New Orleans
A dog attack can leave you with deep wounds, nerve damage, or scarring that changes how you look and feel for years.
Louisiana law is more favorable to bite victims than most states, and The Voorhies Law Firm knows exactly how to use that to your advantage against a homeowner’s insurer that would rather blame the victim than the dog.
A dog bite claim seeks compensation from a dog owner (or, in many cases, their homeowner’s or renter’s insurance) after their animal injures you.
Common injuries include:
Dog bite injuries are often dismissed as minor by insurance adjusters, even when the wound leaves permanent scarring or nerve damage.
Getting a proper medical evaluation and documenting everything early protects your claim from being undervalued.
Louisiana treats dog bites differently, and more favorably to victims, than it treats most other animal related injuries.
Most states follow some version of a “one-bite rule,” which lets an owner escape liability if their dog had never bitten anyone before. Louisiana does not.
Under Civil Code article 2321, a dog owner is strictly liable for injuries their dog causes, regardless of the dog’s history, as long as the injury could have been prevented and you did not provoke the animal.
This is a meaningfully different, and better, standard than what applies to most other animals under this same article, which requires proof that the owner knew or should have known the animal was dangerous.
Courts look at whether the dog presented an unreasonable risk of harm, which brings in familiar negligence-style factors, which can look like any of the following: was the dog properly restrained, did the owner take reasonable precautions, and did the circumstances put anyone on notice of danger.
The Louisiana Supreme Court’s decision in Pepper v. Triplet is the leading case that Louisiana courts still apply to similar situations.
For bites occurring on or after July 1, 2024, you generally have two years from the date of the bite or attack to file a claim, under Civil Code article 3493.1.
Bites or attacks that have occurred before that date may still fall under the prior article, which states that a one-year deadline applies to these situations.
STEP 1
Free consultation.
Tell us what happened and who owns the dog. We’ll give you an honest, no-cost read on your options.
STEP 2
Investigation.
We identify the dog’s owner, locate any applicable homeowner’s or renter’s insurance, and gather animal control or medical records.
STEP 3
Medical documentation.
We work to make sure your treatment record, including any plastic surgery or scar treatment, is properly documented.
STEP 4
Damage calculation.
We account for medical costs, lost wages, scarring, and emotional impact, especially in cases involving children.
STEP 5
Demand and negotiation.
We present your claim to the responsible insurer and negotiate for what it’s actually worth.
STEP 6
Filing suit, if needed.
If the insurer won’t offer a fair number, we file suit before your deadline.
STEP 7
Resolution.
Your case resolves, whether through a negotiated settlement or a verdict.
We represent dog bite victims in cases involving:
Behind every dog bite case is a person, or a child, who is left with a scar that they didn’t ask for and a homeowner’s insurer looking for any excuse to minimize the damages that it has caused.
We push back on that.
We’ve recovered over $100 million for our clients across the full range of cases that we handle.
Results may vary, and every dog bite case depends on its own facts, including the severity of the injury and any scarring involved.
Most dog bite claims get paid out of a homeowner’s or renter’s insurance policy, which means you’re really negotiating against an insurance adjuster, not the animal’s owner.
Richard P. Voorhies III and the team at The Voorhies Law Firm know how those adjusters try to minimize bite claims, and how to stop them.
We’re recognized by Super Lawyers and other legal organizations, but what matters for us is the direct access to your attorney that we provide, and no costs to you unless we win.
We handle dog bite cases on a contingency basis, so legal bills are not another issue you have to work through.
No. Louisiana does not follow the one-bite rule. Under Civil Code article 2321, a dog owner can be held strictly liable even for a dog’s first bite, as long as the injury could have been prevented and you didn’t provoke the dog.
You can still generally recover, whether you were a guest, a delivery worker, or a contractor, as long as you were lawfully on the property and didn’t provoke the dog.
That’s a separate question governed by local animal control and criminal law, not your civil injury claim. Your attorney can help you understand how the two processes interact, but pursuing compensation doesn’t automatically trigger action against the dog.
Generally two years from the date of the bite for incidents on or after July 1, 2024, under Civil Code article 3493.1.
Nothing upfront. We handle these cases on contingency, so we only get paid if we recover compensation for you.
