New York Dog Bite Resource Center: What Are Your Rights After a Dog Bite in New York?

A dog attack can change a person’s life in seconds. What begins as an ordinary walk, a visit to a friend’s home, a delivery, or a child’s interaction with a pet can result in puncture wounds, torn tissue, nerve damage, infection, permanent scarring, reconstructive surgery, lost income, and lasting emotional trauma. After addressing immediate medical concerns, injured people and their families often face another set of questions: Who is legally responsible? Will homeowners or renters insurance cover the claim? What evidence should be preserved? How long do you have to file a lawsuit? What happens if the dog belongs to a friend, relative, tenant, or neighbor?

New York dog bite law has also changed significantly. In its April 17, 2025 decision in Flanders v. Goodfellow, the New York Court of Appeals confirmed that an injured person may pursue strict liability when an owner knew or should have known that a dog had vicious propensities. Significantly, the Court also overruled prior precedent to the extent it prevented ordinary negligence claims for injuries caused by domestic animals. New York now recognizes a two-pronged approach: depending on the facts, an injured person may pursue strict liability, ordinary negligence, or both.

At Greenstein & Pittari, LLP, we created this New York Dog Bite Resource Center to give injured people and their families one comprehensive place to understand their rights. The resources below address what to do after an attack, New York dog bite laws, insurance coverage, liability, settlements, permanent scarring, future medical care, claims involving children, workplace dog attacks, apartment building cases, and other issues that can affect compensation. If you or someone you love has been injured by a dog anywhere in New York, call Greenstein & Pittari, LLP at 1-800-VICTIM2 (1-800-842-8462) for a free consultation. There are no upfront attorney’s fees, and you pay no attorney’s fee unless we recover compensation for you.

Where Should I Start After a Dog Bite in New York?

If you were recently bitten or attacked by a dog, start by protecting your health and preserving information you may later need to establish liability and damages. Dog bite cases can become much more difficult when the dog’s or owner’s identity is uncertain, photographs were never taken, witnesses disappear, surveillance footage is erased, or important statements about the dog’s prior behavior are forgotten. Prompt medical treatment is also important because seemingly limited puncture wounds can involve infection, tendon or nerve damage, and scarring that may not be fully apparent immediately after the attack.

You do not need to understand every aspect of New York dog bite law immediately. The most useful approach is to start with the issue affecting you now, then use this Resource Center to explore related questions. Someone bitten yesterday may need guidance about medical treatment, reporting the attack, photographs, witnesses, and communications with an insurance carrier. Someone who has already completed months of treatment may instead need information about permanent scarring, plastic surgery, settlement value, insurance limits, or whether a proposed settlement adequately accounts for future damages.

The cornerstone resources below provide a foundation for understanding a New York dog bite claim. Our What to Do After a Dog Bite in New York: A Step-by-Step Guide explains the immediate steps that can protect both your health and your legal rights. Our New York Dog Bite Statute of Limitations guide addresses filing deadlines and special procedural rules. The New York Dog Bite Insurance Claims Guide explains how homeowners, renters, commercial, and other liability insurance may apply. Our New York Dog Bite Settlements and Verdicts guide covers the factors that can affect a claim’s value.

What Should I Do Immediately After a Dog Bite in New York?

After a dog bite, your priority should be getting appropriate medical care. Dog attacks can cause much more than visible cuts or puncture wounds. Teeth can damage nerves, tendons, muscles, and other structures beneath the skin, while an attempt to escape an attacking dog can result in fractures, falls, or orthopedic injuries. Medical professionals can also evaluate the risk of infection and determine whether additional treatment is necessary. Following treatment recommendations and attending follow-up appointments can help protect your health while creating contemporaneous medical documentation of your injuries.

When circumstances permit, preserve evidence as soon as possible. Photographs of the wounds, torn or bloodied clothing, the attack location, the dog, gates, fences, doors, warning signs, or other relevant conditions may later become important. Obtain the dog owner’s name and contact information and identify witnesses who saw the attack or who may know about the dog’s prior behavior. If a neighbor, postal worker, delivery driver, building employee, or other person tells you that the dog previously lunged, growled, snapped, chased people, escaped confinement, or behaved aggressively, that information should be documented and investigated.

