If you or a loved one has suffered a dog bite, an Indianapolis dog bite lawyer can provide legal representation to determine if you are entitled to compensation for your injuries from the animal attack. Call us for a free legal consultation with an Indianapolis personal injury lawyer.
In this Article
Do I Need a Lawyer for an Indianapolis Dog Bite Incident?
Understanding Dog Bite Laws in Indiana
Indiana law (§ 15-20-1-3) does not have a strict liability law for most dog bites—an owner isn’t automatically responsible. Instead, the ability of injury victims to recover compensation for injuries caused by a dog typically depends on one of three circumstances:
Negligence: the dog/property owner failed to take reasonable steps to control or restrain their aggressive animal.
Prior knowledge of the dog’s history: the owner knew—or should have known—their dog had a history of prior vicious behavior. Though getting “one bite free” does not apply to a dangerous dog exhibiting aggressive behavior.
Strict liability: this applies only to public servants or government employees carrying out a specific state, federal, or postal duty (e.g., mail carriers, police officers, or utility inspectors).
Defenses That Could Affect Your Recovery
Even if the owner is at fault, they might argue that you provoked the dog or were trespassing on their property. These arguments could reduce or even prevent you from receiving compensation.
Act Before the Deadline
In Indiana, you have two years from the date of the incident to file a dog bite claim. If you miss this deadline, you may not be able to recover compensation for your injuries.
Indiana dog bite laws are complicated, and there are some exceptions to this time frame. Consult with an experienced dog bite lawyer to find out what applies in your case.
How Serious Is the Problem?
According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, there are 88 million dogs in the United States, and 4.5 million people are bitten by dogs each year. Children are often dog bite victims requiring extensive medical treatment.
What Should I Do If I Have Suffered a Dog Bite in Indianapolis?
If you or a loved one has been bitten by a dog:
Seek medical attention promptly and save the medical records. Even if minor, dog bite wounds can lead to serious infections that require ongoing infection treatment.
Report the dog bite incident to animal control and keep the official record.
Collect contact details from the dog owner and any witnesses.
Contact an Indianapolis dog bite attorney to discuss a dog bite injury claim.
Common Injuries Suffered in an Indianapolis Dog Attack
Get immediate medical attention following an attack from someone else’s dog. Common serious injuries include puncture wounds, facial injuries, lacerations, cuts, broken bones, and more severe injuries like nerve damage, rabies infection, and emotional trauma.
How Can a Dog Bite Injury Attorney Help?
It’s important for an injured person to know their legal rights and how a responsible party may be held liable. Our experienced dog bite attorneys can gather evidence (like witness statements), negotiate with the aggressive dog owner’s insurance company, and fight for your rights to ensure you get the compensation you deserve. If necessary, we can take your personal injury lawsuit to court.
What Compensation Can Indianapolis Dog Bite Victims Receive?
In Indianapolis, IN, a dog bite accident victim may be entitled to fair compensation for physical injuries, including physical pain and emotional suffering. Non-economic and economic damages may include:
Medical expenses, including current and future medical bills that might include ongoing medical care like hospital visits, surgeries, and physical therapy
Lost wages—income lost during recovery
Pain and suffering—physical and emotional distress like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
And more
How Much Is My Indianapolis Dog Bite Claim Worth?
Our experienced attorneys estimate a fair settlement for an Indianapolis dog bite case, taking into account the facts of the specific incident. Factors can include the severity of the injuries, amount of medical expenses, lost wages during recovery, amount of insurance coverage available, impact on the victim’s quality of life, and degree of negligence on the part of the dog’s owner.
Call The Kryder Law Group, LLC Accident and Injury Lawyers, Today
The dog bite injury lawyers in our personal injury law firm have comprehensive knowledge of dog bite law. We have a proven track record of helping dog bite victims manage insurance claims to seek the maximum compensation they deserve. We work on a contingency fee basis, so you pay nothing for the legal process unless we recover compensation for you.
