Bitten by a Dog
in Chicago?
Injury Law Made Personal®
“He’s never done that before” is not a defense in Illinois. There is no free first bite here — a dog owner is responsible the very first time their dog injures someone. You do not have to prove the owner knew the dog was dangerous. Ankin Law has fought for injured Illinois families for over 35 years.
Call 312.600.0000 Free Case ReviewHow a Dog Bite Becomes a Case
The Situation
A run you take every morning, a sidewalk you have used a hundred times. A dog on a long retractable lead reaches further than its owner expects, or slips a gate, and it is on you before anyone can react. You were doing nothing but being somewhere you had every right to be — which, under Illinois law, is precisely the point.
The Accident
Everyone stands around and nobody writes anything down. The owner apologizes, says the dog has never done this, and walks off before anyone gets a name. Meanwhile a puncture wound that looks minor is the kind that closes over bacteria, and hand and forearm bites in particular have a real infection risk. What you do in the first hour decides most of the case.
The Solution
Who owned the dog, who was handling it, whether animal control was called and whether that dog has a history — Ankin Law investigates all of it. And critically, which policy stands behind the owner, because that is where these claims are actually paid. Howard Ankin has fought for injured Illinois families for over 35 years, and no fee is owed unless we win.
Is a Free Consultation Really Free?
Howard Ankin answers your questions directly.
What Illinois Law Says About Dog Bites
Illinois does not give a dog one free bite. Under the Animal Control Act an owner is liable the first time, and you do not have to prove they knew the dog was dangerous
The statute covers a dog that attacks or injures — so being knocked down, chased into the street, or hurt getting away can count even if teeth never touched you
and renter’s policies are where these claims are usually paid. Dog bite liability is standard coverage, which is why a claim rarely comes out of a neighbor’s pocket
Who Is Responsible — and What You Can Recover
The Owner or Handler
Illinois law reaches whoever owned the dog and whoever had it at the time — a dog walker, a friend, a family member watching it for the weekend. If you were somewhere you had a right to be and did nothing to provoke the animal, that is the whole case.
A Landlord or Property Owner
Sometimes the owner has no insurance and no assets. A landlord who knew a dangerous dog was on the property and had the power to remove it can be responsible too — which is often the difference between a claim worth pursuing and one that goes nowhere.
What You Can Recover
Emergency care, infection treatment, and reconstructive or plastic surgery, wages for time off work, and compensation for permanent scarring. Also the part people underestimate: the lasting fear of dogs that follows a serious bite, particularly for children.
Why Ankin Law Is the Right Call After a Dog Bite
The Wound Is the Evidence
It changes every single day, and by the time anyone thinks about a claim the worst of it has healed. Photograph it immediately and keep photographing it through treatment. Scarring is compensable, and how it looked at its worst is very hard to prove later.
Find Out Whether the Dog Has a History
Animal control reports, prior bite complaints and any dangerous-dog designation are public records, and they change a case entirely. Reporting the bite also starts the rabies observation period, which protects your health and creates the paper trail at the same time.
No Fee Unless You Win
You pay nothing to start and nothing unless Ankin Law recovers for you. You get the same aggressive representation whether you can afford it today or not. Howard Ankin has been doing this for over 40 years.
Get Your Free Case Review
If a dog bit you or your child, the wound is healing and the owner’s memory is getting vaguer by the day. Contact us today for a free, confidential consultation with no obligation.
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