Be cautious when communicating with an insurance company before you understand the nature of your claim. An insurer may request a recorded statement, medical authorization, photographs, or other information while the extent of your injuries is still developing. A person with facial scarring, for example, may not know for months whether a plastic surgeon will recommend revision surgery or whether the scar will remain permanent. Our What to Do After a Dog Bite in New York: A Step-by-Step Guide provides a more detailed roadmap for the days and weeks following an attack.

How Does New York Dog Bite Law Work?

New York dog bite cases may now proceed under two distinct theories of liability: strict liability based on known vicious propensities and ordinary negligence. In Flanders v. Goodfellow, New York’s highest court held that a person injured by a domestic animal may pursue strict liability when the owner knew or should have known of the animal’s vicious propensities. Alternatively, an injured person may rely on ordinary negligence principles and attempt to prove that the defendant failed to exercise reasonable care under the circumstances. A plaintiff may assert both theories when supported by the facts.

Strict liability focuses heavily on what the owner knew or should have known about the dog’s behavior. Importantly, a prior bite is not necessarily required. The Court of Appeals has explained that vicious propensity encompasses behavior reflecting a tendency to act in a way that puts others at risk. Evidence that a dog previously growled, snapped, bared its teeth, lunged, behaved aggressively, or exhibited other dangerous behavior may therefore become highly significant. In Flanders, the Court concluded that evidence concerning the dog’s prior aggressive conduct toward postal workers could create a factual question about whether its owners should have known of its dangerous propensities.

The negligence theory asks a different question: whether the defendant failed to use reasonable care under the circumstances and whether that failure caused the injury. This can make the circumstances surrounding the attack particularly important. The investigation may examine how the dog was restrained, whether the owner failed to control it when opening a door or gate, what the owner knew about the animal, what precautions were reasonably available, and whether the defendant’s conduct created a foreseeable risk of injury.

Did New York Change Its Dog Bite Law in 2025?

Yes. The New York Court of Appeals significantly changed the legal landscape for domestic-animal injury claims in Flanders v. Goodfellow, decided April 17, 2025. Before Flanders, the rule established by Bard v. Jahnke had generally prevented plaintiffs from pursuing ordinary common-law negligence claims for injuries caused by domestic animals. The Court of Appeals expressly overruled Bard to the extent it barred negligence liability.

The Court explained that New York now follows a two-pronged approach. A plaintiff may pursue strict liability by establishing that the animal’s owner knew or should have known of its vicious propensities. Alternatively, the plaintiff may pursue ordinary negligence by showing that the defendant failed to exercise due care under the circumstances and that this failure caused the injury. When the evidence supports both theories, a plaintiff may assert both.

This change matters because the absence of a documented prior bite no longer necessarily ends the liability analysis. Even before Flanders, strict liability did not invariably require a prior bite because other dangerous behavior could establish vicious propensities. After Flanders, the investigation should additionally consider whether the owner acted reasonably under the circumstances. Dog bite victims should therefore be cautious about assuming they have no claim simply because someone says, “The dog never bit anyone before.”

Does a Dog Have to Have Bitten Someone Before for Me to Have a Case?

No. New York law does not impose a universal “one free bite” rule requiring proof that the dog previously bit another person. For strict liability, the relevant question is whether the owner knew or should have known that the dog had a propensity to engage in the type of dangerous behavior that caused the injury. The Court of Appeals has recognized that evidence of growling, snapping, baring teeth, and other behavior demonstrating a tendency to endanger others may be relevant even without proof of an earlier bite.

That is why a thorough investigation should go beyond searching for previous bite victims. Neighbors may have seen the dog charge a fence. Delivery workers may have encountered aggressive behavior at the property. Building employees may know about complaints. The dog may have received behavioral training, been restrained in a particular manner, or been separated from visitors because of concerns about its conduct. Veterinary, training, animal-control, witness, photographic, video, and other evidence may help establish what occurred before the attack and what the owner knew or reasonably should have known.

Following Flanders, the absence of a prior bite also does not automatically defeat a negligence claim. A plaintiff may argue that the defendant failed to exercise reasonable care under the circumstances, even where strict liability based on known vicious propensities cannot ultimately be proven. Whether either theory succeeds depends on the specific evidence, which is why early investigation can be critical.

