Indianapolis & Indiana
Indiana law on dog bites turns on what the owner knew about the dog and whether they kept it under control. The claim is often paid by the owner's homeowner's or renter's insurance. Kavanagh Injury Law handles dog bite claims in Indianapolis and throughout Indiana at 20%, not the 33-40% most firms charge.
Licensed in Indiana. If your case arose outside Indiana, ask us. We may be able to arrange co-counsel licensed in that state at the same 20% fee.
The answer depends on what the owner knew, and Indiana law is specific about it.
Indiana starts from the presumption that a dog is harmless. To hold an owner responsible for most bites, the claim has to show the owner knew, or should have known, the dog had a dangerous tendency: earlier bites, attacks, lunging at people, or warnings from neighbors. A first bite with no warning signs is not enough by itself, so that history has to be found.
Every dog owner must use reasonable care under the circumstances to keep the dog from hurting people. Careless handling or confinement, including breaking a leash or at-large law, can support a claim, depending on the facts.
Indiana has a special statute for a person bitten while lawfully doing a duty required by state or federal law or postal regulations, such as a letter carrier. If the person was acting peaceably and did not provoke the dog, the owner is liable even if the dog had never been vicious before.
A dog bite claim is often paid by the dog owner's homeowner's or renter's liability coverage, not by the owner personally. Making the claim is not the same as suing your neighbor out of pocket.
Get the bite treated right away. Dog bites infect easily, and the medical record made in the first days is the record the claim is built on. Your own health insurance can pay those bills now and be repaid from the recovery.
A few early steps make the difference between a claim and a dispute about what happened.
Get medical care
Treat the wound, follow up on it, and keep every record and bill.
Identify the dog and its owner
Names, address, and whether the owner rents or owns the home. That tells us whose insurance applies.
Report the bite
A report to animal control creates an official record and can surface earlier complaints about the same dog.
Photograph everything
The wound as it heals, the scene, and any broken fence, gate, or leash.
Dog bite claims turn on what the owner knew, and that history has to be found early.
We look for the dog's history
Animal control records, prior complaints, and neighbors who saw the dog before. That is usually where the claim is won.
Scarring and children
Many bites are to children, and scars change over years. We do not settle a scarring claim before its future cost is understood.
Flat 20%: always
Our contingency fee is 20% whether your case settles pre-suit, goes through trial, or reaches appeal. It never escalates to 33% or 40% like most Indiana firms. You pay nothing unless we recover for you.
Lien reduction: 100% to you
We negotiate medical liens aggressively. Every dollar we reduce from a lien goes to you. We keep none of the savings and charge no additional fee for lien work.
Not in those words. For most bites, the claim has to show the owner knew or should have known the dog was dangerous. A prior bite is one way to show it, but not the only way. A separate statute makes the owner liable without that proof when the person bitten was lawfully doing a duty required by law, such as a letter carrier.
Often the claim is paid by the owner's homeowner's or renter's insurance. Many dog bite claims are resolved with the insurer without a lawsuit.
A personal injury claim in Indiana generally must be filed within two years. Evidence about the dog fades much faster, so it is better to start early.
Often yes. Indiana uses modified comparative fault: you can recover if you are not more at fault than everyone else combined, and your share of the fault reduces the award.
Nothing upfront. We work on contingency at a flat 20% of any recovery. If we do not win, you owe no attorney fee.
Get a free case review. No obligation. No upfront cost. The dog's history is easier to find in the first weeks.