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Interactive guide · Legal & Injury

How to Calculate Dog Bite & Animal Attack Claim

Strict liability states, one-bite states, and where homeowners coverage pays.

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The formula

How this number is built

value = (medical + surgery + medical × scarring multiplier × child factor) × state rule factor
Step by step

Calculating it yourself

Step 1

Photograph the injury immediately and again through healing — scarring drives the value.

Step 2

Report the bite to animal control; the official record establishes the incident and prior history.

Step 3

Identify the owner and their homeowners or renters insurer.

Step 4

Request the animal's bite history, which decides liability in one-bite states.

Questions

What people ask next

Who actually pays?

Almost always the owner's homeowners or renters liability coverage, not the owner personally.

Does breed matter?

Legally, rarely. Practically, some insurers exclude specific breeds, which can leave no coverage at all.

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