Dog Bite to a Child in Georgia

A dog bite can be especially frightening when the victim is a child. Children may suffer serious physical injuries, permanent scarring, nerve damage, and emotional trauma from a dog attack. In some cases, a child’s injuries can affect the child long after the wounds have healed.

If your child has been bitten or attacked by a dog in Georgia, it is important to take the injury seriously and preserve evidence about what happened. Georgia law may allow an injured child and the child’s family to pursue compensation from the person or parties legally responsible for the attack.

The Georgia Dog Bite Lawyer represents children and families injured in dog attacks throughout Georgia. Attorney Andrew Gebhardt has focused on representing people injured by dogs and other animals and has handled significant Georgia dog-bite litigation.

What Should I Do If My Child Is Bitten by a Dog?

Your child’s health and safety come first. After a dog attack, consider taking these steps:

1. Get medical attention

Even a bite that looks relatively small can cause infection, damage to nerves or tendons, or other injuries beneath the skin.

A medical professional should evaluate the injury, particularly if the bite involves the child’s face, hands, feet, joints, or another sensitive area.

Medical records can also become important evidence in a legal claim.

2. Report the dog bite

Depending on the circumstances, the incident may need to be reported to the appropriate local animal-control or public-health authority.

Reporting the attack can create an official record and may help authorities determine whether the dog presents a continuing danger.

3. Identify the dog and its owner

If it can be done safely, obtain the dog owner’s name and contact information. Find out whether the dog is owned by a person, lives at a particular residence, or is being kept by someone else.

Do not put yourself or your child at additional risk trying to obtain information from an aggressive animal.

4. Photograph the injuries

Take photographs of your child’s injuries as soon as possible and continue documenting the healing process.

For serious injuries, photographs taken over time can help show the development of scarring and the extent of the child’s recovery.

5. Preserve clothing and other evidence

If the dog tore or damaged your child’s clothing, keep the clothing rather than throwing it away or washing it.

Also preserve photographs, videos, text messages, social-media posts, medical records, receipts, and other information relating to the incident.

6. Identify witnesses

Write down the names and contact information of anyone who saw the attack or knows something about the dog’s history.

A witness may have information about what happened immediately before the attack, whether the dog was properly restrained, or whether the dog had previously behaved aggressively.

Can a Child Recover Compensation After a Dog Bite in Georgia?

Potentially, yes.

Georgia law provides a cause of action in certain circumstances when a person is injured by a dog or other animal. One important Georgia statute is O.C.G.A. § 51-2-7, which addresses liability when an owner or keeper carelessly manages or allows an animal to go at liberty and the animal injures someone.

Whether an owner or keeper is legally responsible depends on the facts of the particular incident.

Important questions can include:

• Where did the attack occur?
• Was the dog properly restrained?
• Did the owner or keeper know, or should the owner or keeper have known, that the dog presented a danger?
• Did the owner violate a leash or animal-control law?
• Did the child provoke the dog?
• Was the child lawfully present where the attack occurred?
• Were there witnesses?
• Did the dog have a history of aggressive behavior?
• What injuries did the child suffer?

A Georgia dog-bite attorney can evaluate these facts and determine what legal theories may apply.

Does Georgia Have a “One-Bite Rule”?

Georgia dog-bite law is more complicated than simply asking whether the dog has bitten someone before.

In some circumstances, evidence that the owner knew or should have known about the dog’s aggressive or dangerous behavior can be important. But a prior bite is not necessarily required for an injured person to have a claim.

For example, evidence concerning prior aggressive behavior, violations of leash requirements, the circumstances in which the dog was being kept, or other facts may be relevant to determining liability.

The specific facts matter.

What If the Dog Had Never Bitten Anyone Before?

A previous bite is not necessarily required.

Georgia law can impose liability based on circumstances other than a documented prior bite. For example, the way a dog was managed or restrained, applicable local ordinances, and evidence concerning the dog’s behavior may all be relevant.

This is particularly important after an attack on a child because families sometimes hear from a dog owner:

“The dog has never bitten anybody before.”

