When a dog attacks a child, the injuries are different from when a dog attacks an adult. They are different in where they occur on the body. They are different in how severe they tend to be. They are different in how they heal. And they are different in how deeply they scar, not just the skin, but the child’s sense of safety in the world. A child who has been mauled by a dog may need years of reconstructive surgery. They may develop post-traumatic stress disorder that follows them into adulthood. They may become terrified of animals, of going outside, of visiting friends’ homes. The physical wounds are only the beginning.
I’m Scott DeSalvo. I have been a personal injury attorney in Chicago for over 27 years. I became a lawyer because my father, a Teamster truck driver, suffered a devastating work injury when I was nine years old and then spent 17 years fighting through the legal system. That experience showed me that when powerful institutions hurt ordinary people, the only thing that levels the playing field is an attorney who refuses to back down. If your child has been attacked by a dog and you are facing medical bills, surgical consultations, and a traumatized child who cannot sleep at night, call me at 312-500-4500. The consultation is free, available 24/7/365, and we speak Spanish. There is no fee unless we recover compensation for your family.
The medical literature is unambiguous: children are disproportionately represented among dog bite victims, and the injuries they sustain are more severe, more likely to involve the face, and more likely to require surgery than injuries to adults. Understanding the medical science behind these differences is essential to understanding why dog attack cases involving children carry such significant legal value.
An estimated 4.5 million Americans suffer dog bites every year. Nearly 885,000 require medical attention, and roughly 370,000 need emergency department treatment. But it is children who bear the heaviest burden. Dog bites account for 40 percent of all injuries in children and 3 to 4 percent of all pediatric emergency department visits. Children under 10 are three times more likely to require hospitalization for a dog bite than children over 11. Each year, dog bite injuries in the pediatric population account for more than 100,000 emergency department visits and more than 10,000 hospital admissions, with a mean hospital stay of 2.5 days. The projected annual medical cost of pediatric dog bite emergency visits alone is $252 million.
Children receive approximately 70 percent of all dog bite-related fatalities. In 2022, children aged 0 to 9 accounted for 21 percent of all dog bite fatalities, with children ages 1 to 4 being the single most frequent age group killed by dogs, representing 29.4 percent of fatalities that year. Among the 63 dog bite fatalities recorded in 2023, 24 percent were children aged 9 or younger. Fifty-four percent were multi-dog attacks.
There is a specific medical reason why dog attacks on children are so devastating, and it comes down to simple anatomy. A young child’s head is proportionally larger relative to their body than an adult’s, and their face is at the same height as most dogs’ mouths. When a dog lunges at a child, the child’s face, head, and neck are the natural point of contact. This is not speculation. It is confirmed by every major pediatric study on the subject.
A nationwide five-year study of 56,106 pediatric dog bite patients found that the most common bite location was the head, accounting for 62.1 percent of all injuries, followed by the upper extremity at 25.1 percent. The study found that the proportion of bites to the face decreases with age at a rate of 3.4 percent per year of age, while bites to the upper and lower extremities increase correspondingly. In the youngest children, nearly all bites are to the face and head. Eight percent of all pediatric dog bite patients required surgical repair in the operating room, and injuries to the head and those involving multiple body regions were 2.6 times more likely to require operative intervention.
A separate study analyzing 537 children treated for facial dog bites at Children’s Hospital in Denver found that 68 percent of victims were 5 years old or younger, with the highest incidence in 3-year-olds. Children 5 and under were more likely to be hospitalized than older children. The median age across another study of 6,308 pediatric dog bite victims was approximately 6 years. Half of those children underwent some medical procedure, 31 percent had an invasive surgical procedure, and 5.1 percent required skin grafts or flaps.
The facial injuries children sustain in dog attacks are not simple cuts. A dog’s bite force can easily shatter the thin bones of a child’s face. Fractures of the midface, orbit, and nasal bones are documented in nearly 3 percent of pediatric dog bite patients. Lacerations frequently involve the lips, cheeks, eyelids, ears, and nose. Tissue avulsion, in which chunks of skin and underlying tissue are torn completely away from the face, is common in severe attacks. Nerve damage can cause permanent loss of sensation or facial muscle paralysis. Damage to the tear ducts, salivary glands, and facial nerves may require highly specialized microsurgical repair. And because children’s faces are still growing, the scarring and structural damage from a dog attack can worsen over time as the child develops, requiring additional corrective surgeries throughout childhood and adolescence.