What Does “Vicious Propensity” Mean Under New York Dog Bite Law?

A “vicious propensity” is broader than a history of biting people. New York’s Court of Appeals has explained that the concept includes a propensity to engage in conduct that may endanger people or property in a particular situation. This means the legal inquiry focuses on the dog’s actual behavior and what that behavior reasonably communicated to the owner, rather than simply whether the animal previously inflicted an identical injury.

For example, repeated lunging, snapping, growling, snarling, baring teeth, attempting to attack through a barrier, or other threatening behavior may become relevant. In Flanders, postal workers described the dog barking, snarling, growling, slamming into windows, and appearing to try to bite through the glass. The Court concluded that the evidence raised a factual issue concerning the owners’ constructive knowledge of the dog’s vicious propensities.

The analysis is highly fact-specific. Barking alone does not automatically establish legal liability, and courts must evaluate evidence in context. The dog’s size, strength, prior interactions, restraint practices, training history, prior complaints, behavior toward strangers or other animals, and the owner’s responses may all become relevant. An experienced New York dog bite lawyer will look for patterns rather than focusing exclusively on whether someone previously reported a bite.

Who Can Be Held Responsible for a Dog Bite in New York?

The dog owner is usually the first person examined when determining responsibility, but the investigation should not necessarily stop there. Depending on where the attack occurred and who exercised ownership, possession, or control over the dog or premises, other individuals or entities may become relevant. An attack in a rented apartment, common hallway, business, construction site, store, or other property can raise liability questions that differ significantly from an attack inside a single-family home owned by the dog’s owner.

For example, a landlord or property manager may become part of the investigation when a tenant’s dog attacks someone in an apartment building or common area. Whether a landlord can ultimately be held responsible depends on the applicable law and evidence concerning matters such as notice, control, the location of the attack, the terms of the tenancy, and the surrounding circumstances. A business may present additional questions when a dog is kept or permitted on commercial property.

Identifying every potentially responsible party matters for another reason: insurance. Different defendants may have different liability policies, policy limits, exclusions, or additional coverage. A careful investigation should therefore address both legal responsibility and the insurance available to satisfy a valid claim.

Can a Landlord Be Liable if a Tenant’s Dog Bites Someone?

Potentially. A landlord is not automatically responsible simply because a tenant owns a dog. Still, the facts surrounding the tenancy, the landlord’s knowledge, the landlord’s control over the premises, and the circumstances of the attack can become important. Apartment-building dog bite cases should therefore be investigated differently from cases involving an owner-occupied private residence.

Evidence may include the lease, pet provisions, prior complaints, communications with management, building incident reports, surveillance footage, testimony from neighbors and employees, and information showing whether the landlord or property manager knew about the dog’s presence or dangerous behavior. If the dog regularly lunged at residents in a hallway, escaped into common areas, or generated complaints to building management, those facts may warrant careful examination.

These cases can also involve multiple layers of insurance. The tenant may have renters insurance, while the property owner or management company may maintain separate liability coverage. Our Apartment Building Dog Bite Lawyer resource examines landlord, tenant, property-management, notice, control, and insurance issues in greater detail.

Who Pays Compensation After a Dog Bite in New York?

In many dog bite cases, compensation comes from insurance rather than directly from the dog owner’s personal savings. Depending on the circumstances, a claim may involve homeowners insurance, renters insurance, commercial general liability coverage, an umbrella or excess policy, or another applicable source of liability coverage. Determining which policy applies is often one of the most important parts of the investigation.

This distinction can be especially important when the dog belongs to a friend, neighbor, relative, or other person the injured victim does not want to place under financial strain. Filing a claim does not necessarily mean demanding that the individual personally write a check for medical expenses, lost wages, scarring, and pain and suffering. In many cases, the insurance carrier investigates the occurrence, retains defense counsel if litigation is filed, negotiates the claim, and pays a covered settlement up to applicable policy limits.

However, never assume coverage. Policies may contain exclusions, limitations, notice requirements, or provisions concerning particular animals or circumstances. Disputes may also arise over where the dog ordinarily lived, who owned or harbored it, or which policy was in effect. Our New York Dog Bite Insurance Claims Guide explains these issues in detail and discusses how attorneys investigate potentially available coverage.

