If a dog bit you or your child in Bel Air, Maryland law may let you recover money for medical bills, lost wages, scarring, and pain. Under Md. Code § 3-1901, a dog's owner is presumed liable — regardless of breed — unless they prove they had no reason to know the dog was dangerous.
Maryland emergency rooms treated about 4,880 dog-bite injuries in 2010, the most recent statewide figure. Source: Maryland Department of Legislative Services
Our team is currently accepting dog bite cases throughout Maryland.
At Pinder Plotkin, the initial consultation is free, whether by phone or in person. We represent clients on a contingency fee basis — we only charge you after we recover compensation on your behalf. Our fee is increased if a lawsuit is filed. There won't be any charges if we don't win.
If the dog bite happened when the dog was confined or on a leash, this creates a rebuttable presumption of the owner's knowledge that their dog was violent or dangerous. If the owner doesn't rebut that presumption and a jury finds the owner knew the dog was dangerous, the owner is liable for the injuries.
When a dog causes injury while running at large, Maryland law imposes strict liability on the owner — regardless of the dog's breed — unless the injured person was trespassing, committing a crime, or provoking the dog. Bel Air is the seat of Harford County, and our office also handles cases throughout neighboring Cecil County, so local leash and animal-control ordinances vary — neither Harford nor Cecil County has a breed-specific ordinance — both rely on general dangerous-dog and at-large statutes focused on an individual animal's behavior.
You shouldn't wait to seek medical care if you've been bitten. Bite injuries left untreated often result in serious infections or even rabies.
If the accident happened in a public place or you don't know the owner from your neighborhood, get identifying information — a driver's license is usually the best source — so you can make a claim later.
Photograph the injury and the animal, if it's safe to do so.
Get the name, phone number, and address of any witness to the incident.
Report the incident without delay to the local animal control department.
If the dog was running loose off the owner's property when it bit someone, Maryland law holds the owner strictly liable, regardless of any prior bite history.
If the dog had bitten before, or the owner had reason to believe it was dangerous, Maryland law presumes the owner is liable — shifting the burden to them to prove otherwise.
Most dog bite claims are paid through the owner's homeowners' or renters' insurance policy, not out of the owner's pocket.
Maryland's statute of limitations gives you three years from the date of the bite to file a claim. For a child victim, that window is extended until the child turns 18.
We pull animal control records, prior complaint history, and vet records to show whether the owner knew or should have known the dog was dangerous.
We gather medical records, photos of the injury and scene, witness statements, and any available video to document exactly what happened and how badly you were hurt.
Investigations, expert opinions, and medical record requests cost money up front. We advance those costs so you don't pay anything out of pocket while your claim is being built.
Most dog bite claims are paid by the owner's homeowners' or renters' insurance, not the owner directly. What your case is worth depends on your injuries, medical treatment, and how the bite has affected your life.
In Maryland, juries typically aren't told whether the defendant has insurance. Since your settlement is ultimately negotiated between your attorney and the insurance company, take your time to find an attorney you trust and can work with throughout the process.
It can be extremely difficult to predict the value of a settlement — even experienced attorneys can only give a rough estimate. Juries use human logic and reasoning, guided by a judge; insurance companies use standardized software with predetermined formulas. Any real prediction comes from a fact-intensive look at how the accident happened and the damage, injuries, and treatment that followed.
No two cases are worth the same, but insurers lean on two common methods to estimate pain and suffering. Understanding them helps you spot a lowball offer. Try our free Maryland Dog Bite Settlement Calculator for a personalized estimate.
Most policies include liability coverage that applies to dog bites. We identify the applicable policy and deal directly with the insurer on your behalf.
Example: $12,000 in medical bills + $3,000 in lost wages = $15,000 in economic damages. A moderate injury at a 2x multiplier puts pain and suffering around $30,000, for a rough total near $45,000.
Insurers work aggressively to push the multiplier down. Part of our job is fighting to keep it tied to the real impact on your life.
If there's no applicable insurance, we can pursue a claim against the owner personally for your medical bills, lost wages, and other losses.
Example: $200 a day for 180 days of recovery = $36,000 in pain and suffering, added on top of your economic damages.
Under Maryland's contributory negligence rule, even a strong-value case can be reduced to zero if you're found partly at fault — so the number that matters is what you can actually prove and recover.
Emergency treatment, reconstructive surgery, scar revision, physical therapy, and any future care your injury requires.
Compensation for physical pain, permanent scarring or disfigurement, and the emotional toll of a dog attack — including fear of dogs going forward.
These injuries can temporarily or permanently hinder your quality of life. Anyone requiring extended medical care or dealing with a lack of mobility is also likely to be affected by job loss, expensive hospital bills, depression, lost wages, inability to perform routine tasks, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Dog bites are more common than most people realize — and Maryland's laws give victims real leverage when it happens.
About 4.5 million dog bites happen in the U.S. each year, and nearly 1 in 5 — roughly 885,000 — need medical attention, with children ages 5–9 bitten at the highest rates (Gilchrist et al., Injury Prevention, 2008, using 2001–2003 survey data; CDC).
Get a fast, free estimate of what your case could be worth.
Our free ebook covering Maryland dog bite law, liability, and what to do after an attack.
Download the guideYes, for bites that kill or cause serious injury. Maryland law also creates a rebuttable presumption that the owner knew or should have known the dog was dangerous, shifting the burden of proof to the owner.
Generally three years from the date of the bite. For a child victim, that deadline is extended until the child turns 18.
Most claims are paid through the dog owner's homeowners' or renters' insurance policy. If no insurance applies, the owner can be held personally liable.
Maryland follows contributory negligence, so if the insurer can show you were even slightly at fault, it can bar your recovery entirely. An experienced lawyer can help protect against that argument.
No. Maryland's dog bite law focuses on the owner's knowledge and the circumstances of the bite, not the dog's breed.
Get medical care right away, identify the dog and its owner, photograph the injury and scene, report the bite to animal control, and speak with a lawyer before giving a statement to any insurance company.
It depends on your medical treatment, scarring, lost wages, and the emotional impact of the attack. U.S. insurers paid an average of about $65,450 per dog-related injury claim in 2025.
We work on contingency, so there's no upfront cost. We only get paid if we recover compensation for you.
121 Archer St, Bel Air, MD 21014 · Call (888) 844-5373 to schedule a visit. View on Google
We handle car accident cases throughout Bel Air and the surrounding counties.
At Pinder Plotkin, this isn't a satellite office — it's home. Christian Miele lives here in Bel Air and served the state as a Maryland Delegate before joining our firm. Josh Fannon lives in Harford County. And Tony Balsamo grew up in Harford County. Our team didn't move here for the caseload — when you work with us, you are working with people who know these roads, these courts, and these neighbors.
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