Louisiana Dog Bite Lawyer
A dog attack leaves you with stitches, a rabies question, and an owner who may say the animal “never did that before.” Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC represents injured people across Louisiana, including Orleans, Jefferson, East Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Calcasieu, and Caddo parishes and the communities around them, and a Louisiana dog bite lawyer from our team can take over the insurance calls and the proof while you recover.
Dog bite claims turn on a few questions that sound simple and are not: who owned or kept the animal, whether that person knew or should have known the dog was dangerous, and whether a homeowner’s, renter’s, or commercial liability policy sits behind the claim. Louisiana’s liability rules for animal owners differ from the “one free bite” rule many people assume applies, and the answers to those questions largely determine what a claim is worth.
What Louisiana Law Asks About the Owner and the Dog
Louisiana liability for animals comes from the Civil Code, and the core idea is that an owner answers for damage the animal causes that the owner could have prevented with reasonable care. In practice, that means a dog bite case is built on evidence of control and knowledge. Was the dog off its leash or outside a fence? Had the dog bitten, lunged at, or menaced anyone before? Did neighbors complain, or did animal control have a file? Was the gate left open by a landlord, a pet sitter, or a contractor?
The person responsible is not always the owner. A keeper, a tenant who housed the dog, a business that boarded or groomed it, or a property owner who allowed a dangerous animal on the premises may carry liability too. Identifying every responsible party matters because each may have a different insurance policy, and a claim limited to the wrong person can leave real coverage untouched.
Why Choose Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe for a Dog Bite Claim
Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe PLLC is an injury law firm serving Mississippi and Louisiana, and our attorneys bring over 75 years of combined experience to injured clients. Workers’ compensation has been the center of the firm’s practice, and the firm has recovered more than $100 million in settlements. We also represent people hurt in car and truck accidents, premises liability cases, and wrongful death matters, which are the same skills a dog attack claim demands: proving fault, documenting medical harm, and dealing with insurers that look for reasons to pay less.
Our team includes Rob Lunsford, Founding Partner, who has spent his entire legal career representing injured workers; Brad Baskin and Jennifer Priebe, Partners, both recognized by Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, and The National Trial Lawyers; and attorneys Andrew Rueff, Keaton Belk, Erin Heimlicher, and Jared Martin. Andrew Rueff has successfully tried dozens of jury and bench trials to verdict, which matters when an insurer will not make a fair offer. The firm was ranked by Best Law Firms in 2026 for Workers’ Compensation Law, Claimants, in Jackson.
Results include a $685,000 settlement for a surgical tech with a lower back injury, $600,000 for a construction worker with a complex back injury, $385,000 for a project manager injured after being struck in his work vehicle, and $221,000 for an oil rig worker with severe burns. Those outcomes involved serious injuries and contested insurance positions, and they reflect the preparation we bring to every claim. We work on a no recovery, no fee basis, consultations are free, we advance the costs of the case, our phones are answered 24 hours a day, and Spanish-speaking clients are served in their own language (hablamos español).
Situations That Lead to Dog Bite Claims in Louisiana
- Bites on a neighbor’s property or in a shared yard: Visitors, guests, and children are often hurt when a dog is let out of a house or a fence gate is left unlatched. Homeowner’s and renter’s policies are usually the source of recovery.
- Attacks on sidewalks, streets, and parks: Loose or poorly leashed dogs injure joggers, cyclists, and people walking in neighborhoods from New Orleans to Baton Rouge to Lafayette. Leash rules and local animal ordinances can help show the owner failed to control the animal.
- Bites on rental property: When a landlord knew a tenant kept a dangerous dog, or allowed unsafe conditions like a broken fence, the landlord’s liability coverage may come into play alongside the tenant’s.
- Attacks on delivery drivers and service workers: Mail carriers, utility workers, delivery drivers, and contractors are bitten on the job. These cases can involve both a workers’ compensation claim and a separate claim against the dog’s owner, and the two need to be coordinated.
- Injuries to children: Children are bitten in the face and neck more often because of their height, and the injuries can mean plastic surgery, scarring, and emotional harm. Louisiana’s rules on prescription for minors have their own details, so a child’s claim should be reviewed promptly.
- Bites at businesses and boarding facilities: Kennels, groomers, veterinary offices, and stores that allow dogs on site can be liable if staff handled an animal carelessly or ignored warning signs.
- Attacks by multiple dogs or aggressive breeds: Pack attacks produce catastrophic injuries, including deep lacerations, nerve damage, and fractures, and they raise questions about who kept the dogs and whether prior complaints were ignored.
- Infection and rabies concerns: Dog bites can cause serious infections, and rabies post-exposure treatment, antibiotics, and follow-up care are part of the medical record that supports the claim.
What to Do After a Dog Bite in Louisiana
Get medical care first, even if the wound looks minor. Bite wounds carry a high risk of infection, and an emergency room or urgent care record created the same day ties your injury to the attack. Ask the treating provider to document the wound’s size and location, and follow through on every recommended visit, including rabies-related care if the dog’s vaccination status is unknown.
Report the bite. In most parishes, local animal control or the sheriff’s office takes these reports and can quarantine the dog and check its vaccination history. That report often becomes the earliest official record of the attack and may reveal earlier complaints about the same animal. Get the owner’s name, address, and insurance information if you can, and write down the names of any witnesses before they disappear.
