Average Dog Bite Settlement in Louisiana (2025)

Dog bite injuries are often traumatic and can leave lasting physical and psychological scars. When these injuries happen because a dog’s owner was careless, you can recover financially by filing a claim against the owner. Knowing the average dog bite settlement in Louisiana can help bite victims decide whether it is worth pursuing a claim.

Bear in mind, every claim is different, and your financial recovery will rely on your specific losses, including the resulting medical bills and lost income. A skilled personal injury lawyer can help you with dog bite settlement cases to help you secure the right compensation.

The Impact of Your Injuries and Other Damages

One of the primary factors influencing the value of a dog bite settlement is how seriously you were injured. The most compensation you can recover is the total cost of your injuries, both economic and non-economic. Economic losses are tangible losses like medical bills and income you were unable to earn by not being able to work. Non-economic losses are subjective losses like physical pain or the loss of your quality of life. A qualified dog bite lawyer can help you calculate these damages and ensure that you pursue the maximum compensation available for your injuries.

The potential value of your settlement will be higher if your injuries are more serious. While some dog bites are less severe puncture or scratch wounds, some may be crushing injuries, loss of limbs, loss of sight, and deadly infections.

A dog bite that results in catastrophic and disabling injuries can have more costly, intensive medical treatment. These injuries may also take longer to recover from, which can prevent you from earning income for a prolonged time period. Particularly serious injuries can prevent you from completing gainful work ever again. Each of these losses increases the value of your economic damages.

More serious injuries may also result in more severe emotional and psychological trauma and can affect your daily life significantly. This increases non-economic damage value.

Working with an Experienced Attorney

Unfortunately, even when you have suffered serious injuries, insurance companies do not want to pay full and fair claims. This can make it difficult to obtain the total of the damages you suffered. This is why it is important to work with an attorney. A personal injury attorney has sufficient experience handling injury claims and dealing with insurers. You are more likely to get the most financial recovery available when you have an experienced attorney by your side.

An attorney can investigate the circumstances surrounding the attack and determine if the dog’s owner can be held strictly liable for negligence. Your attorney can gather evidence of your financial and personal losses to prove your claim. If a reasonable settlement can’t be reached outside of court, your attorney can advocate for fair compensation in a trial. Understanding Louisiana dog bite laws is essential for navigating these claims and ensuring that your rights are protected throughout the legal process.

Negotiation Settlement or Trial Verdict

If a fair settlement can’t be reached, then you are more likely to secure full and fair compensation by going to court. As long as you are able to prove the dog owner failed to act with reasonable care, you could recover the full total of your losses in court.

Evidence Supporting Your Claim

In order to hold a dog owner and their insurer liable for a dog’s attack, your circumstances must satisfy specific criteria, including that the owner knew the dog would cause damage and failed to prevent it.

When you have significant evidence showing the dog owner was at fault and significant evidence of the damages you suffered, insurers are more likely to be willing to compromise and reach a fair settlement. An attorney is beneficial in securing this evidence, as they have resources and experience. It is especially helpful to work with an attorney who has handled dog bite claims in Louisiana before.

Comparative Fault

In some dog bite claims, comparative negligence affects a trial case. If you were partially to blame for the attack, then the damages you can recover are likely to be reduced. You may be considered at fault if you provoked the dog or were trespassing. In some cases, these actions can prevent you from recovering compensation altogether.

FAQs

What Is the Average Payout for a Dog Bite Claim?

The average payout for a dog bite claim is difficult to predict because every dog bite claim is reliant on its specific circumstances. Injury severity, the significance of your long-term medical needs, and other elements of your injuries will affect your payout. While your damages can point to a maximum claim, you cannot always secure this amount. You are more likely to get the highest compensation possible when you work with a knowledgeable personal injury attorney.

What Is the Dog Bite Rule in Louisiana?

The dog bite rule in Louisiana is strict liability for dog owners if certain conditions of negligence are met. These include:

1. The dog’s owner knew of the dog’s actions and the likelihood that those actions would cause harm, or should have known by exercising reasonable care
2. If the owner had taken reasonable care, they could have prevented the damage
3. The owner did not take reasonable care
4. The injured party did nothing to provoke the dog to attack

How Should You Negotiate a Dog Bite Settlement?

To negotiate a dog bite settlement, consider hiring a personal injury attorney. A negotiation benefits from the following information:

1. Proof that the dog owner was strictly liable through witness statements or video evidence of their lack of reasonable care
2. Evidence of the extent of your damages, including bills, receipts, pay stubs, and tax information
3. Proof that you did not provoke the dog

Personal injury attorneys have the experience and resources needed to gather this information quickly.

How Much Damage Can a Dog Bite Do?

A dog bite can cause serious damage, especially if the individual is vulnerable in some way. This includes children, the elderly, and the disabled. Dog bites can result in broken and crushed limbs, scarring, disfigurement, loss of sight, nerve damage, traumatic brain injuries, and infections or diseases. While some dog bites only cause minor harm, others can cause lasting physical damage and mental trauma. Some more severe attacks can even cause wrongful death.

Get Legal Consultation for Dog Bites Cases at Murphy Law Firm

When someone else is to blame for your injuries, you should not have to shoulder the financial responsibility for those injuries. Dog owners must take responsibility for their animals and take reasonable care to prevent damage to other people and property. At Murphy Law Firm, we can help you hold dog owners liable for their negligence. Contact our firm today to see how we can support you in your claim.