Dog Bite Settlement Calculator + Strict Liability States

Medical bills (past + future)	$6,000
Lost wages and other losses	$1,500
Pain and suffering × 2–3 (moderate)	$12,000 – $18,000
Full value before fault	$19,500 – $25,500

Dog bite settlement: how the value is built

A dog bite claim is valued from the same parts as any injury claim: medical treatment (ER, antibiotics, rabies shots, stitches, plastic surgery), a multiplier for pain, fear and scarring, and lost income. Facial scars and bites to children push the multiplier up, because juries weigh permanent disfigurement heavily.

Multiplier bands used by the estimator (claims-practice conventions, not law)
Severity	Multiplier	Typical injuries
Minor	×1.5–2	Sprains, strains, whiplash or bruising; full recovery within weeks; mostly conservative care.
Moderate	×2–3	Simple fracture, concussion or injury needing months of treatment or therapy; full or near-full recovery.
Serious	×3–4	Surgery, hospital stay or long recovery; some lasting pain or limitation.
Severe	×4–5	Permanent impairment, disfigurement, chronic pain or a life-changing injury.

Strict liability vs. one-bite states

Whether you must prove the owner knew the dog was dangerous depends on the state. In 23 jurisdictions a statute makes the owner liable for a bite even if the dog never bit before, for example California and Florida.^[2]^[3] In 15 others, the common-law “one-bite” rule applies: the victim must show the owner knew or should have known of the dog’s dangerous tendencies, or that the owner was negligent, as in Texas.^[4] New York combines both: strict liability for medical costs from a dog previously found dangerous, and proof of known vicious propensities otherwise.^[5]