That statement does not, by itself, determine whether the owner is legally responsible for your child’s injuries.

What If the Dog Bit My Child in Someone’s Home?

A dog attack can occur at a relative’s home, a friend’s home, a neighbor’s property, an apartment complex, a rental property, or just about any other location.

The fact that your child was visiting the property does not automatically determine whether there is or is not a legal claim.

The circumstances surrounding the child’s presence, the dog’s location and behavior, warnings provided by the owner, applicable Georgia law, and other facts may all matter.

It is also important to determine whether homeowners or renters insurance may provide coverage for the claim.

What If the Dog Was Off-Leash?

An unleashed or improperly restrained dog can be an important fact in a Georgia dog-bite case.

Georgia communities may also have local animal-control and leash requirements. A violation may provide important evidence concerning how the dog was being kept or managed.

However, an attorney should examine the specific ordinance and circumstances rather than assuming that an off-leash dog automatically establishes liability.

What If the Dog Owner Says My Child Provoked the Dog?

Dog owners and insurance companies sometimes argue that the injured person provoked the animal.

That issue can be particularly important when the victim is a child.

The circumstances should be investigated carefully rather than accepting the owner’s characterization of what happened. Witness statements, photographs, video, medical records, and other evidence may help establish what actually occurred.

A child’s age and understanding of the circumstances may also be relevant to the legal analysis.

What Injuries Can a Child Suffer From a Dog Attack?

Dog attacks can cause much more than a temporary puncture wound.

A child may suffer:

• Facial injuries
• Scarring
• Disfigurement
• Nerve damage
• Tendon or muscle damage
• Infection
• Fractures
• Puncture wounds
• Lacerations
• Psychological trauma
• Fear or anxiety
• Permanent impairment

Facial injuries can be particularly significant for children because scars may remain visible for decades and can change as the child grows.

Serious injuries may require emergency treatment, surgery, plastic surgery, physical therapy, psychological treatment, or additional medical care.

Can a Dog Bite Cause Permanent Scarring?

Yes.

A child’s skin may continue to change as the child grows, and scars from a serious dog attack can remain visible long after the original wounds have healed.

When evaluating a claim involving scarring or disfigurement, it may be important to document the injury over time and obtain appropriate medical or specialist evaluations.

The long-term consequences of a child’s injury should not be judged solely by how the wound looks shortly after the attack.

Who Pays for a Child’s Dog-Bite Injuries?

Depending on the circumstances, compensation may potentially come from a dog owner’s homeowners or renters insurance policy or from another potentially responsible party.

The availability of insurance coverage depends on the specific policy and circumstances.

Families should be cautious about giving recorded statements or signing documents for an insurance company before they understand their legal rights.

The insurance company’s interests are not necessarily the same as your child’s interests.

What Damages May Be Available for a Child’s Dog Bite?

The damages available in a particular case depend on the circumstances and applicable Georgia law.

Potential damages can include compensation relating to:

• Medical treatment
• Future medical treatment
• Surgical procedures
• Rehabilitation
• Scarring and disfigurement
• Physical pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Other consequences of the child’s injuries

A serious childhood injury may also have consequences that are difficult to measure immediately after the attack.

That is one reason it can be important to understand the potential long-term effects of the injury before resolving a claim.

How Long Do I Have to File a Dog-Bite Claim for a Child in Georgia?

The deadline for bringing a legal claim can depend on several factors, including the child’s age, the nature of the claim, the identity of the potentially responsible parties, and other circumstances.

Georgia has statutes governing the time in which personal-injury claims must be brought, but special rules can apply when the injured person is a minor.

Do not assume that you have unlimited time because the victim is a child.

If your child has been seriously injured, it is prudent to have the applicable deadlines evaluated promptly. You can read more about statutory deadlines here.

What Evidence Is Important in a Child Dog-Bite Case?

The sooner evidence is preserved, the better.

