Dog Bite & Animal Attack Lawyer — Metairie & New Orleans

A dog attack happens fast. One moment you're walking a sidewalk, visiting a friend, or letting your child play in a yard, and the next you're at the emergency room with bite wounds, scarring, or worse. The injuries are often deep and disfiguring, the medical bills add up quickly, and the emotional toll — especially for children — can last long after the wounds heal.

At Bono Law Firm, we've helped injured Louisianans since 1980, and dog bite cases are part of what we do. If you or your child has been hurt by someone else's dog, you talk directly to an attorney named Bono — John or Michael — not a case manager, and you pay nothing unless we recover money for you.

Louisiana law favors dog bite victims

Louisiana is a strong state for dog bite cases. Under Civil Code article 2321, the owner of a dog is strictly liable for injuries caused by the dog when (1) the owner could have prevented the injury, and (2) the injury did not result from the victim's provocation of the dog. Unlike the "one-bite rule" used in some other states — which protects an owner from liability the first time their dog bites — Louisiana's rule doesn't require proof that the owner knew the dog was dangerous beforehand. What matters is whether the injury was preventable and whether the victim provoked the dog.

That's a meaningful difference from many states, and it's why dog bite victims here usually have a real case even when the dog had no prior history.

Where the money usually comes from

Most dog bite settlements in Louisiana are paid by the dog owner's homeowner's or renter's insurance policy — not by the owner personally. That matters because it means a real source of recovery exists in most cases, the owner doesn't have to declare bankruptcy or sell their house, and the relationship between the victim and the owner (often a neighbor, a friend, or a family member) doesn't have to become a financial fight between people.

We handle the insurance side so you don't have to argue with anyone you know. The conversation is between us and the carrier.

What dog bite claims typically cover

Compensation in a dog bite case may include:

  • Emergency room bills and follow-up medical care

  • Plastic surgery and scar revision — particularly important for facial wounds and injuries to children

  • Lost wages if you missed work

  • Future medical care, including additional surgeries

  • Pain, suffering, and emotional distress

  • Counseling or therapy, especially for children who develop fear-of-dog anxiety

The cases we see most often involve injuries to the hands, arms, and face — and when children are bitten, the bites tend to be on the face and head because of where children meet a dog physically. Those cases carry particular weight in Louisiana because of the long-term scarring and emotional impact.

What to do after a dog attack

  • Get medical care immediately. Dog bites carry a high infection risk; a doctor visit creates the medical record you'll need.

  • Identify the dog and the owner. Get the owner's name, address, and phone number. If the dog is a stray, animal control needs to find it.

  • Report the bite to animal control or the police. This creates an official record and triggers rabies-check protocols.

  • Photograph the injuries as they look in the first hours and days, and again as they heal. Scarring evidence matters.

  • Don't accept a quick offer from the dog owner or their insurer before you know how badly you're hurt or what the scars will look like once they've healed. Initial offers in these cases are almost always low.

  • Call us for a free consultation. We'll tell you whether you have a case and what it may be worth.

When the bite happens on a rented property or business

The dog's owner is the primary defendant, but a landlord may share responsibility when they knew about a dangerous dog on the property and didn't act. And bites that happen at a business — a restaurant, a store, a groomer, a boarding facility, a kennel, a dog park — may bring premises liability and commercial insurance into play. These cases need a careful look at every party and every policy.

No fee unless we recover for you

Bono Law Firm has represented injured people across Jefferson, Orleans, St. Tammany, St. Charles, and surrounding parishes since 1980. Consultations are free, home and hospital visits are available, our phones are answered 24 hours a day, and there's no fee unless we recover compensation for you.

Hurt by a dog or animal attack? Call Bono Law Firm, APLC at 504-835-9909 for a free consultation. Se Habla Español.