A dog attack can leave you with more than painful wounds. It can result in extensive medical treatment, mounting medical bills, and fear that lingers long after the physical injuries heal. If a dog has hurt you or someone you love, the Berwyn dog bite injury lawyers at Kennedy Watkins Injury Attorneys are ready to stand with you and hold the responsible owner accountable.
We are Jack Kennedy and Daniel Watkins, two Chicago-area personal injury attorneys who work together on every case we take. We’re with you, on your side and by your side, from your first phone call through the resolution of your claim.
You should not have to deal with the insurance company alone. Call us at (312) 448-8181 any time, day or night, for a free and confidential consultation, and we will travel to meet you wherever you are in Berwyn, Cicero, Oak Park, or anywhere in Illinois.
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How Can Our Berwyn Dog Bite Lawyers Help You?
Our dog bite lawyers in Berwyn investigate the attack, gather the evidence, and handle the insurance company for you, so you can focus on healing while we build a strong claim for compensation. A serious bite raises many hard questions at once, and you deserve clear answers.
Who will pay for the emergency room visit? What happens if you cannot work? How do you even begin a claim against a neighbor or an acquaintance? From the moment you call, Jack and Daniel review what happened and explain your options in plain language.
Our team handles the heavy lifting of your case, including:
- Identifying the dog’s owner, keeper, or anyone else who may be responsible
- Collecting medical records, photographs, witness statements, and animal control reports
- Working with medical and safety professionals who can explain the full extent of your injuries
- Calculating the true value of your losses, both now and in the future
- Negotiating with the insurance company and preparing your case for trial when needed
We treat every case as if it will go to court, because that preparation is often what moves an insurer from a low offer to a fair one. Clients often tell us they felt heard, cared for, and kept in the loop at every step. When you hire us, you get two experienced attorneys reviewing every detail, not a rotating cast of associates.
Our Berwyn dog bite attorneys also know a serious injury does not wait for business hours. That is why we answer calls around the clock and will come to you at the hospital or at home when you cannot travel to our office.
Illinois’s Strict Liability Dog Bite Law
Illinois is a strict liability state, which means a dog owner is generally responsible for the injuries their dog causes, even if the animal has never bitten anyone before. This rule comes from the Illinois Animal Control Act, found at 510 ILCS 5/16.
Under this law, an owner is liable when a dog, without provocation, attacks or injures a person who is behaving peacefully in a place where they are allowed to be. In plain terms, you do not have to prove the owner was careless or knew the dog was dangerous.
Illinois rejects the so-called one-bite rule that some states follow, so a clean history does not shield the owner from responsibility. The law also covers more than bites. If a dog knocks you down, jumps on you, or chases you into the street and you are hurt, the owner can still be held liable.
Lawful presence is an important part of the law. Invited guests, delivery and postal workers, and people walking on a public sidewalk or through a park, such as Proksa Park, meet this standard easily. Trespassers usually do not.
Because Berwyn is in Cook County, local leash and animal control rules may also matter in a claim. When an owner ignores a leash requirement or lets a dog run loose, that violation can strengthen the case that the owner failed to control the animal.
Two defenses can affect a claim: provocation and trespassing. If someone teased, hit, or threatened the dog, or entered a place they had no legal right to be, the owner’s responsibility may be reduced or removed. We investigate these issues early so we can address them head-on.
Who Is Liable for a Dog Bite in Berwyn?
Responsibility for a dog bite in Berwyn can extend well beyond the person who legally owns the dog to anyone who was keeping, harboring, or caring for the animal at the time. The Animal Control Act defines “owner” broadly under 510 ILCS 5/2.16.
The term includes anyone who keeps or harbors a dog, has it in their care, acts as its custodian, or knowingly lets it stay on property they occupy. This means a dog sitter, a friend watching the dog for the weekend, or a household member can be treated as an owner for the purpose of your claim.
Identifying every responsible party matters because it often determines which insurance policies are available to cover your losses. Landlords can sometimes share responsibility as well.
Illinois courts have found that simply owning a building is not enough, but a landlord who knew a tenant’s dog was dangerous and controlled the area where the attack happened may be held accountable. Sorting out who is responsible is one of the first things we do, and we pursue every source of compensation so your recovery is not limited by one person’s ability to pay.
What Compensation Can You Recover After a Dog Bite?
You may be able to recover money for both your financial losses and the physical and emotional harm you have suffered, from medical bills and lost wages to pain, scarring, and lasting trauma. The goal is to make you whole, not to punish a neighbor.
Economic Damages
Economic damages cover the measurable costs of a dog bite. These are the bills and lost income you can document, including:
- Emergency care, surgery, and hospital stays
- Reconstructive procedures for scarring or disfigurement
- Physical therapy and future medical treatment
- Lost wages and a reduced ability to earn
Keeping careful records of these expenses helps us build a complete picture of what the attack has cost you.
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages account for the human toll that no receipt can capture. These losses are often the most significant part of a serious dog bite claim.