Potentially important evidence can include:

• Photographs of the child’s injuries
• Photographs of the location
• Photographs or video of the dog
• The dog’s identifying information
• Animal-control records
• Veterinary records where legally obtainable
• Medical records
• Medical bills
• Witness statements
• Surveillance video
• Text messages
• Social-media posts
• Clothing damaged during the attack
• Evidence of prior incidents or aggressive behavior
• Applicable leash or animal-control records
• Insurance information

A lawyer investigating the case may also seek information that is not readily available to the family.

What If My Child Was Attacked but Not Bitten?

A dog does not necessarily have to leave a bite wound for an attack to cause a serious injury.

For example, a dog may knock a child to the ground, causing a fracture or head injury, or cause another physical injury while chasing or attacking the child.

The legal analysis depends on what happened and the applicable law.

For that reason, families should not assume that there is no potential claim simply because the child’s skin was not broken.

Should I Talk to the Dog Owner’s Insurance Company?

You may be contacted by an insurance adjuster after a dog attack.

The adjuster may ask questions about what happened, your child’s injuries, medical treatment, or other details of the incident.

Before providing a recorded statement or accepting a settlement, consider speaking with a Georgia dog-bite attorney about your child’s rights.

An early settlement may not account for future medical treatment, permanent scarring, or other consequences that have not yet become apparent.

A Dog Bite Can Affect a Child Long After the Wound Heals

Parents naturally want to see their child return to normal as quickly as possible.

But a serious dog attack can affect a child in ways that are not immediately obvious.

A child may develop a lasting fear of dogs. A facial scar may become more noticeable as the child grows. A nerve injury may cause continuing symptoms. Medical treatment may continue for months or years.

For these reasons, evaluating a child’s dog-bite claim requires looking beyond the initial emergency-room bill.

The goal is to understand both the child’s injuries today and their potential consequences in the future.

Georgia Dog Bite Attorney for Injured Children

If your child has been bitten or attacked by a dog, you do not have to determine Georgia dog-bite law on your own.

The Georgia Dog Bite Lawyer represents victims of dog bites and animal attacks and can investigate the circumstances of the attack, identify potentially responsible parties, evaluate available insurance coverage, and pursue compensation when appropriate.

Attorney Andrew Gebhardt has extensive experience representing people injured by dogs and has handled significant dog-bite litigation in Georgia.

If your child has suffered a serious dog bite, facial injury, scarring, nerve damage, or other injury, contact The Georgia Dog Bite Lawyer to discuss what happened.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a dog have to have bitten someone before for the owner to be liable in Georgia?

No. A prior bite is not necessarily required. Liability can depend on the circumstances of the attack, the way the animal was managed, applicable law, and evidence concerning the dog’s behavior.

What if my child was bitten by a neighbor’s dog?

A neighbor’s ownership of the dog does not automatically determine liability. The circumstances of the attack, the dog’s management, applicable Georgia law, and available insurance should be investigated.

What if my child’s dog-bite injury leaves a scar?

Scarring and disfigurement can be significant components of an injury claim, particularly when the victim is a child. The potential long-term impact should be evaluated rather than assuming the injury is minor because the wound has closed.

What should I do if my child is afraid of dogs after an attack?

Tell the child’s medical providers about the emotional effects of the attack. If appropriate, seek professional evaluation and treatment. Psychological effects can be a significant part of the consequences of a serious dog attack.

How much is a child dog-bite case worth in Georgia?

There is no reliable standard value for a child dog-bite case. The potential value depends on factors such as the severity and permanence of the injuries, scarring, medical treatment, pain and suffering, emotional consequences, liability, available insurance, and other circumstances.

Contact The Georgia Dog Bite Lawyer

A dog attack can be a traumatic experience for an entire family. If your child has been injured, obtaining appropriate medical care and preserving evidence should be your first priorities.

If you would like to discuss your child’s dog-bite injury with a Georgia attorney, contact The Georgia Dog Bite Lawyer at 678-DOG-BITE.

This page provides general information about Georgia law and is not legal advice. Every dog-bite case is different. The law can change, and the outcome of a particular case depends on its facts. You should consult a qualified Georgia attorney about your specific situation.