Should I Give the Dog Owner’s Insurance Company a Recorded Statement?

You should be cautious about giving a recorded statement to the dog owner’s liability insurer before understanding why it is being requested and how your statements may affect the claim. The insurance adjuster is investigating the carrier’s financial exposure. Questions may address how the attack occurred, what you saw before the incident, your interaction with the dog, prior knowledge of the animal, your injuries, medical history, work status, and other subjects that can later become disputed.

An innocent mistake or incomplete answer can become important later. Someone who says an injury is “getting better” shortly after an attack may subsequently learn that nerve damage is permanent or that plastic surgery is recommended. A parent may not yet know how a child’s facial scar will mature. An injured worker may not know how long an orthopedic injury will keep them from working. Early statements can therefore create problems when they are treated as definitive descriptions of injuries that were still developing.

Speaking with an attorney before providing a recorded statement can help you understand your rights and obligations. Counsel can also communicate directly with the carrier, preserve evidence, investigate coverage, and prevent the insurance company’s investigation from shaping the claim.

Should I Accept the Insurance Company’s First Dog Bite Settlement Offer?

Not necessarily. Before accepting any settlement, you should understand the full nature of your injuries, the reasonably anticipated future medical treatment, the strength of the liability evidence, the available insurance coverage, and the damages the settlement is intended to resolve. A settlement generally brings finality to the claim, so it’s especially important to avoid evaluating serious injuries too early.

This is particularly significant in scarring cases. A scar’s appearance can change as the wound heals, and a physician or plastic surgeon may need time before assessing permanency or recommending revision. Children present additional concerns because growth and development may affect future treatment. Nerve damage, psychological trauma, orthopedic injuries, and limitations affecting employment may likewise require time before their long-term consequences are reasonably understood.

An early offer can sound substantial when viewed only against current medical bills. The more meaningful question is whether it fairly accounts for the entire claim. Our New York Dog Bite Settlements and Verdicts resource explains how liability, injury severity, permanent scarring, future care, lost earnings, emotional trauma, insurance limits, and other factors may influence case value.

How Much Is a New York Dog Bite Case Worth?

No reliable formula assigns a fixed dollar amount to a dog bite. The value of a claim depends on the individual facts, including the severity and location of the injuries, permanency, scarring or disfigurement, medical treatment, future care, lost earnings, emotional consequences, liability evidence, comparative fault issues, available insurance coverage, and how the injuries affect the person’s daily life.

Permanent facial scarring may be evaluated differently from a small scar in a less visible location. A deep bite that causes nerve or tendon damage may require substantial medical treatment and create functional limitations, even when the resulting scar is modest. A child who may require future reconstructive procedures can present different long-term considerations from an adult whose injuries have reached a stable medical condition. Psychological injuries may also be significant when an attack causes persistent anxiety, nightmares, fear of dogs, avoidance behavior, or other documented emotional consequences.

Settlement value should therefore be based on evidence, not generalized online calculators or averages. Photographs taken throughout the healing process, medical records, surgical recommendations, employment documentation, expert opinions, witness testimony, and evidence concerning the dog’s history can all affect how a claim is evaluated.

What Compensation Can a Dog Bite Victim Recover?

A successful New York dog bite claim may seek compensation for the economic and non-economic harm caused by the attack. The particular damages available depend on the facts and proof in the individual case. Medical expenses and lost income may form part of the economic loss, while pain, suffering, scarring, disfigurement, disability, and emotional harm may form important components of non-economic damages.

Future damages can be particularly important in serious cases. A victim may require scar revision, reconstructive or plastic surgery, additional orthopedic care, rehabilitation, psychological counseling, or other treatment after a settlement would otherwise be finalized. If an injury causes permanent functional impairment or affects a person’s ability to work, future economic consequences may also require investigation and appropriate proof.

A comprehensive damages evaluation considers how the injury affects the whole person, not simply the initial emergency-room bill. Dog attacks can affect sleep, social interaction, employment, recreation, relationships, self-confidence, and a person’s willingness to enter places where dogs may be present. Document these consequences carefully when they genuinely result from the injury.

How Do Permanent Scars Affect a Dog Bite Settlement?