They can include physical pain, emotional suffering, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress. For many people, a bite also brings a lasting fear of dogs and a loss of the everyday enjoyment they once took for granted. Families may also recover for the strain an injury places on close relationships, known as loss of consortium.
Recovering compensation is not about getting even. It is about securing the resources you and your family need to heal and move forward.
Common Dog Bite Injuries We Handle
Dog attacks often cause far more than surface wounds, and we represent people with injuries ranging from deep puncture wounds and infections to permanent scarring and emotional trauma. A dog’s teeth can crush tissue, tear muscle, and drive bacteria deep into a wound, which is why prompt medical care matters after any attack, as the CDC advises.
Even a bite that looks minor can lead to a serious infection. Injuries we see in dog bite claims include:
- Puncture wounds and deep lacerations
- Nerve and tissue damage
- Broken bones from falls during an attack
- Facial injuries and permanent scarring
- Infections that can follow a bite
- Emotional trauma, including a lasting fear of dogs
Children are especially vulnerable, and the CDC notes that they are more likely than adults to be bitten and to be seriously hurt. A bite to a child’s face or hands can have effects that last for years, which is why we approach these cases with extra care and compassion.
How Long Do You Have to File a Dog Bite Claim in Illinois?
In most cases, you have two years from the date of the bite to file a lawsuit in Illinois, under 735 ILCS 5/13-202. This deadline is called the statute of limitations, and missing it usually means losing your right to compensation, no matter how strong your case is.
The clock generally starts on the day the attack happened, not the day you finish treatment. A shorter deadline may apply in certain situations, such as a claim involving a unit of local government, which may carry a one-year limit.
Because these timelines vary, it is wise to speak with an attorney early so evidence can be preserved and no deadline slips by. Acting quickly also gives us time to interview witnesses while memories are fresh and to secure records before they are lost. Illinois also follows a modified comparative negligence rule.
If the other side argues you were partly at fault, you can still recover damages as long as your share of the responsibility is less than 50 percent, though your compensation may be reduced by your percentage of fault. We work to keep the focus where it belongs, on the owner’s responsibility for the harm their dog caused.
Why Injured Clients Choose Kennedy Watkins Injury Attorneys
When you work with us, you get two dedicated attorneys on every case, around-the-clock availability, and a firm with a record of substantial results for injured people and families. We are not a large firm that passes your case to a junior associate.
Jack and Daniel collaborate from the first call to the final resolution, giving you two sets of eyes on every detail. What sets our firm apart:
- Two attorneys on every case, working together for one outcome: yours
- Availability 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, wherever you are in Illinois
- No fee unless we win, with no costs up front and a free consultation
- Real knowledge of the Cook County court system and the local insurers who operate here
Our results speak to our commitment. We have secured verdicts that include $34 million in a wrongful death case arising from an apartment fire and $7.365 million for a family who lost a father in a truck crash on the Dan Ryan Expressway. Past results afford no guarantee of future outcomes, but they reflect the preparation and fight we bring to every client. Call us today to put that dedication to work for you.
Call (312) 448-8181 for a Free Consultation
Contact Our Berwyn Dog Bite Injury Lawyers Today
A dog bite can leave you hurting, worried, and unsure where to turn. You do not have to face it alone.
At Kennedy Watkins Injury Attorneys, our Berwyn dog bite injury lawyers are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to answer your questions and fight for the compensation you deserve. There is no fee unless we win, the consultation is free, and we will travel to meet you at home, in the hospital, or anywhere in Illinois.
Call us today at (312) 448-8181 or reach out online to schedule your free, confidential consultation. We’re with you, on your side and by your side.
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FAQ
FAQs Answered by a Berwyn Dog Bite Injury Lawyer
What if the dog had never bitten anyone before?
It does not matter for most claims. Because Illinois follows strict liability, an owner can be responsible even if the dog had a spotless history and had never shown aggression. You do not have to prove the owner knew the dog was dangerous.
Does the dog owner's homeowners’ or renters’ insurance pay for a dog bite claim?
In many cases, yes. Most homeowners and renters insurance policies include coverage for dog bite liability, which means compensation often comes from an insurance company rather than the owner’s personal savings. We identify every policy that may apply to your claim.
What if a dog bit my child in Berwyn?
Children face a higher risk of serious dog bite injuries, and these cases deserve careful, compassionate handling. We work to recover the resources your child may need for medical care, counseling, and future treatment, and a parent or guardian can pursue a claim on the child’s behalf.
What if the dog belongs to a friend or family member?
You can still pursue a claim, and doing so does not mean suing your loved one personally. Compensation usually comes from an insurance policy, so a claim is often a way to cover medical bills without creating a financial hardship for someone you care about.
Should I report a dog bite to animal control?
Reporting the bite creates an official record and may trigger a rabies observation period for the dog, often around 10 days. That record can also help support your claim, and if you are unsure how to handle reporting, we can walk you through it.
What if the dog owner does not have insurance?
You still have options. Our dog bite injury attorneys look at other potentially responsible parties, such as a landlord or another custodian of the dog, and we explore every available source of recovery. An uninsured owner does not automatically mean there is no path to compensation.