obligation.
Why dog bite victims choose Segal
Personal attention
You speak directly with an attorney, not a screener. Same-day callbacks, clear updates, respectful care for children and scarring victims.
We prove 'vicious propensities'
Prior bites, complaints to landlords, 311 reports, animal control history, neighbor testimony, we dig up the record the insurer wants buried.
Trial-ready
Insurers offer more when they know your lawyer will actually try the case. We prepare every file for trial from day one.
No fee unless we win
Contingency only. You owe us nothing unless we recover money for you.
Experienced with child victims
Children make up the majority of serious dog bite cases. We handle infant compromise proceedings and long-term scar valuations.
Decades of NY trial experience
Segal Law Firm has represented seriously injured New Yorkers for decades, with the local knowledge insurers respect.
Related situations
Injuries like these sometimes overlap with other areas of law. These pages may be helpful background, whether any of them applies to your situation is something an attorney would need to review with you.
Animal control records get updated, witnesses forget, the dog can be moved or euthanized, and social media posts vanish. The earlier we're involved, the stronger your case.
Deep bite punctures carry a high risk of bacterial infection, including capnocytophaga and pasteurella.
Lacerations & tears
Torn skin and tissue often requires stitches, staples, or surgical closure, and leaves permanent scars.
Nerve damage
Bites to the hands, arms, or face can sever nerves, causing numbness, weakness, or chronic pain.
Broken bones
Large-breed attacks routinely crush finger, hand, and forearm bones, sometimes requiring pins or plates.
Facial injuries & scarring
Facial bites are especially common in child victims and often require reconstructive plastic surgery.
Disfigurement
Permanent scars are compensable in New York, and the value grows when they're on visible areas or affect a child's future.
Infection & rabies exposure
Sepsis, cellulitis, and rabies prophylaxis all count as recoverable medical harm.
PTSD & psychological trauma
Fear of dogs, nightmares, and anxiety are real injuries, especially for children. Counseling costs are recoverable.
A deeper look
How New York dog bite claims are proven, valued, and paid
New York's dog bite law blends an old common-law rule with a modern strict-liability statute. Understanding both tracks, and the deadlines and defenses that come with them, is the difference between a fair settlement and a denied claim.
The two tracks: strict liability and negligence
New York Agriculture and Markets Law § 121 makes a dog owner strictly liable for medical and veterinary costs the moment their dog bites someone, regardless of the dog's history or the owner's care in keeping it. No proof of fault is required for this piece of the claim.
Everything beyond medical bills, pain and suffering, lost wages, scarring, and emotional distress, requires proving the owner knew or should have known the dog had vicious propensities. Courts look at prior bites, growling or lunging at strangers, aggressive breed-specific training, chained or caged confinement, and 'Beware of Dog' signage as evidence the owner was on notice.
Negligence claims fill the gap
Separately, New York recognizes ordinary negligence theories against dog owners and third parties: a landlord who ignored complaints about a tenant's aggressive dog, a leash-law violation, an unlatched gate, or a store that allowed an unrestrained animal inside.
Negligence theories matter because they can open additional insurance coverage beyond the dog owner's homeowners policy, for example a commercial property's general liability policy if the attack happened on business premises.
Strict liability without borders: New Jersey and Connecticut
New Jersey (N.J.S.A. 4:19-16) and Connecticut (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 22-357) are pure strict-liability states. The owner is liable for all damages caused by the bite, medical bills and pain and suffering alike, with no need to prove prior vicious propensities. This makes cross-border cases, a New York resident bitten in New Jersey, or vice versa, more straightforward to prove, though the applicable law depends on where the bite occurred.
Statute of limitations and notice deadlines
A personal injury claim for a dog bite generally must be filed within three years of the incident under CPLR § 214. Claims against a municipality, such as a bite by a police K-9 or a dog on city-owned property, require a notice of claim within 90 days and suit within one year and 90 days.
New York's infancy toll extends the statute of limitations for child victims, but evidence, especially animal control records, witness memory, and the dog's own history, degrades quickly. Waiting to gather that proof is one of the most common ways strong dog bite cases get weakened.
3 years generally for personal injury (CPLR § 214)
90-day notice of claim against municipalities
1 year, 90 days to sue a municipality
Infancy toll available for child victims
Evidence and witness memory fade fast
Proving 'one free bite' isn't the whole story
The old myth that a dog gets 'one free bite' before an owner can be liable is only half true. It refers to the vicious-propensity standard for non-economic damages, not to medical bills, which are recoverable strict-liability under § 121 regardless of history. We build the vicious-propensity case using animal control complaint records, 311 call logs, veterinary behavioral notes, prior lawsuit or claim history, and statements from neighbors or mail carriers who had prior encounters with the dog.
Municipal shelters and animal control units keep bite and complaint histories that are discoverable and often decisive. We request them immediately, before records are purged or the dog changes hands.
Homeowners and renters insurance, and its limits
Most dog bite claims are paid through the owner's homeowners or renters insurance liability coverage, typically $100,000 to $500,000 per occurrence, sometimes with an umbrella policy layered on top. Some carriers exclude specific breeds or require a rider, and some policies exclude coverage entirely if the insured previously disclosed the dog's aggression.
When the homeowner has no insurance or is underinsured, we look for other responsible parties, a landlord, a dog-walking or daycare service, a property manager, or a business, whose own liability policy may respond.
