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Were you bitten by a dog? Here is what to do next

A dog bite can leave you hurt, scared, and unsure who is responsible. We can help.

Are you in an emergency right now?

  • Wash the wound with soap and water right away.
  • Apply pressure with a clean cloth to control bleeding.
  • Call 911 if the bleeding will not stop or the bite is severe.
  • Get medical care even if the bite looks minor. Dog bites infect easily.
  • This page is for after you are safe.

This page covers dog bite claim deadlines and what to do right now. We are the injured person's advocate. We connect you with a lawyer who handles cases like yours, so you get the full settlement your recovery deserves. Always free. Talk to an advocate. We usually reply within minutes, at most one business day.

Why dog bite claims get tricky

Dog bite laws vary a lot by state. Some states hold an owner responsible for a first bite automatically, while others require you to show the owner knew or should have known the dog could be dangerous. Proving what an owner "should have known" often means gathering the dog's history, vet records, or prior complaints, evidence that gets harder to find the longer you wait.

Warning: don't wait! The dog bite deadline is a trap. It runs exactly to the day in many states, often two to three years from the bite, so people wait, and waiting kills cases. Filing even a couple of days late can end a case completely, no matter how serious the injury. The longer you wait, the fuzzier memories get and the dog's bite history gets harder to trace. Talk to an advocate immediately. And important: a bite treated at a hospital can carry a different, often shorter medical deadline.

Wound care matters too. Dog bites carry a real infection risk, and some owners may try to treat a bite informally instead of pointing you to a medical provider.

Talk to an advocate. You do not have to sort out deadlines and evidence alone.

Protect your case

  1. Talk to an advocate at WeHelpInjured. It is free.
  2. Report the bite to local animal control or the police, and ask for a copy of the report.
  3. Get the dog owner's name, address, and contact information, along with the dog's vaccination status if possible.
  4. Take photos of the bite and where it happened.
  5. Get names and contact information for any witnesses.
  6. Ask neighbors or the area if the dog has bitten or threatened anyone before, and write down what you learn.
  7. Keep every medical bill and record related to the bite.

Never do these

Why waiting or going it alone can cost you

People who handle a dog bite claim themselves, without a lawyer, sometimes miss the filing deadline by only a day or two, and courts hold that line strictly. A case thrown out on a missed deadline never gets to the actual dog, the actual bite, or the actual injuries. Talk to an advocate as soon as you can.

What we can help with

All of it is free to you. We never take money from injured people.

Talk to an advocate. A dog bite is not your fault.

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