What is Dog Bite Law in Illinois?
14-Jan-2011 If you are the owner of a dog, or considering becoming a dog owner in the near future, there are many responsibilities you need to be prepared for. Beyond just meeting the basic needs of the animal, selecting a breed and other steps, you need to be aware of the dog bite law in Illinois to protect yourself and others in the event of a dog bite.
Each state has a different set of laws on dog bites to determine liability and subsequent compensation. According to Chicago dog bite attorneys, in most cases the owner is financially responsible for medical expenses and pain and suffering caused by their dog. In some cases, this compensation is covered by homeowners insurance; if the dog's owner does not have the appropriate insurance coverage they are still liable for the compensation amount.
In Illinois specifically, "If a dog or other animal, without provocation, attacks, attempts to attack, or injures any person who is peaceably conducting himself or herself in any place where he or she may lawfully be, the owner of such dog or other animal is liable in civil damages to such person for the full amount of the injury proximately caused thereby." The word "owner" is defined as "any person having a right of property in an animal, or who keeps or harbors an animal, or who has it in his care, or acts as its custodian, or who knowingly permits a dog to remain on any premises occupied by him or her." (510 Illinois Complied Statutes 5/2.16)
While a Chicago dog bite attorney is your best resource for dog bite law in Illinois, an individual is most likely entitled to compensation for a dog bite attack if they or their attorney can provide proof that:
- the defendant is the owner of the dog
- the dog caused the dog bite injury
- the dog was unprovoked by the injured party and/or the injured party was acting peaceably at the time of the attack
- the injured party was legally permitted to be on the premises at the time of the injury (i.e., not trespassing)
While there are significant benefits to dog ownership, people need to carefully consider all the factors that go into owning an animal. Perhaps the most important factor to be aware of, which many people overlook, is the dog bite law in Illinois and how to protect themselves and their animals. For more information, or to determine liability based on the law on dog bites contact a Chicago dog bite attorney.

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$1,225,000 settlement for a speedway patron who got hit by a baseball-sized rock kicked up by a race car. The rock hit her so hard, she needed an emergency tracheostomy and brain surgery.
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$6,000,000 settlement for our client, a 4 month old baby whose doctors had failed to diagnose a brain infection that left her with permanent brain damage and cerebral palsy.
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$11,800,000.00 in a product liability settlement for a father of five who tragically died when his tire treads failed, causing his vehicle to roll over.
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We obtained a $5 million settlement for a woman whose son died when his physician failed to diagnose a tumor.
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A woman recovered $2.25 million in a medical malpractice case, in which the woman's obstetrician/gynecologist failed to spot her cancer on a pap smear, causing our client to have to undergo multiple, surgeries.
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A $2 million verdict was obtained for a woman whose Ob/Gyn failed to refer her to a gynecologist to treat what turned out to be a malignant uterine sarcoma.
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We obtained a $1.7 million settlement in a nursing home neglect case in which a 72 year-old man suffered radiator burns so severe that he had to have his legs amputated.
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We obtained a $1.4 million award in a slip and fall case involving a 13 year-old boy who developed severe hip trouble after falling down the stairs of his high-rise.
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A $1.25 million settlement in favor of our client, an 18 year-old boy who lost most of his vision after being assaulted by a security guard.
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We obtained a $1.15 million settlement for our client, a little girl who suffered severed burns as a direct result of fire code ordinance violations.
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A union painter whose legs got crushed by a forklift recovered $1 million in damages.
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A $1 million settlement in favor of our client, a hemophiliac, who suffered severe soft tissue damage in a car accident.
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A union steel worker who injured his back moving a 300 pound steel beam in the rain recovered $1 million for his construction site work injury.
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We obtained a $900,000 settlement in the case of a beaten prison inmate who died after being given the wrong medication at the hospital.
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We obtained a $600,000 settlement for a man who suffered a below the knee amputation after his friend accidentally shot him with a hunting rifle at a restaurant.
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A 54 year-old woman recovered $600,000 in a product liability settlement after her oven mitt exploded and severely burned her breasts.
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A woman who had lost her baby to fetal distress while in the hospital was awarded $500,000 for medical malpractice.
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An 81 year-old bedridden stroke victim recovered $390,000 after he developed what would turn out to be fatal pressure ulcers stemming from negligent nursing care.
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A nursing home resident won a settlement of $300,000 stemming from a hip fracture accident. His nursing staff had failed to take proper fall-risk precautions.
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We obtained a settlement of $250,000 for the estate of a 21 year-old man who, after sustaining life-threatening injuries in an automobile accident, subsequently died in the hospital due to the staff's failure to insert a chest tube.
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We obtained a settlement of $175,000 for the estate of a woman whose negligent nursing home care resulted in bed sore ulcers that led to an infection that ultimately caused her death.
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We obtained a $150,000 settlement for a 69 year-old stroke victim who had to have an above the knee amputation due to nursing home neglect.
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A $150,000 verdict was recovered for the estate of a 79 year-old man, who suffered bed sores stemming from nursing home neglect that ultimately contributed to his death.
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