Who pays in Ohio?
the owner, keeper or harborer pays for the injury the dog causes
2-year negligence planning limitOhio gives 2 years for bodily-injury and negligence claims. Ohio's statutory dog-bite claim generally has 6 years. Call for a review of which claim route fits your case.
Call about my state law(844) 703-3920Claim details
This is the planning limit for an ordinary adult claim against a private owner. Children's claims and claims against public owners need a separate timing review. It is not an automatic personal last date. Ohio gives 2 years for bodily-injury and negligence claims. Ohio's statutory dog-bite claim generally has 6 years. Call for a review of which claim route fits your case.
Your state's dog bite lawOhio Rev. Code 2305.07Other state rules
Ohio's rule: strict liability for dog bites
Ohio is a strict liability state. The owner, keeper or harborer of a dog is liable for injury the dog causes, under Ohio Revised Code 955.28.
You do not have to prove the dog bit anyone before. The owner cannot defend the claim by saying the dog was always gentle.
There are exceptions: trespass, committing a crime, or teasing or abusing the dog on the owner's property. Owners usually argue you provoked the dog or were trespassing, so note where you were standing.
If the dog belonged to someone else living in the home, Ohio can still hold the keeper and harborer liable. Learn how strict liability works.
Dog bite statute of limitations in Ohio: 2 or 6 years
A negligence or bodily injury claim generally has 2 years from the bite under Ohio Revised Code 2305.10.
A statutory dog bite claim under 955.28 generally has 6 years under Ohio Revised Code 2305.07(B).
Our tool still uses the earlier 2-year date. Treat it as a planning date, not your legal deadline.
If a city, county or other public body owned the dog, including a police dog, the timing needs review for that entity. Tell us on the first call.
If the bite victim is a child, the timing needs its own review. Do not rely on an automatic date.
Write down the date of the bite now. Compare deadlines in every state.
What Ohio dog bite claims pay
Ohio had 985 insured dog bite claims in 2024, and the average was $44,885, per Triple-I claims data.
The average is not your number. Your value starts with your bills and lost pay, and a scar or a bite to the face raises it.
Keep every bill and receipt from the first day. Then run your own numbers.
Who pays: the owner's insurance
A homeowners or renters policy usually covers the owner's dog. You file with the owner's insurer, and it pays up to its limit.
Since March 20, 2026, Avery's Law requires owners of dogs found dangerous or vicious to carry at least $100,000 in liability insurance. If the dog was already labeled dangerous, ask for that policy too.
Ask the owner for the insurance company name and policy number on day one. See how the insurance claim works.
What to do now in Ohio
If the wound needs emergency care, get it first. Then call us so the claim is set up before the insurer reaches you.
- Report the bite to the county dog warden or the local health district. Ohio's dog code sets out the quarantine that follows a bite.
- Keep the bite report. It records the owner's name, the dog's vaccine status and the date.
- Write down the date, where you were standing, and the owner's insurer and policy number.
- Save every bill, receipt and record of missed work.
Read the full steps after a dog bite, or see dog bite laws by state.
| State | Year | Claims | Average paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio | 2024 | 985 | $44,885 |
Updated August 2026