Permanent scarring can substantially affect the evaluation of a dog bite claim, particularly when scars are located on the face, neck, hands, arms, or other visible areas. The legal significance of a scar depends on factors such as its size, color, texture, location, visibility, whether it is raised or depressed, the victim’s age, associated nerve or tissue damage, and whether medical professionals expect meaningful improvement.

Photographic documentation is especially valuable because scars change over time. Images taken shortly after the attack can show the severity of the original wounds, while photographs taken later show the healing process and residual appearance. When appropriate, a plastic or reconstructive surgeon may help determine whether revision is recommended, what the procedure may involve, whether additional procedures may be necessary, and what degree of improvement can reasonably be expected.

Our Dog Bite Scarring & Plastic Surgery Claims resource addresses these issues in greater depth, including future reconstructive care and the importance of evaluating permanent disfigurement before resolving a claim.

Can I Recover for Emotional Trauma After a Dog Attack?

Emotional and psychological injuries may be part of a dog bite claim when supported by the facts and evidence. A violent animal attack can be terrifying, particularly when the victim believed serious injury or death was possible. Some people develop persistent anxiety, nightmares, sleep disturbances, hypervigilance, fear of dogs, avoidance of certain places, depression, or symptoms associated with post-traumatic stress.

Children may experience these consequences differently. A child who once comfortably played outdoors may become afraid to walk near dogs or visit friends with pets. A facial injury can also affect confidence and social development. Parents should watch for behavioral changes and seek appropriate professional care when needed, rather than assuming emotional symptoms will always resolve on their own.

Our Emotional Trauma After a Dog Bite resource explains how psychological injuries may be documented and why counseling, mental-health treatment, and changes in daily activities can be relevant to a complete assessment of damages.

What if My Child Was Bitten by a Dog in New York?

Dog bite cases involving children require particular care because the physical and emotional consequences may continue for years. A child’s smaller size can make facial and upper-body injuries more likely during an attack, and visible scars may change as the child grows. Future plastic or reconstructive treatment may not be fully known immediately, which can make an early settlement particularly concerning.

Children may also have difficulty describing fear, anxiety, nightmares, embarrassment, or other emotional effects. Parents should watch for changes in sleep, behavior, school performance, social activities, and reactions to animals, and discuss significant concerns with appropriate medical professionals. Documentation over time can help demonstrate the real effect of the attack rather than reducing the case to the appearance of a wound on a single date.

Special procedural protections may also apply to claims and settlements involving minors. Our Child Dog Bite Lawyer in New York resource addresses children’s injuries, scarring, future plastic surgery, emotional trauma, long-term damages, legal deadlines, and the procedures designed to protect a child’s recovery.

What if I Was Bitten by a Dog While Making a Delivery?

Delivery workers can face significant dog-attack risks because their jobs routinely require them to approach unfamiliar homes, porches, gates, apartment buildings, and businesses. USPS postal workers, Amazon drivers, UPS and FedEx employees, food-delivery workers, couriers, and other delivery professionals may have little information about an animal before entering the property. A dog normally kept indoors can escape through an open door, and an inadequately secured animal may reach a walkway or delivery area.

The fact that you were working does not necessarily prevent a claim against a negligent dog owner or another responsible third party. Depending on your employment status and circumstances, workers’ compensation benefits may also be relevant. Workers’ compensation and a third-party personal injury claim involve different legal rights and may interact in ways that warrant careful evaluation.

The Flanders case arose from an attack on a postal carrier delivering a package, underscoring how evidence from other delivery workers can matter when establishing a dog’s prior behavior. Our Dog Bite Claims for Amazon, UPS, USPS, FedEx & Delivery Drivers resource examines these workplace and third-party issues in greater detail.

Can a Home Health Aide or Visiting Nurse Sue After a Dog Bite?

Depending on the circumstances, a home health aide, visiting nurse, therapist, medical technician, or other in-home professional injured by a client’s dog may have legal remedies beyond any applicable workers’ compensation benefits. These workers often must enter private homes as part of their jobs and may have limited ability to avoid an animal kept at the residence.

An investigation may examine what the homeowner or resident knew about the dog, whether the worker received warnings, whether the animal had previously displayed dangerous behavior, how it was restrained, and whether reasonable precautions were taken before the worker entered. If the worker had previously asked that the animal be secured, communications documenting those requests can be particularly important.