Comparative fault and common defense tactics
New York applies pure comparative negligence (CPLR § 1411), so a victim's damages are reduced, not eliminated, by their percentage of fault. Insurers frequently argue the victim provoked the dog, trespassed, or ignored a warning sign, arguments that are especially aggressive, and especially unfair, when the victim is a young child.
We counter with scene evidence, witness statements, and expert testimony on canine behavior to show the attack was unprovoked and the owner's own conduct, not the victim's, caused the harm.
How dog bite cases are valued
Value turns on the severity and location of the wound, the number of surgeries, the permanence of scarring or disfigurement, psychological impact (especially cynophobia and PTSD in children), and lost income. Facial injuries requiring plastic surgery and hand or finger injuries that limit future work regularly command the highest settlements.
We work with plastic surgeons and, where warranted, mental health professionals to fully document both the physical and psychological toll before presenting a demand, ensuring the case reflects its true value rather than the insurer's first offer.
Dog bite claims we handle throughout the region
We represent dog bite and animal attack victims throughout Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, Long Island, and Staten Island, as well as clients bitten in New Jersey and Connecticut. Because liability rules and filing deadlines differ by state and by whether a municipality is involved, we tailor strategy to exactly where the attack happened.
Manhattan
Brooklyn
Queens
The Bronx
Staten Island
Long Island
Nassau County
Suffolk County
Westchester County
New Jersey dog bite claims
Connecticut dog bite claims
Municipal & K-9 attack claims
Frequently asked
Answers before you call
Can I sue if the dog never bit anyone before?+
Sometimes yes. New York's strict-liability rule covers your medical bills regardless of the dog's history. To recover pain and suffering, we show the owner had reason to know the dog was dangerous, growling at strangers, running loose, aggressive breed history, complaints from neighbors, or leash-law violations. In New Jersey and Connecticut, the owner is strictly liable for all damages, even without prior warning signs.
How much is my dog bite case worth?+
It depends on the severity of the injury, the permanence of scarring, whether surgery is needed, lost income, and the available insurance. Facial scarring on a child and hand injuries that affect work regularly settle for six figures. We give you a realistic value after reviewing your records, for free.
Who pays my medical bills?+
Almost always, the dog owner's homeowners or renters insurance. If the owner rents, sometimes the landlord's policy also applies. If the attack happened at work (delivery driver, postal worker), workers' compensation may cover initial bills while we pursue the third-party dog owner.
How long do I have to file a dog bite claim in New York?+
Generally three years from the date of the bite for personal injury. Child victims may have longer under New York's infancy toll. If a government-owned dog or property is involved, notice-of-claim deadlines can be as short as 90 days. Call us early, waiting almost never helps.
What if I was partially at fault?+
New York follows pure comparative negligence. Even if you're found partly responsible, you can still recover, your award is reduced by your percentage of fault. Insurers routinely exaggerate the victim's share, especially with children. We push back hard.
My child was bitten. Is the process different?+
Yes. Settlements for minors require court approval (an 'infant compromise'), and part of the recovery is placed in a protected account until the child turns 18. We handle every step and value future scar treatment realistically.
Do homeowners insurance policies cover dog bites?+
Most standard homeowners and renters policies cover dog bite liability, often with limits of $100,000 to $500,000, sometimes higher. Some insurers exclude specific breeds; we know how to look for umbrella coverage and other policies when the primary won't pay.
What if I don't know who owns the dog?+
Call us anyway. Animal control reports, 311 complaints, neighborhood surveillance, and witness canvassing frequently identify the owner. Don't assume your case is gone.
What does it cost to hire Segal Law Firm?+
Nothing upfront. We work on contingency, you owe no attorney's fee unless we recover money for you.
Are certain dog breeds automatically presumed dangerous in New York?+
No. New York does not impose breed-specific liability statewide, and many municipalities are barred from breed-specific bans. Liability turns on the individual dog's known behavior and the owner's or landlord's knowledge of it, not the breed alone, though breed can factor into a jury's assessment of foreseeability.
Can I sue my landlord if a neighbor's dog bit me?+
Sometimes. If the landlord knew about a tenant's dangerous dog, through complaints, lease violations, or a prior incident, and had the ability to remove the dog or the tenant, the landlord can share liability. We investigate management records and prior complaint history to determine if this applies.
What if the dog bite happened at someone's business?+
Commercial property owners and businesses that allow customers to bring dogs, or that keep a dog on premises, can be liable under general negligence and premises liability principles if they failed to control a known risk. We pursue the business's commercial general liability policy in these cases.
Do I need to prove the dog had a specific prior bite?+
No single prior bite is required. Growling, snapping, lunging, aggressive barking at strangers, being kept chained or in an enclosure marked 'Beware of Dog', or a documented history of aggressive behavior toward people or other animals can all establish that the owner had reason to know the dog was dangerous.
What happens if the dog owner has no insurance and no assets?+
We investigate every potentially responsible party, landlords, property managers, dog walkers, boarding facilities, and businesses, whose own insurance may respond. We also review the victim's own policies for medical payments or umbrella coverage that may apply.
Will the dog be euthanized because of my claim?+
That decision belongs to local animal control and the courts, not to your civil claim. Our job is to secure fair compensation for your injuries; we can advise you on how a bite report may affect the dog separately, but pursuing compensation does not require you to seek euthanasia.
Contact
Bitten by a dog? Let's talk today.
Free, confidential consultation. No fee unless we win. Serving New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut.