Dog bite liability rule, comparative fault rule and injury filing deadline by state
State	Fault rule	Dog bite rule	Deadline to sue	Statute
Alabama	Contributory negligence	Mixed	2 years	Common law; Williams v. Delta Int'l Machinery Corp., 619 So. 2d 1330 (Ala. 1993) (declining to adopt comparative fault) Ala. Code §§ 3-6-1, 3-1-3
Alaska	Pure comparative	One-bite / prior knowledge	2 years	Alaska Stat. § 09.17.060; Kaatz v. State, 540 P.2d 1037 (Alaska 1975) Common law (no general dog-bite statute)
Arizona	Pure comparative	Strict liability	2 years	Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 12-2505 Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 11-1025
Arkansas	Modified, 50% bar	One-bite / prior knowledge	3 years	Ark. Code Ann. § 16-64-122 Common law (no general dog-bite statute)
California	Pure comparative	Strict liability	2 years	Li v. Yellow Cab Co., 13 Cal. 3d 804 (1975) Cal. Civ. Code § 3342
Colorado	Modified, 50% bar	Mixed	2 years	Colo. Rev. Stat. § 13-21-111 Colo. Rev. Stat. § 13-21-124
Connecticut	Modified, 51% bar	Strict liability	2 years	Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-572h(b) Conn. Gen. Stat. § 22-357
Delaware	Modified, 51% bar	Strict liability	2 years	Del. Code Ann. tit. 10, § 8132 Del. Code Ann. tit. 9, § 913A
District of Columbia	Contributory negligence	One-bite / prior knowledge	3 years	Common law (Wingfield v. Peoples Drug Store, 379 A.2d 685 (D.C. 1977)); D.C. Code § 50-2204.52 Common law (former D.C. Code § 8-1812 repealed by D.C. Law 22-37, 2017)
Florida	Modified, 51% bar	Strict liability	2 years	Fla. Stat. § 768.81(6) (ch. 2023-15, HB 837) Fla. Stat. § 767.04
Georgia	Modified, 50% bar	Mixed	2 years	O.C.G.A. § 51-12-33(g) O.C.G.A. § 51-2-7
Hawaii	Modified, 51% bar	Strict liability	2 years	Haw. Rev. Stat. § 663-31 Haw. Rev. Stat. § 663-9
Idaho	Modified, 50% bar	One-bite / prior knowledge	2 years	Idaho Code § 6-801 Common law (no general dog-bite statute)
Illinois	Modified, 51% bar	Strict liability	2 years	735 ILCS 5/2-1116 510 ILCS 5/16 (Animal Control Act)
Indiana	Modified, 51% bar	Mixed	2 years	Ind. Code § 34-51-2-6 Ind. Code § 15-20-1-3
Iowa	Modified, 51% bar	Strict liability	2 years	Iowa Code § 668.3 Iowa Code § 351.28
Kansas	Modified, 50% bar	One-bite / prior knowledge	2 years	Kan. Stat. Ann. § 60-258a Common law (no general dog-bite statute)
Kentucky	Pure comparative	Strict liability	1 year	Ky. Rev. Stat. § 411.182; Hilen v. Hays, 673 S.W.2d 713 (Ky. 1984) Ky. Rev. Stat. § 258.235(4)
Louisiana	Pure comparative	Strict liability	2 years	La. Civ. Code art. 2323 La. Civ. Code art. 2321
Maine	Modified, 50% bar	Mixed	6 years	Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, § 156 Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 7, § 3961
Maryland	Contributory negligence	Mixed	3 years	Common law; Coleman v. Soccer Ass'n of Columbia, 432 Md. 679 (2013) Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 3-1901
Massachusetts	Modified, 51% bar	Strict liability	3 years	Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 231, § 85 Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 140, § 155
Michigan	Modified, 51% bar	Strict liability	3 years	Mich. Comp. Laws § 600.2959 Mich. Comp. Laws § 287.351
Minnesota	Modified, 51% bar	Strict liability	6 years	Minn. Stat. § 604.01 Minn. Stat. § 347.22
Mississippi	Pure comparative	One-bite / prior knowledge	3 years	Miss. Code Ann. § 11-7-15 Common law (no general dog-bite statute)
Missouri	Pure comparative	Strict liability	5 years	Gustafson v. Benda, 661 S.W.2d 11 (Mo. banc 1983) Mo. Rev. Stat. § 273.036
Montana	Modified, 51% bar	Mixed	3 years	Mont. Code Ann. § 27-1-702 Mont. Code Ann. § 27-1-715
Nebraska	Modified, 50% bar	Strict liability	4 years	Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-21,185.09 Neb. Rev. Stat. § 54-601
Nevada	Modified, 51% bar	One-bite / prior knowledge	2 years	Nev. Rev. Stat. § 41.141 Common law (no general dog-bite statute)
New Hampshire	Modified, 51% bar	Strict liability	3 years	N.H. Rev. Stat. § 507:7-d N.H. Rev. Stat. § 466:19
New Jersey	Modified, 51% bar	Strict liability	2 years	N.J. Stat. Ann. § 2A:15-5.1 N.J. Stat. Ann. § 4:19-16
New Mexico	Pure comparative	One-bite / prior knowledge	3 years	Scott v. Rizzo, 96 N.M. 682, 634 P.2d 1234 (1981); N.M. Stat. Ann. § 41-3A-1 Common law (no general dog-bite statute)
New York	Pure comparative	Mixed	3 years	N.Y. C.P.L.R. § 1411 N.Y. Agric. & Mkts. Law § 123(10); Collier v. Zambito, 1 N.Y.3d 444 (2004)
North Carolina	Contributory negligence	Mixed	3 years	Common law; N.C. Gen. Stat. § 1-139 (burden of proof) N.C. Gen. Stat. §§ 67-4.4, 67-12
North Dakota	Modified, 50% bar	One-bite / prior knowledge	6 years	N.D. Cent. Code § 32-03.2-02 Common law (no general dog-bite statute)
Ohio	Modified, 51% bar	Strict liability	2 years	Ohio Rev. Code § 2315.33 Ohio Rev. Code § 955.28(B)
Oklahoma	Modified, 51% bar	Strict liability	2 years	Okla. Stat. tit. 23, § 13 Okla. Stat. tit. 4, § 42.1
Oregon	Modified, 51% bar	One-bite / prior knowledge	2 years	Or. Rev. Stat. § 31.600 Common law; Westberry v. Blackwell, 282 Or. 129 (1978)
Pennsylvania	Modified, 51% bar	Mixed	2 years	42 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 7102(a) 3 P.S. § 459-502(b) (Dog Law)
Rhode Island	Pure comparative	Mixed	3 years	R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-20-4 R.I. Gen. Laws § 4-13-16
South Carolina	Modified, 51% bar	Strict liability	3 years	Nelson v. Concrete Supply Co., 303 S.C. 243, 399 S.E.2d 783 (1991) S.C. Code Ann. § 47-3-110
South Dakota	Slight / gross	One-bite / prior knowledge	3 years	S.D. Codified Laws § 20-9-2 Common law (no general dog-bite statute)
Tennessee	Modified, 50% bar	Mixed	1 year	McIntyre v. Balentine, 833 S.W.2d 52 (Tenn. 1992) Tenn. Code Ann. § 44-8-413
Texas	Modified, 51% bar	One-bite / prior knowledge	2 years	Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 33.001 Common law; Marshall v. Ranne, 511 S.W.2d 255 (Tex. 1974)
Utah	Modified, 50% bar	Strict liability	4 years	Utah Code § 78B-5-818 Utah Code § 18-1-1
Vermont	Modified, 51% bar	One-bite / prior knowledge	3 years	Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. 12, § 1036 Common law (no general dog-bite statute)
Virginia	Contributory negligence	One-bite / prior knowledge	2 years	Common law (e.g., Litchford v. Hancock, 232 Va. 496 (1987)) Common law (no general dog-bite statute)
Washington	Pure comparative	Strict liability	3 years	Wash. Rev. Code § 4.22.005 Wash. Rev. Code § 16.08.040
West Virginia	Modified, 51% bar	Mixed	2 years	W. Va. Code § 55-7-13a W. Va. Code § 19-20-13
Wisconsin	Modified, 51% bar	Strict liability	3 years	Wis. Stat. § 895.045(1) Wis. Stat. § 174.02
Wyoming	Modified, 51% bar	One-bite / prior knowledge	4 years	Wyo. Stat. § 1-1-109 Common law (no general dog-bite statute)