Our Dog Bite Lawyer for Home Health Aides & Visiting Nurses resource explains how workplace benefits interact with potential third-party claims, along with the evidence you should preserve after an attack.

Can I Make a Claim if the Dog Belongs to a Friend or Family Member?

Possibly. Many people hesitate to pursue a dog bite claim because the animal belongs to someone they care about. They may worry that seeking compensation means personally suing a parent, sibling, friend, neighbor, or other loved one for money. In many cases, however, applicable homeowners or renters insurance may be the practical source of compensation.

That distinction can matter when the injuries are serious. A victim should not necessarily be forced to absorb medical expenses, lost earnings, permanent scarring, or future surgery simply because the dog owner is someone close to them. Insurance exists in part to address covered liability claims, and the insurer may investigate, negotiate, provide a defense, and fund a settlement subject to the policy’s terms and limits.

Our Dog Bite While Visiting a Friend or Family Member resource explains how these claims are typically handled and why determining insurance coverage before assuming the financial impact on a loved one can matter.

How Long Do I Have to File a Dog Bite Lawsuit in New York?

The deadline depends on the claim type, the parties involved, and the victim’s circumstances. Many New York personal injury actions are subject to a three-year statute of limitations. Still, that general rule should never be treated as a universal deadline for every dog bite case. Claims involving governmental entities can have substantially shorter notice and filing requirements, and different rules can apply to wrongful death claims, minors, and other particular circumstances.

The practical deadline for investigating a case can also be much earlier than the formal statute of limitations. Surveillance footage can be overwritten, witnesses can move, property conditions can change, insurance information can become more difficult to locate, and memories of a dog’s prior behavior can fade. Waiting until the statutory deadline approaches may therefore damage a claim even if the lawsuit itself is technically still timely.

Our New York Dog Bite Statute of Limitations guide examines these deadlines in detail, including Notice of Claim requirements, claims involving public entities, wrongful death, and rules that may affect children. Because missing an applicable deadline can permanently bar a claim, anyone with questions about timing should obtain legal advice promptly.

What Evidence Can Help Prove a New York Dog Bite Case?

Evidence in a dog bite case should address both sides of the claim: why the defendant may be legally responsible and how the attack harmed the victim. The strongest cases often develop from multiple sources rather than a single photograph or witness. Medical records document the physical injuries, while photographs can demonstrate the progression from the initial wounds to permanent scars. Witness testimony may establish how the attack occurred or reveal prior incidents involving the dog.

Evidence concerning the dog’s history can be especially important. Neighbors, building employees, postal carriers, delivery workers, contractors, visitors, trainers, veterinarians, and others may possess information about prior aggressive or dangerous behavior. Complaints, incident reports, communications, photographs, videos, social-media material, training history, and other records may also become relevant. In apartment cases, leases, pet provisions, management records, and complaints can help clarify what different parties knew and when.

The Flanders decision illustrates the importance of investigating beyond prior bite reports. There, evidence from postal workers describing aggressive behavior became significant to the issue of constructive knowledge. A prompt investigation can therefore uncover evidence that would otherwise disappear before a lawsuit is filed.

Can My Own Conduct Affect a Dog Bite Claim?

It can, depending on the facts and legal theory involved. New York generally follows comparative-fault principles in negligence cases, meaning allegations about the injured person’s conduct may affect the analysis rather than automatically eliminating a claim. Insurance companies and defense attorneys may investigate whether the victim ignored a warning, interacted with the dog before the attack, entered a particular area, or otherwise contributed to the circumstances.

Those allegations should not simply be accepted because an insurer raises them. Dog attacks happen quickly, witness accounts can differ, and a victim’s reasonable conduct can look very different when reconstructed after the fact. Photographs, video, witness statements, property layout, warnings, and testimony concerning the dog’s behavior may help establish what actually occurred.

Liability should therefore be evaluated based on evidence and the applicable theory of recovery. An injured person should not assume that an accusation of “provocation” or another defense means there is no viable claim.

What if a Dog Attack Causes Someone’s Death?

A fatal dog attack may give rise to a wrongful death claim and potentially other claims arising from the injuries and suffering preceding death, depending on the circumstances. These cases require careful investigation of liability, insurance coverage, the decedent’s relationship with surviving family members, economic losses, medical treatment, and other legally recoverable damages.