One of the most devastating findings in pediatric dog bite research contradicts a widely held assumption. Parents often believe the greatest danger comes from unfamiliar stray dogs or dogs belonging to strangers. The data shows the opposite. Almost 90 percent of the dogs that bite children in the face are known to the child. In the Denver Children’s Hospital study, 51.2 percent of attacking dogs were the family’s own pet, 14.7 percent belonged to a neighbor, 12.7 percent to a friend, and 9.5 percent to a relative. Only about 10 percent of facial dog bites in children involved a dog the child had never met.
This finding has profound legal implications. It means that in the overwhelming majority of pediatric dog bite cases, the dog owner is someone the family knows. The dog is often in a home the child visits regularly. The owner is frequently a family member, neighbor, or friend. These relationships create emotional barriers to pursuing legal claims, but they do not change the legal reality: under Illinois law, the dog owner is strictly liable for the injuries their animal causes, regardless of the relationship between the parties, and regardless of whether the dog has ever shown aggression before.
It is also important to understand that nearly half of pediatric dog bites involve some element of what researchers classify as provocation, meaning the child was playing with, petting, feeding, or otherwise interacting with the dog at the time of the bite. But children, especially young children, do not understand dog behavior. They do not recognize warning signs like a stiffened body, pinned ears, or a fixed stare. They may hug a dog around the neck, reach for its food bowl, or stumble into its space. These are normal child behaviors, not provocations in any meaningful legal sense. Illinois law defines provocation narrowly, and a child’s innocent interaction with a dog does not constitute provocation that would excuse the owner from liability.
The physical recovery from a severe dog attack on a child is not a single event. It is a process that can span years or even decades. Children who suffer significant facial lacerations, tissue loss, or fractures typically require multiple staged reconstructive surgeries. Initial emergency surgery addresses the most critical wounds, controls bleeding, and begins the process of reattaching or reconstructing damaged tissue. But that first surgery is rarely the last.
Scar revision surgery is frequently needed as wounds heal and contract. Children’s faces grow and change, which means scars that were acceptable on a three-year-old may become distorted and prominent on a teenager. Skin grafts may be required where tissue was avulsed. Nerve repair procedures may be needed to restore sensation or muscle function. Procedures to address eyelid, lip, ear, or nose deformity may be staged over multiple years. In cases involving orbital fractures, additional surgery to correct bone alignment or implant prosthetic material may be necessary as the child’s facial skeleton matures.
The financial cost of this surgical journey is substantial. A single reconstructive surgery can cost thousands to tens of thousands of dollars. When a child requires five, eight, or twelve procedures over the course of childhood and adolescence, the total medical cost easily reaches hundreds of thousands of dollars. These costs must be projected and documented by medical experts as part of the legal case, because the full scope of future surgical needs is a critical component of the damages calculation.
The psychological injuries a child sustains in a dog attack are often more debilitating and longer-lasting than the physical wounds. Children who are attacked by dogs frequently develop post-traumatic stress disorder, specific phobias of dogs and animals, generalized anxiety disorders, sleep disturbances including nightmares and night terrors, separation anxiety, regression in developmental milestones, and depression. These conditions are well-documented in the medical literature and are recognized as compensable damages under Illinois law.
The psychological impact on a child is amplified by several factors unique to childhood. First, the trauma occurs during a critical period of brain development, which means it can alter the child’s neurological stress response in ways that persist into adulthood. Second, the attack often involves a trusted animal, sometimes the child’s own pet, which shatters the child’s sense of safety and trust in the world. Third, visible facial scarring creates a secondary ongoing trauma: every time the child looks in a mirror, every time a classmate stares or asks what happened, the attack is relived. Research shows that disfigurement from dog bites affects children’s social development, peer relationships, self-esteem, and academic performance.
The cost of psychological treatment is significant. Children who develop PTSD or anxiety disorders after a dog attack may need years of therapy, including cognitive behavioral therapy, exposure therapy, and in some cases, medication management. These treatment costs, and the impact of the psychological injuries on the child’s quality of life, must be quantified by mental health experts and presented as part of the damages case.
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Illinois is one of the strongest states in the country for dog bite victims, and the reason is a single statute: the Illinois Animal Control Act, Section 16. This statute creates strict liability for dog owners, which means you do not need to prove that the owner was negligent, that the owner knew the dog was dangerous, or that the dog had ever bitten anyone before. Under 510 ILCS 5/16, if a dog without provocation attacks or injures any person who is peaceably conducting himself or herself in any place where he or she may lawfully be, the owner is liable for the full amount of the injury.