What reduces a dog bite settlement

Provocation or trespass. Many strict-liability statutes do not protect a person who provoked the dog or was unlawfully on the property, and comparative fault can reduce the award.
Policy limits and exclusions. Homeowner’s and renter’s policies cover most bites, but some exclude certain breeds or dogs with a bite history.
Late filing. The deadline is usually the state’s personal injury period. Use the statute of limitations by state calculator.

What dog bite verdicts show

Animal attack cases are among the most winnable injury trials. In the federal survey of state court tort trials, plaintiffs won 75% of animal attack trials, and the median award to winners was $21,000, compared with $15,000 for car accidents.^[1] The figures are from 2005, the most recent national data published, so treat them as a floor.

For the after-fee amount use the settlement calculator; for other injuries, the personal injury settlement calculator and the car accident settlement calculator. A small bite claim can often go to small claims court: compare the small claims limit by state.

Frequently asked questions

How much is a dog bite settlement worth?

It depends on medical costs, scarring and fault. As a rough guide, medical bills × 1.5–5 plus lost wages; a moderate bite with $6,000 in medical bills and $1,500 in lost wages is roughly $19,500–$25,500 before fees. Facial scarring and injuries to children are valued higher.

Which states have strict liability for dog bites?

Most states have a statute making owners liable even without prior bites (for example California and Florida). Others, such as Texas, follow the one-bite rule, where the victim must show the owner knew the dog was dangerous or was negligent. The table on this page lists each state.

Who pays a dog bite settlement?

Usually the owner’s homeowner’s or renter’s insurance, up to the policy’s liability limit. If there is no coverage, the owner is personally responsible for a judgment.

Sources

Tort Bench and Jury Trials in State Courts, 2005 (NCJ 228129), by Thomas H. Cohen · U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, November 2009
Cal. Civ. Code § 3342: dog bite liability · California (official), checked November 2026
Fla. Stat. § 767.04: dog bite liability · Florida (official), checked November 2026
Common law; Marshall v. Ranne, 511 S.W.2d 255 (Tex. 1974): dog bite liability · Texas (official), checked November 2026
N.Y. Agric. & Mkts. Law § 123(10); Collier v. Zambito, 1 N.Y.3d 444 (2004): dog bite liability · New York (official), checked November 2026

Dog bite settlement calculator