Child Bitten by a Neighbor’s Dogs in Maryland: How a Blame-Shifting Defense Was Answered

What happened?

Our client was walking home through his neighborhood one afternoon when a neighbor’s dogs got out of their yard and attacked him. He tried to protect himself. The owner tried to call the dogs back but couldn’t stop them. A neighbor heard him shout and ran outside.

He was taken to the ER. The hospital contacted police, who took a report and looked at the property. The report noted that the dogs’ enclosure didn’t fully keep them in.

His parent called us within days. A few weeks later, the dog owner left the family a voicemail saying she believed someone else had let the dogs out, and suggesting the boy had been where he shouldn’t have been.

That claim mattered. In Maryland, a dog owner is generally liable when a dog that’s running loose injures someone, unless the injured person was trespassing, committing a crime, or provoking the dog.

What injuries did our client suffer?

He had multiple puncture wounds from the bites, along with bruising. He was very sore and missed school in the days after the attack.

The physical wounds healed, but they left raised scars in several places. Months later, the scars were still visible. During the lawsuit, a plastic and reconstructive surgeon examined him to address the scarring, whether it was permanent, and whether he might need treatment in the future.

The emotional injury was just as real. He had nightmares about dogs and flashbacks to the attack. He changed the way he walked home. For months, he couldn’t walk to the bus stop by himself.

A clinical psychologist also examined him during the lawsuit to address the emotional injury and whether any of it would last.

For a child, the question isn’t lost wages. It’s what the scars and the fear will mean as he grows up, and that takes medical witnesses who can explain it.

What treatment did our client need?

He went to the ER the same day. His care then followed this path:

Examinations by a plastic surgeon and a clinical psychologist during the lawsuit

He didn’t need surgery. His medical bills were modest compared with the harm, which is common in dog bite cases.

Counseling was the part his parent worried about most. We set it up within about two weeks of being hired. The counseling provider agreed to wait to be paid until the case was resolved, so the family didn’t have to put off care over a bill.

Within about two months, he could walk to the bus stop again, though still with some anxiety.

The practical takeaway: Get your child counseling early if they’re having nightmares or fear after a bite. It helps them heal, and it documents what they went through.

• ER wound care
• A series of rabies shots over about a month
• Counseling, about six sessions over about six weeks

How did the injuries affect our client’s life and work?

For a kid, life is school, friends, and getting around the neighborhood. The attack changed all three for a while.

He missed school while the bites healed. He stopped taking his usual route home. For months, a family member walked him to the bus stop because he was afraid to go alone. Even after counseling helped, he had good days and bad days.

It affected his family, too. His parent took photos of the wounds every night to track how they healed. When the next school year started, his parent was still too worried to let him walk, so he drove him instead.

There were no lost wages, since he’s a child. The losses were his comfort, his independence, and the scars he’ll carry.

In Maryland, an injured person can generally seek medical expenses, lost earnings, and non-economic damages such as pain, suffering, disfigurement, and emotional distress. For a child, the non-economic part is usually where the real loss is.

What made this case difficult?

The facts were clear to the family. The insurer saw it differently.

Questions about how the dogs got out. The owner said someone else must have let the dogs out and suggested the boy had trespassed. If that stuck, it could have been a defense.

Small bills, big harm. His medical bills were modest, and the insurer’s first offer reflected those bills far more than his scars or his fear.

An insurer that wouldn’t pay its full policy. Months later, the insurer said it had room to move, but not to its full coverage.

Proving harm a child can’t easily describe. Scars and fear don’t show up on a bill. They needed doctors to explain them, and not every doctor will testify.

Extra steps for a child. A claim for a minor comes with added steps to protect the child’s money, which takes more time.

None of these problems changed what happened to him. They meant the case had to be built carefully, with evidence for every part of the harm.

How did we handle it?

Got him care first. We set up counseling within weeks and made sure the bill wouldn’t stand in the way.

Secured the evidence. We chased the police report through more than one agency until it came in. It noted the enclosure didn’t fully keep the dogs in. We also lined up the neighbor who saw the attack.

Answered the blame. The police findings and the eyewitness undercut the idea that someone else let the dogs out.

Sent a time-limited policy-limits demand. We warned the insurer that its policyholders could face a verdict above their coverage.

Filed suit. When the insurer wouldn’t pay its full policy, we filed in Circuit Court and moved the case into discovery.

Put medical witnesses behind the harm. We found a plastic surgeon and a clinical psychologist willing to examine a child, and designated them to address his scars, his emotional injury, and his future needs.

Kept up the pressure. We sent an excess-judgment letter to defense counsel, again making clear the risk of a verdict above the coverage.

Protected the child through the added steps a child’s claim requires.

Our litigation paralegal called the family at each step, so his parents always knew where things stood.

The turning point was filing suit and putting doctors behind the scars and the fear. That moved the case beyond the medical bills.

What was the result?

The case was resolved after a suit was filed, before trial. To protect our client’s privacy, we don’t share the details.

Beyond the case itself, he got counseling early, when it could help most.

Every case is different. Our past results are no assurance that we will reach a favorable result in any future case.

What this means if you’re in a similar situation

Get your child to the ER and follow through on every shot and appointment.

Take photos of the wounds as they heal, the way this parent did every night.

Watch for nightmares, fear, or changes in routine. Ask about counseling early.

Don’t argue with the dog owner. If they call you or blame your child, write down what they said and tell your lawyer.

Don’t wait. Maryland gives children extra time to file in many cases, but evidence and witnesses fade quickly.

Why does a child’s injury claim take longer?

A child’s claim comes with added steps to protect the child’s money, and insurers often hold out until a lawsuit is filed. Medical witnesses also need time to examine the child and write reports. This case took well over a year. Staying patient often matters more than settling early.