There are three elements to an Illinois dog bite claim under the Animal Control Act. First, the attack must have been unprovoked, meaning the injured person did not provoke the dog. Second, the injured person must have been lawfully present at the location where the attack occurred, whether on public property, on their own property, or as a guest on the dog owner’s property. Third, the defendant must be the owner, keeper, or harborer of the dog. Illinois defines owner very broadly to include not just the legal owner but anyone who keeps, harbors, or has care or custody of the animal, or who knowingly permits the dog to remain on their premises.
This broad definition of owner is important in children’s cases because the dog may be on premises controlled by someone other than the dog’s legal owner. If a landlord knowingly permits a tenant’s dangerous dog to remain on the property, the landlord may be liable as a harborer. If a babysitter, grandparent, or family friend is caring for the dog when it attacks a child, that person may be liable as a keeper. Illinois’s strict liability standard and broad ownership definition create multiple potential sources of recovery for injured children.
Provocation is the primary defense in Illinois dog bite cases, and it is the defense most commonly raised when the victim is a child. The owner will argue that the child provoked the dog by pulling its tail, touching its food, climbing on it, or engaging in some other behavior that triggered the attack. But Illinois courts have consistently held that provocation requires an intentional act designed to cause the dog to react. A young child’s innocent, clumsy, or even careless interaction with a dog does not constitute provocation. Courts consider the age, maturity, and understanding of the child when evaluating whether the child’s behavior constituted provocation. A three-year-old who hugs a dog is not provoking it in any legally meaningful sense.
In the vast majority of dog bite cases, the compensation comes not from the dog owner’s personal assets but from their homeowner’s or renter’s insurance policy. Homeowner’s insurers paid out $1.56 billion in liability claims related to dog bites and dog-related injuries nationally in 2024. The average cost per claim has risen 174.7 percent from 2015 to 2024, driven by increasing medical costs and larger settlement and verdict amounts. Dog bite claims represent the single largest category of homeowner’s liability claims in the United States. Standard homeowner’s policies typically provide $100,000 to $300,000 in liability coverage, and umbrella policies may provide additional coverage of $1 million or more.
In addition to the strict liability claim under the Animal Control Act, a child’s family can pursue separate negligence claims against the dog owner and potentially other parties. Negligence claims can reach parties that the Animal Control Act does not cover, including landlords who were not technically keepers of the dog, property managers, and businesses where the attack occurred. A negligence claim requires proof that the defendant owed a duty of care, breached that duty, and the breach caused the child’s injuries.
When a dog attack on a child occurs at a rental property, the landlord may be liable if they knew or should have known about the dangerous dog and failed to take action. Illinois courts have addressed landlord liability in dog bite cases, and while a landlord who is merely an absentee property owner may not qualify as a harborer under the Animal Control Act, a landlord who has actual knowledge of a dangerous dog on their property and fails to require its removal or take other protective measures may be liable under a negligence theory.
If a child is attacked by a dog in a public park, on a public sidewalk, or on other government property, and the attack resulted from a failure to enforce leash laws or animal control ordinances, the municipality or park district may bear some liability. These claims are subject to the Illinois Tort Immunity Act and require proof of willful and wanton conduct rather than simple negligence.
The minutes, hours, and days after a dog attacks your child are critical, both for your child’s medical recovery and for your legal case.
Get emergency medical treatment immediately. Dog bite wounds are prone to infection, with 15 to 20 percent of dog bite wounds becoming infected. Infections can include serious conditions such as cellulitis, osteomyelitis, sepsis, and in rare cases, meningitis. Facial wounds in children require evaluation by a plastic surgeon or facial trauma specialist, not just an emergency room physician, to minimize scarring and assess the need for reconstructive surgery. If the dog’s rabies vaccination status is unknown, your child may need post-exposure rabies prophylaxis.
Report the attack to local animal control and to law enforcement. Under the Illinois Animal Control Act, dog bites must be reported, and the dog must be confined for a 10-day observation period. The animal control report creates an official record of the attack that is invaluable in a legal case. Request a copy of the report.
Document everything. Photograph your child’s injuries immediately and at every stage of healing. Photograph the location where the attack occurred. Write down everything your child tells you about what happened while the memory is fresh. Get the names and contact information of any witnesses. Identify the dog’s owner and get their homeowner’s insurance information if possible.
