No parent is ever prepared for the moment they hear their child scream after a dog attack. One second everything is fine, and the next you are rushing toward your child, trying to figure out how bad it is, trying to stay calm when every instinct tells you to panic. The fear is overwhelming. The confusion that follows is just as hard. Your mind is racing between getting to the hospital, figuring out who owns the dog, and wondering what happens next.
We have been sitting across from Michigan families in moments exactly like this for over 40 years. We know what that fear looks like, and we know how quickly the days after a dog attack can become complicated. The dog's owner has insurance. That insurance company has adjusters. And those adjusters are very good at making families feel like the situation is under control when it is anything but.
Michigan's Dog Bite Law: What You Need to Know
Michigan has one of the strongest dog bite statutes in the country. Under MCL 287.351, a dog owner is strictly liable when their dog bites someone who was lawfully on public or private property. That means you do not have to prove the owner knew the dog was dangerous. You do not have to show the dog had bitten before. The owner is responsible, period.
This matters enormously for families with injured children because it removes a significant legal hurdle. In some states, victims have to prove that the owner had prior knowledge of aggressive behavior. Michigan does not require that.
There are two defenses a dog owner or their insurer may try to raise:
- Provocation: The owner may argue the child provoked the dog. Courts look at this carefully, especially with young children who may not understand how to interact with animals. What an adult might consider provocation is often viewed differently when a toddler or young child is involved.
- Unlawful presence: The victim must have been lawfully on the property. In almost every case involving a child playing in a neighborhood, visiting a friend's home, or on public property, this defense does not apply.
Your First Priority: Medical Care After a Dog Bite
Get Treatment Immediately
We cannot say this strongly enough: get your child to a doctor or emergency room right away, even if the wound looks minor. Dog bites carry a serious risk of infection. Puncture wounds in particular can look small on the surface while causing significant damage underneath. A physician needs to assess the depth of the wound, clean it properly, and determine whether stitches, antibiotics, or further intervention are needed.
Document Everything From Day One
Medical documentation is the foundation of a dog bite injury claim. From the moment you arrive at the hospital, start keeping records. This includes:
- Photos of the wound at every stage, from the day of the attack through healing
- All emergency room and physician visit records
- Prescription receipts and medical bills
- Notes about your child's pain level, sleep disruptions, and emotional state
- Any follow-up appointments, specialist referrals, or therapy sessions
What to Do in the Hours and Days After the Attack
The first 48 to 72 hours after a dog attack are critical, not just medically but legally. Here is what we advise families to do:
- Identify the dog and its owner. Get the owner's full name, address, and contact information if you can. Ask for proof of vaccination.
- Get witness information. If anyone saw the attack, write down their names and phone numbers while the memory is fresh.
- Report the attack to animal control. File a report with your local animal control agency. This creates an official record and may prevent another child from being hurt by the same dog.
- Take photos of the scene. If the attack happened in a yard, at a park, or in a specific location, photograph it before conditions change.
- Do not speak with the dog owner's insurance company. This is important. Insurance adjusters may call quickly and seem friendly. They are not on your side. Anything you say can be used to minimize your child's claim. Let us handle that communication.
- Keep all records organized. Create a folder, physical or digital, for every bill, report, photo, and note related to the attack.
Dog Bite Injuries in Children: Why They Are Often More Serious
Physical Vulnerability
Children are bitten more often than adults, and their injuries tend to be more severe. Because of their smaller size, a child's face, head, and neck are at the same height as many dogs' mouths. A bite that might strike an adult in the leg may strike a child in the face. This leads to a higher rate of facial injuries, including deep lacerations, nerve damage, and injuries that require plastic or reconstructive surgery.
Common physical injuries from dog attacks on children include:
- Deep puncture wounds and lacerations
- Facial injuries, including damage to the nose, lips, cheeks, and eyelids
- Nerve and muscle damage
- Scarring that may require multiple surgeries over many years
- Broken bones in severe attacks
Emotional and Psychological Trauma
Physical healing is only part of the picture. Children who experience a serious dog attack often develop lasting psychological effects, including a fear of dogs, nightmares, anxiety in unfamiliar environments, and in more serious cases, post-traumatic stress disorder. These effects can interfere with school, friendships, and everyday life for months or even years.
Who Can Be Held Responsible?
In most dog bite cases, the dog's owner is the primary responsible party under Michigan's strict liability statute. But depending on the circumstances, other parties may share responsibility:
- Landlords or property owners may bear responsibility if they knew a tenant kept a dangerous dog on the property and failed to address it.
- Homeowner's or renter's insurance is often the source of compensation in dog bite cases. Many policies cover dog bite liability, which is why the insurer becomes involved quickly after an attack.
- Business owners can be liable if the attack occurred on commercial property where a dog was permitted to be present.
Compensation a Michigan Dog Bite Claim May Pursue
A dog bite injury claim for a child can seek compensation across several categories:
- Emergency and ongoing medical expenses, including the ER visit, surgeries, follow-up care, and specialist appointments
- Future medical costs, such as reconstructive surgery, scar revision procedures, and long-term therapy
- Pain and suffering for the physical pain your child experienced and continues to experience
- Emotional distress and psychological trauma, including the cost of counseling and the impact on your child's daily life
- Lost wages for a parent, when a mother or father had to step away from work to care for their injured child or attend medical appointments
When Your Child Is Hurt, You Deserve More Than a Phone Tree
We built our practice around the idea that every client deserves to talk directly to their attorney, not a call center, not a paralegal who barely knows their name. When you call us, you reach us. That is not a marketing line. It is how we have operated since the day we opened our doors in Flint, and it is why so many of our clients stay friends with us long after their cases close.
A dog attack on your child is not just a legal matter. It is one of the most frightening things a parent can experience. We carry both sides of that with you, the legal fight and the human weight of it. We work to be the bridge that walks your family through this from where you are right now to a result that protects your child's future.
Talk to a Michigan Dog Bite Attorney Today
If your child was injured in a dog attack in Michigan, please do not wait. Evidence disappears, witnesses become harder to find, and insurance companies move fast. We offer a free case evaluation, and we work on a contingency fee basis, which means you pay nothing unless we recover for you.
Call us. Let us take it from here.
614 S. Grand Traverse Street Flint, Michigan 48502
Legal Disclaimer: The information provided in this blog is for general educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or establish an attorney-client relationship. Case results mentioned are specific to those particular facts and should not be viewed as a guarantee of future outcomes. Michigan personal injury laws, including those governing dog bites, are subject to legislative changes. Please consult with a qualified Michigan attorney to understand your specific rights.
