Protect your rights, contact us today!
Protect your rights, contact us today!
A dog bite lawyer at Cobb Personal Injury represents people injured by dogs and other animals. We prove the owner’s liability under Georgia law, deal with their insurer, and handle your claim in-house through trial. Georgia generally allows two years to file. Call (770) 627-3221 for a free case review.
A dog owner in Georgia is liable when they knew their dog was dangerous, or when they broke a local leash or animal-control law and the dog was running loose. Georgia is not a pure strict-liability state, so a claim usually turns on one of those two paths, not on the bite alone.
The first path is the owner’s knowledge. If the dog had bitten or shown aggression before, and the owner knew it, that knowledge can establish liability. The second path is a local ordinance. Most cities and counties, including those in Cobb County, have leash laws, and an owner who let a dog roam in violation of one can be held liable when that dog bites someone. We investigate both paths, because the right one depends on the dog’s history and where the bite happened.
The steps you take after a dog bite protect both your health and your claim. The order below puts your health first, because animal bites carry infection risk, then preserves what proves the case.
Get medical care promptly, dog bites can cause serious infection, including from rabies, even when the wound looks minor
Identify the dog’s owner and get their name, address, and any information about the dog’s vaccination history
Report the bite to Cobb County animal control or local police, which creates an official record
Photograph your injuries, the location, and the dog if you can do so safely
Get names and contact information for any witnesses
Keep records of all medical treatment and any torn or bloodied clothing
Call a lawyer before giving a statement to the owner’s insurance company
These claims are often paid through the owner’s homeowner’s or renter’s insurance, which means an adjuster may get involved quickly. Talking to a lawyer first protects you from an early statement being used to reduce your claim.
Most of these claims are paid by the dog owner’s homeowner’s or renter’s insurance, not out of the owner’s pocket. This matters, because it means seeking compensation is usually a claim against an insurance policy, not a personal attack on a neighbor, friend, or family member, which is often who owns the dog.
These policies commonly cover such injuries, though some exclude specific breeds or a dog with a bite history. We review the available coverage and identify every source that can pay for your medical care and other losses. Where the owner has no insurance, we look at other options based on the specific facts of your case.
These injuries range from puncture wounds to permanent disfigurement, and the severity drives what a claim is worth. We handle the full range, and we build the claim around the complete medical picture, including future surgery and the lasting effects these injuries leave behind.
Common injuries from these attacks include puncture wounds and lacerations, infections, nerve and tissue damage, broken bones, scarring and disfigurement, and the emotional trauma that often follows an attack, especially for children. Facial injuries and scarring are common in bites to children and frequently require plastic surgery, so we account for both the physical and the psychological cost.
Children are the most common victims, and their injuries are often the most serious because bites to a small child frequently strike the face, head, and neck. A child’s dog bite case requires particular care, both for the medical reality and for how the claim is handled.
Georgia law gives a minor more time to bring a claim. The two-year clock generally does not start until the child turns 18, though acting sooner protects evidence and gets the child treatment. We handle these cases with attention to long-term needs like reconstructive surgery and counseling, and we account for the lasting impact rather than settling for what covers only the immediate medical bills.
You can recover compensation for the financial and personal harm an attack causes. Once the owner’s liability is established, the owner and their insurer are responsible for your damages.
Recoverable damages typically include:
Medical expenses, current and future, including surgery, reconstructive care, and rabies treatment
Lost wages and reduced future earning capacity
Pain and suffering and emotional distress
Scarring and disfigurement
Counseling for psychological trauma, especially for child victims
What a single case is worth depends on the severity of the injury, the permanence of any scarring, and the strength of the liability evidence. We evaluate your case directly rather than quoting an average.
Cobb Personal Injury handles dog bite cases in-house, from the first investigation through settlement or trial, without referring your case elsewhere. The attorney who reviews your case is the one who carries it through.
Our work starts with establishing liability under Georgia law, the dog’s bite history, any prior complaints, and whether a leash or animal-control ordinance was violated. We gather the animal-control report, veterinary and vaccination records, witness statements, and your medical records, then identify the insurance coverage that applies. We deal with the insurer so you are not pressured into an early lowball, and we build the claim around the full cost of your injury, including future care and scarring. If the insurer will not offer a fair settlement, we are prepared to try the case.
Because we work on a contingency basis, there is no fee unless we recover for you.
You may have a case if the owner knew their dog was dangerous, or if they violated a leash or animal-control law and the dog bit you while at large. Georgia does not impose automatic liability for every bite, so the owner’s knowledge or a leash-law violation is usually the key. A free consultation is the fastest way to find out.
No. Georgia generally requires showing that the owner knew the dog was dangerous, or that the owner violated a local leash or animal-control ordinance and the dog was loose. This is different from states where an owner is automatically liable for any bite, which is exactly why the investigation into the dog’s history and the local law matters.
The statute of limitations for most dog bite injury claims is two years from the date of the bite. For a child, the two-year period generally does not begin until the child turns 18. Even so, acting early protects evidence like the animal-control report and the dog’s history.
Most of these claims are paid through the dog owner’s homeowner’s or renter’s insurance, not the owner personally. Some policies exclude certain breeds or a dog with a prior bite. We review the available coverage to identify every source that can pay for your care.
The claim is against their insurance policy, not against them personally, which is how most of these cases work. Homeowner’s and renter’s policies are designed to cover exactly this kind of injury. Pursuing a claim does not have to mean a personal dispute with someone you know.
You may still have a claim if the owner violated a leash or animal-control ordinance and the dog was loose when it bit you, even with no bite history. The leash-law path does not depend on the owner knowing the dog was dangerous. We look at both the dog’s history and the local law that applied.
Cobb Personal Injury handles dog bite cases on a contingency basis, which means there is no fee unless we recover compensation for you. Your initial consultation is free.
Injured by a dog in Marietta or Cobb County? Cobb Personal Injury establishes the owner’s liability, deals with the insurance company, and handles your case in-house through trial. Call (770) 627-3221 or request a free case review.
If you need a dog bite injury lawyer, call Cobb Passional Injury as soon as possible. Georgia law gives victims two years from the day of the attack to file a claim. But the longer you wait the more likely you are to lose evidence or misplace records. Call a personal injury lawyer today so we can get started on your behalf.
In the event you or someone you love has been bitten by a dog, contact a Cobb Personal Injury attorney to learn more about your rights and legal options. We may be able to help you recover damages and get you the compensation you deserve.
If you have questions about your case or need immediate legal assistance, please complete the confidential contact form.