Seek a psychological evaluation. Do not wait for symptoms to develop. A baseline psychological evaluation by a child psychologist or psychiatrist shortly after the attack establishes the child’s emotional state and provides a foundation for documenting any PTSD, anxiety, or other psychological injuries that develop over time.
Contact an attorney before speaking with the dog owner’s insurance company. The insurance company’s adjuster will contact you quickly, often within days of the attack. Their goal is to settle the claim as cheaply as possible, before the full extent of your child’s injuries and future surgical needs are known. Do not accept a quick settlement. An experienced dog bite attorney can evaluate the full scope of damages, retain the appropriate medical and psychological experts, and negotiate or litigate for the compensation your child actually needs.
No. Illinois is a strict liability state. Under the Animal Control Act, the dog owner is liable for the full amount of the injury even if the dog has never bitten anyone before and has never shown any signs of aggression. There is no one-bite rule in Illinois. The owner is liable for the first bite.
Yes. The legal obligation to compensate your child for their injuries exists regardless of the relationship between your family and the dog owner. In most cases, the claim is paid by the relative’s homeowner’s insurance, not out of their personal pocket. Many families are reluctant to file a claim against a relative, but the reality is that the insurance policy exists precisely for situations like this, and your child’s medical and psychological needs should not go unmet because of a family relationship.
Provocation is the primary defense, but it is defined narrowly in Illinois. A child’s normal behavior around a dog, including petting, hugging, or playing near the dog, is generally not considered provocation. Courts evaluate the child’s age, maturity, and intent. A very young child is virtually incapable of legal provocation. Even older children are held to a standard that accounts for the fact that children do not understand dog behavior the way adults do.
The standard statute of limitations for personal injury in Illinois is two years from the date of injury. However, because your child is a minor, the statute of limitations is tolled until the child turns 18, giving them until their 20th birthday to file. Despite this extended deadline, it is always better to pursue a claim promptly while evidence is fresh, witnesses are available, and the insurance policy is in effect.
Damages in a child’s dog bite case include all past and future medical expenses, including emergency care, hospitalization, reconstructive surgery, scar revision, and all follow-up treatment. They include psychological treatment costs for PTSD, anxiety, phobias, and other mental health conditions. They include pain and suffering, disfigurement, emotional distress, and loss of normal life. If the injuries are permanent, they may include diminished future earning capacity. Illinois does not cap non-economic damages, which means there is no limit on what a jury can award for a child’s pain, suffering, and scarring.
That is a separate legal process handled by animal control, not by your civil attorney. Under the Illinois Animal Control Act, a dog that is found to be vicious, meaning it has attacked a person without provocation causing injury, may be subject to enclosure requirements, spaying or neutering, microchipping, and a $100 fine. A judge has the discretion to order a vicious dog to be euthanized. The civil case for your child’s compensation is separate from the animal control proceeding.
If the dog owner is a renter, they may have renter’s insurance that covers the claim. If they have no insurance, the landlord may be liable under a negligence theory if they knew about the dog. In some cases, other parties such as a property management company or a business where the attack occurred may have applicable insurance coverage. An experienced attorney will identify every potential source of recovery.
I handle dog attack cases on a contingency fee basis. You pay nothing upfront, no retainer, no hourly fees, and no cost of any kind unless we recover compensation for your child. All investigation costs, expert fees, and litigation expenses are advanced by the firm.
When a dog attacks a child’s face, the stakes are as high as they get in personal injury law. Your child may need years of reconstructive surgery. They may carry visible scars for life. They may struggle with fear, anxiety, and PTSD long after the physical wounds have healed. These cases require an attorney who understands pediatric facial trauma, who works with the right plastic surgeons and child psychologists, and who knows how to present the full scope of a child’s injuries and future needs to an insurance company or a jury.
I have spent 27 years representing injured people in the Chicago area. I have tried more than 30 cases to jury verdict. I trained at Gerry Spence’s Trial Lawyer’s College and The Edge program. I understand Illinois strict liability law, I understand homeowner’s insurance coverage, and I understand what it takes to build a case that reflects the true lifelong impact of a dog attack on a child. Insurance companies will try to settle these cases quickly and cheaply, before the full extent of your child’s injuries is known. I will not let that happen.
Call me! Lets do this!
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Scott DeSalvo founded DeSalvo Law to help injured people throughout Chicago and surrounding suburbs. Licensed to practice law in Illinois since 1998, IARDC #6244452, Scott has represented over 3,000 clients in personal injury, workers compensation, and accident cases.
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