If a dog bit your child in Laurel, Maryland law may let you recover money for their medical care, scarring, and the fear that follows. Under Md. Code § 3-1901, a dog's owner is presumed liable — regardless of breed — and your child's deadline to file is paused until they turn 18. Our team is currently accepting child 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. Laurel sits primarily in Prince George's County, with parts reaching into Anne Arundel, Howard, and Montgomery Counties, so local leash and animal-control ordinances vary — in a notable recent change, Prince George's County repealed its nearly 30-year pit bull ban on November 18, 2025 and replaced it with a permit and registration system.
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.
Maryland's three-year deadline to bring an injury claim (Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. §5-101) is tolled for children — a child's own clock generally does not begin until their 18th birthday. A parent's separate claim for medical bills can expire sooner.
Most children are bitten by a family pet or a relative's or friend's dog — not a stray. That doesn't change the owner's responsibility under Maryland law.
Because the claim belongs to the child, a minor's settlement typically must be approved by a court and the money safeguarded until the child comes of age. We handle that process for families.
Children older than 5 are held only to what a reasonable child of the same age and experience would do — far more forgiving than the adult contributory-negligence standard.
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, photographs of the injury, witness statements, and any available video — moving fast, since this evidence disappears quickly.
We advance the cost of medical billing records, a photographer to document the injury, an investigator to learn the dog's history, and medical experts when reconstructive care is involved.
Most dog bite claims are paid by the owner's homeowners' or renters' insurance, not the owner directly. What your child's case is worth depends on the medical care, the scarring, and the emotional impact on your child.
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 family's 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 child's medical bills, future care, 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, plastic or reconstructive surgery, scar revision, and any future care your child's injury requires as they grow.
Compensation for the fear, nightmares, and anxiety around dogs that often follow a bite — the emotional injury matters as much as the physical one.
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).
Children are the most common dog-bite victims — and Maryland law gives young victims extra protection.
The AVMA reports about half of all dog-bite victims are children, and the CDC finds the highest injury rate among children ages 5–9. In the largest pediatric study to date — 68,833 child dog-bite ER visits at 26 U.S. children's hospitals (2010–2020) — the head, face, and neck were injured in about 59% of cases (Injury Epidemiology, 2021).
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 guideUsually yes. A dog-bite claim is typically made against the owner's homeowners or renters insurance, not against the person directly, and Maryland law presumes the owner is responsible regardless of breed.
Maryland's injury deadline generally does not start running for a child until they turn 18, which usually gives more time than an adult's three-year window. Even so, evidence and witnesses fade fast, so it is best to talk with a lawyer early.
Usually the dog owner's homeowners or renters insurance. That can cover emergency care, plastic or reconstructive surgery, scarring, and related costs.
It depends on the medical care, the scarring, and the emotional impact on your child. Our free Maryland Dog Bite Settlement Calculator gives a rough estimate, and we can give you a real assessment.
Usually not — most claims settle. When a child is involved, a settlement may need to be approved by a court to protect the child, and the funds are typically safeguarded until they turn 18.
It is still worth a call. Puncture wounds and facial injuries on children can look small but cause infection, nerve damage, or scarring, and even a knockdown can be a case.
Fear, nightmares, and anxiety around dogs are common after a bite. Your pediatrician can help, and our founder wrote a children's book, The Pickle, the Patch, and the Puppy, to help kids rebuild their confidence.
Nothing up front. Pinder Plotkin works on a contingency fee, so you pay no fee unless we win money for your child.
329 Prince George St, Laurel, MD 20707 · Call (888) 844-5373 to schedule a visit. · View on Google
We handle dog bite cases throughout the Laurel area and the surrounding counties.
Jason Plotkin does not just take Laurel cases — he shows up in the community. He serves as a Director of the Laurel Board of Trade, hosts Around Town on Laurel TV, and has moderated the Laurel Candidates Forum for the past two election cycles. When you work with our firm, you are working with people who know this city — its roads, its courts, and its neighbors.
Jason was bitten by a dog as a child himself — what stuck with him wasn't the bite, but everything that came after. That's why he wrote a children's picture book, The Pickle, the Patch, and the Puppy, to help kids rebuild their confidence after a scary encounter with a dog. It comes with a free Bravery Journal for families.
Free case review, no pressure, no fee unless we win. Reach out and one of our attorneys will walk you through your options.
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