Wrongful death cases also involve procedural rules and deadlines that differ from ordinary personal injury claims. Families should therefore seek legal advice promptly rather than assuming the same deadline that applies to a nonfatal dog bite claim. When a governmental entity or other specially regulated defendant is involved, additional notice requirements may further shorten the time available to act.

No amount of compensation can replace a loved one. A civil claim can, however, provide a legal mechanism to hold responsible parties accountable and pursue the financial losses recognized under New York law.

Why Is Future Medical Treatment Important Before Settling a Dog Bite Claim?

A settlement should account for reasonably anticipated future consequences, not merely the treatment already completed. Serious dog bites can require additional plastic surgery, scar revision, reconstructive procedures, nerve treatment, orthopedic care, physical therapy, psychological counseling, or other medical services months or years after the attack.

The issue matters because settlements are generally final. If a victim accepts compensation before learning that another operation is recommended, the claim ordinarily cannot simply be reopened because the future treatment became more expensive than expected. Appropriate medical evaluation can therefore be essential before making a final settlement decision.

Our Future Medical Treatment and Long-Term Care resource explains why future surgeries, rehabilitation, counseling, and ongoing treatment should be considered as part of a comprehensive damages analysis.

Do I Need a New York Dog Bite Lawyer?

You are not legally required to hire an attorney simply because a dog injured you. Still, serious dog bite claims can involve legal and factual issues that are difficult to evaluate without experience. Questions may arise concerning strict liability, negligence after Flanders, the dog’s prior behavior, insurance coverage, landlord responsibility, comparative fault, future medical treatment, permanent scarring, lost earnings, and applicable filing deadlines.

An attorney can investigate the attack, identify witnesses, preserve evidence, obtain relevant records, determine potentially responsible parties, investigate insurance coverage, communicate with carriers, evaluate damages, negotiate a settlement, and file a lawsuit when litigation is necessary. In a serious injury case, these tasks often overlap. Evidence establishing a dog’s prior behavior may affect liability, while identifying additional insurance may affect whether adequate compensation is realistically available.

The value of representation is not simply having someone communicate with an adjuster. It means developing the case so you understand liability, damages, future consequences, and available sources of recovery before making important decisions.

Why Choose Greenstein & Pittari, LLP?

A dog bite case can involve far more than establishing that an attack occurred. Depending on the circumstances, the case may require investigating a dog’s behavioral history, interviewing witnesses, analyzing insurance coverage, assessing landlord or property-owner responsibility, reviewing medical evidence, evaluating permanent scarring, assessing future reconstructive treatment, addressing psychological trauma, calculating lost earnings, countering comparative negligence defenses, and identifying multiple potentially responsible parties. The 2025 Flanders decision has also made it particularly important for attorneys handling New York dog injury cases to evaluate both strict liability and ordinary negligence rather than relying exclusively on the legal framework that existed for many years before that decision.

For decades, Greenstein & Pittari, LLP has represented injury victims throughout New York. Our attorneys have extensive experience litigating complex personal injury cases and pursuing claims against individuals, businesses, property owners, institutions, and governmental entities when the facts warrant. We conduct thorough investigations, work to preserve evidence before it disappears, identify potentially available insurance coverage, carefully document the full extent of our clients’ damages, and prepare cases with litigation in mind rather than simply accepting an insurer’s initial assessment.

We also understand that a dog attack is personal. A parent dealing with a child’s facial scar has different concerns from a delivery worker unable to return to work or an adult facing reconstructive surgery and lasting fear after a violent attack. We combine compassionate representation and personalized attention with aggressive litigation when needed. Our English- and Spanish-speaking staff is available to help clients and families understand the legal process and make informed decisions about their cases.

If you or someone you love has been bitten, attacked, knocked down, or otherwise injured by a dog anywhere in New York, contact Greenstein & Pittari, LLP as soon as possible. Consultations are free, and we handle personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning there are no upfront attorney’s fees. You pay no attorney’s fee unless we recover compensation for you.

Don’t Be a Victim Twice.

Call Greenstein & Pittari, LLP at 1-800-VICTIM2 (1-800-842-8462) today for a free consultation and learn how we can help protect your rights after a dog attack in New York.