Atlanta Dog Bite Lawyer

Were you or your child bitten by a dog in Atlanta, GA?

At Burrow & Associates, LLC, we handle dog bite claims on contingency with no fee unless we recover.

If a dog bites you or your child in Atlanta, medical bills and other damages can usually be recovered from the dog owner’s homeowners or renters insurance policy. An Atlanta, GA dog bite lawyer at Burrow & Associates, LLC obtains the animal control record, establishes the owner’s liability under Georgia law, and presents the claim to that insurer. Our attorneys work on contingency and the consultation is free.

Dog Bite Lawyer Atlanta, GA

In Georgia, an owner or keeper is liable when a vicious or dangerous animal injures someone through careless management or by being allowed to go at liberty, provided the injured person did not provoke the attack.

The CDC estimated 368,245 people treated in emergency departments for dog bites in 2001, and approximately 42 percent of those injuries involved children aged 14 and under.

The statute provides two ways to establish that an animal was vicious or dangerous. The first requires proof that the owner knew of the animal’s propensity, which is shown through earlier incidents, complaints to animal control, or warnings the owner gave to others. The second applies where a city, county, or consolidated government ordinance required the animal to be at heel or on a leash and the animal was not at heel or on a leash when the injury occurred. The statute states that this showing is sufficient to prove vicious propensity. The City of Atlanta and the surrounding counties each maintain restraint ordinances.

Types of Dog Bite Cases We Handle in Atlanta

Dog attacks produce injuries ranging from puncture wounds to permanent disfigurement, and the responsible party varies with where the attack occurred. Our attorneys handle the following matters.

• Catastrophic injury. Attacks causing permanent impairment, including nerve damage, loss of function in a hand, and injuries requiring reconstructive surgery.
• Workers’ compensation. Delivery drivers, postal carriers, meter readers, utility workers, and home health aides bitten while working. A bite on the job produces a comp claim against the employer’s insurer and a separate negligence claim against the dog’s owner.
• Attacks on children. Bites to the face, head, and neck, which account for a disproportionate share of serious dog bite injuries.
• Facial injuries and scarring. Wounds where the permanent cosmetic result is the principal element of the damages.
• Off leash attacks in public. Incidents on sidewalks, in parks, and on trails, where a local restraint ordinance commonly applies.
• Attacks on private property. Incidents involving a guest, a contractor, or a delivery worker lawfully present at the location.
• Landlord and property owner claims. Claims against an owner who knew a dangerous animal was kept on the premises and retained the ability to require its removal.
• Attacks by a neighbor’s dog. Claims presented to a homeowners carrier where the parties know each other.
• Infection and secondary complications. Cases where the lasting injury resulted from infection following the initial wound, including the cost of rabies prophylaxis.

Why Choose Burrow & Associates, LLC as my Dog Bite Lawyer in Atlanta, GA?

Establishing Liability Under the Leash Ordinance

The two options under the dog bite liability statute call for different evidence. The knowledge route depends on what the owner knew, which is established through prior complaints, animal control records, veterinary history, and accounts from neighbors. The ordinance route depends on the applicable restraint ordinance, the location of the attack, and proof the dog was not leashed or at heel at that moment. Our attorneys request the animal control file and the responding agency’s report at the outset. Darrell L. Burrow has practiced as a personal injury lawyer in Atlanta, GA since 1992, and has experience litigating negligence claims when the carrier disputes them.

A Practice Devoted to Injured Georgians

Darrell L. Burrow founded this firm in 1996 and has represented injured plaintiffs in Georgia since his admission to the State Bar in 1992. His law degree is from the University of Alabama School of Law. He holds an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell. He is a member of The National Trial Lawyers and has been recognized under Super Lawyers standards.

The firm has recovered millions of dollars for injured Georgians across the range of injury claims. Dog bite cases are taken on contingency, with no fees owed unless we win. Consultations are free and confidential. 

What Is Important to Understand About a Dog Bite Case?

Damages, Liability, and Compensation for Dog Bite Cases

In Georgia, an award is reduced by the injured person’s share of responsibility under O.C.G.A. § 51-12-33, and a person assigned 50 percent or more recovers nothing. In dog bite cases that allocation usually turns on the provocation question, since the statute excludes recovery where the injured person provoked the attack. Recoverable damages include:

• Medical expenses. Emergency care, wound repair, infection treatment, plastic surgery, and projected revision procedures.
• Scarring and disfigurement. Valued separately where the cosmetic result is permanent and visible, and valued more heavily on the face and hands.
• Pain and suffering. Including documented psychological effects, which are common after an attack on a child.
• Lost income. Time away from work for treatment and recovery.
• Punitive damages. Available where the owner’s conduct was willful or showed conscious indifference, subject to the $250,000 limit.

What Are Important Aspects of a Dog Bite Case?

In Georgia, liability generally falls to the owner. However, there are some important exceptions that insurers exploit to avoid paying fair settlements. These are factors that influence most dog bite claims.

1. Provocation is the owner’s principal defense. What occurred in the moments before the bite is examined closely by the carrier.
2. Homeowners and renters insurance usually pays. These claims are presented to the owner’s property insurance rather than collected from the owner personally, though some policies exclude particular breeds or exclude animal liability entirely.
3. Animal control records support both routes. Prior complaint history supports the knowledge route, and the responding officer’s report documents whether the dog was restrained.
4. Photographs have a short window. Bite wounds change appearance within days, and the record of the original injury affects how the permanent result is valued.
5. Rabies protocol affects the medical record. Whether the animal was located and its vaccination status confirmed determines whether post-exposure treatment was required, and that treatment forms part of the damages.

What Is The Dog Bite Case Timeline?

Under O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33, a lawsuit must be filed within two years of the attack. A claim on behalf of an injured child is subject to different timing, because the limitation period does not run against a minor in the same way. These are the steps most personal injury cases take:

• Medical treatment and photographic documentation of the wound in its original condition
• The animal control report, the quarantine record, and any prior complaint history for the animal
• Identification of the owner’s policy and presentation of the claim to that carrier
• The treatment period, extending through wound healing and any scar revision procedure
• Valuation once the permanent cosmetic result is established, which can take a year or longer
• Negotiation, and suit where the carrier’s position does not match the record

What Should You Bring to Your Dog Bite Consultation?

Any evidence or documentation about the attack is helpful. The first meeting is about understanding what happened, sharing how the bite affected you, and determining whether it makes sense to take legal action against the dog’s owner. 

• Photographs of the injury. Images taken before the wound was closed or dressed, and images taken as it healed.
• The animal control or police report. Include the agency and the incident number.
• Medical records and bills. Emergency treatment, wound care, surgical repair, and any rabies prophylaxis administered.
• Information about the dog and its owner. The address, the owner’s name, and whether the animal was quarantined.
• Witness names and contact details. Including anyone who saw the dog loose before the attack.
• Any communication with the owner or an insurer. Messages, letters, and recorded statement requests.

Reach Out to Burrow & Associates, LLC to Schedule a Consultation

Whether the dog had bitten anyone before is only one of the questions Georgia law asks. Our attorneys will obtain the animal control record, determine which route to liability the facts support, and present the claim to the owner’s insurance carrier. Contact us for a free consultation with an Atlanta dog bite attorney.