Schedule Your Free Consultation
Our legal team offers free consultations for victims with animal attack injuries, giving prospective clients a meeting with a personal injury lawyer who will review their personal injury case, explain Indiana law, discuss their legal options to pursue compensation, and answer their questions.
Get help from an Indianapolis dog bite accident lawyer when you've suffered injuries from an attack by a dog.
$7.5 Million
Recovery for a construction worker injured when a support wall fell and struck him. (Highest award on record for a construction injury in DuPage County at the time).
$3.2 Million
Recovery for a construction worker injured when he fell in an uncovered foundation trench, ranking as the highest award on record for a construction injury in McHenry County at the time.
$3 Million
Recovery for the family of a man struck by a garbage truck that was making an illegal turn.
$2.2 Million
Recovery for a salesman injured in an automobile collision.
$2 Million
Recovery for a man struck by a speeding vehicle as he waited for the CTA bus.
$1.5 Million
Recovery for a truck driver that was struck by another car on the expressway while his vehicle was disabled.
$1.4 Million
Recovery for a computer programmer that slipped and fell in the washroom at work.
Recovery for a 38-year-old man who suffered neck and back injuries requiring lumbar and cervical disc replacement surgeries after a rear-end motor vehicle accident.
$800,000
Recovery for a pedestrian struck by a vehicle in a parking lot. At the time, this was the second-highest recovery on record in DuPage County for a similar injury.
$800,000
Recovered for a disputed wrongful death claim against a trucking company. The company denied they were involved in the collision.
$660,000
Recovery for a truck driver that was injured while unloading his trailer.
$550,000
Recovery for a person who slipped and fell in a grocery store.
$550,000
Recovery for a woman who injured her neck in a motor vehicle collision.
$500,000
Recovery for a pedestrian that was struck by a vehicle while standing on the sidewalk.
$500,000
$500,000 Policy limit settlement for a 48-year-old woman injured in a Cook County head-on collision after another driver made an unsafe left turn into traffic.
$460,000
Recovery for a truck driver that tripped and fell in the parking lot while making a delivery.
$450,000
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$425,000
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$425,000
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$415,000
Recovered for a woman that required neck surgery after aggravating an existing neck injury in a truck accident.
$400,000
Recovery for a lab technician injured while transporting equipment.
$370,000
Recovery for a construction worker injured on faulty equipment at a construction site.
$315,000
Recovery for a motorist struck by a falling utility pole.
$310,000
Recovery for a person injured in a motor vehicle collision.
$300,000
Recovery for a bicyclist struck by a vehicle.
$300,000
Recovery for a 16-year-old girl who suffered a skull fracture after her e-bike struck a metal driveway marker placed along the roadway.
$250,000
Recovery for a young woman struck by another vehicle.
$250,000
Recovered for a woman who sustained a partial finger amputation and other injuries in a rollover car accident. (Policy Limits)
$250,000
Recovered for a man injured in a motor vehicle collision.
$250,000
Recovered for a 60-year-old woman involved in a car accident. (Policy Limits)
$250,000
Recovered for a man hit by a semi-truck while operating a go-cart.
$250,000
Recovered for an individual who suffered a severe knee injury after a slip and fall on a wet floor at a Will County retail store.
$240,000
Recovery for the injured party struck by another vehicle.
$235,000
Recovery for a person injured in a motor vehicle collision.
$235,000
Recovery for an inventory clerk injured when shelving toppled onto her.
$219,000
Recovery for a restaurant patron that slipped and fell in the bathroom.
$200,000
Recovered for an airline employee struck on the runway at O’Hare International Airport.
$190,000
Recovery for a person injured in a motor vehicle collision.
$175,000
Recovered for a child injured by fireworks at a fourth of July celebration.
$170,000
Recovered for a person injured when she slipped and fell exiting a major retail store.
$150,000
Recovered for a woman who fractured her leg when she was struck by a vehicle.
Latisha S.
Great service. They helped me get my money, and everyone was very pleasant even though the health insurance took a while. Everything was on point on Kryder’s side.
(312) 223-1700