Photograph the wounds immediately and again as they heal, along with torn clothing, the location, a broken fence or open gate, and the dog itself if it is safe to do so. Keep a short record of missed work, pain, and how the injury affects daily life. If you were hurt while working, tell your employer within 30 days; a workers’ compensation claim in Louisiana generally has to be filed within one year of the accident, and that claim can run alongside a claim against the dog’s owner.
Be careful with insurance adjusters. The owner’s insurer may call quickly, request a recorded statement, or offer a small payment to close the file. Early statements can be used to argue you provoked the dog or were partly at fault, and a quick settlement can end your claim before the full extent of scarring or nerve damage is known. Louisiana’s prescription period for most injury claims arising on or after July 1, 2024 is two years from the date of injury, but evidence and witnesses fade much sooner, so talking with an attorney early helps. Claims that arose before that date can fall under the older one-year period.
How Fault Is Weighed When the Owner Blames You
Owners and insurers often argue the victim provoked the dog, trespassed, or ignored a warning. Louisiana applies comparative fault, and for causes of action arising on or after January 1, 2026, a claimant found 51 percent or more at fault recovers nothing, while a lower share reduces the award proportionally. Earlier claims remain under pure comparative fault. This makes the fault argument a central battleground, and the evidence that shapes it, such as witness accounts, the dog’s history, fence and gate conditions, and any posted warnings, should be preserved from the start.
What a Dog Bite Claim Can Recover
Compensation can include emergency and follow-up medical costs, surgery and reconstructive care, rabies treatment, medication, and therapy. It can also cover lost wages and reduced earning ability, along with pain, scarring, disfigurement, and the emotional toll of an attack. Facial and hand injuries tend to carry long-term consequences, and those future costs should be documented before any settlement is accepted.
Dog Bite Questions Louisiana Residents Ask
Is the dog’s owner automatically liable in Louisiana?
Not automatically. Liability generally depends on whether the owner or keeper knew or should have known the dog posed a danger and failed to use reasonable care to prevent harm. Evidence of prior incidents, a missing fence, or an unleashed dog strengthens the claim.
How long do I have to file a dog bite lawsuit?
For injuries on or after July 1, 2024, Louisiana’s period for most injury claims is two years from the day the injury occurred. Injuries before that date fall under the earlier one-year period. Because the right deadline depends on the date and the facts, speak with an attorney quickly.
Does homeowner’s insurance cover a dog bite?
Often yes. Many homeowner’s and renter’s policies include liability coverage that pays for injuries the dog causes, though some policies exclude certain breeds or limit the coverage. Identifying the available policy early is one of the first things we do.
What if the dog had never bitten anyone before?
A first-time bite does not end the claim. The question is whether the owner failed to take reasonable precautions, such as securing the dog, keeping it leashed, or repairing a gate. Warning signs short of a bite, like aggression or lunging, can also matter.
What if I was bitten while working?
You may have a workers’ compensation claim and a separate claim against the dog’s owner. Report the injury to your employer within 30 days, and a Louisiana comp claim generally has to be filed within one year of the accident. Our firm handles both, so the claims work together rather than against each other.
What if a child was bitten?
Children’s claims involve added considerations, including long-term scarring, emotional harm, and court approval of settlements. Prescription rules for minors have their own details, so a parent should have the claim reviewed promptly rather than waiting.
Can I recover if I was partly at fault?
Possibly. For causes of action arising on or after January 1, 2026, a claimant at 51 percent fault or more recovers nothing, and below that threshold the award is reduced by your share of fault. Earlier claims follow pure comparative fault. The insurer’s fault arguments should be tested, not accepted.
Will my health insurance cover treatment while the claim is pending?
Generally you should use your health insurance so treatment is not delayed, and the cost can be addressed in the claim. Some insurers seek reimbursement from a settlement, so we account for that when negotiating.
Is it worth hiring a lawyer for a smaller bite?
Often it is, because bites that look minor can leave scarring, infection, or nerve damage that shows up later. A free consultation costs nothing, and we are paid only if we recover for you.
Do I have to sue my neighbor or a friend?
Usually the claim is paid by the owner’s liability insurance, not out of the owner’s pocket. Many people hesitate to pursue a claim against someone they know, but the insurer is the real party responding to it.
What does a dog bite lawyer cost?
Nothing up front. Consultations are free, we advance the costs of the case, and our fee is collected only if we recover compensation for you.
Serving Dog Bite Clients Across Louisiana
We represent injured people throughout South Louisiana and the rest of the state, from New Orleans and Jefferson Parish through Baton Rouge, Lafayette, and Lake Charles to Shreveport and north Louisiana. Whether the attack happened in a city neighborhood, a suburban cul-de-sac, or a rural property, we handle claims in the parish where the injury occurred. That coverage extends to the Gulf Coast and across the Mississippi line, where the firm also serves clients in Jackson, Madison, Hattiesburg, Southaven, and the Delta.
Talk With a Louisiana Dog Bite Attorney
If a dog has injured you or your child, a Louisiana dog bite attorney at Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe can review what happened, identify the responsible parties and available insurance, and explain your options at no cost. Our phones are answered 24 hours a day, and you pay no fee unless we recover for you. Call us to schedule your free consultation.
