Rockford Dog Bite Lawyers – Free Consultation

Illinois follows a “one-bite” rule. Some other states follow the “one-free bite rule.”

Essentially, in Illinois, victims that are injured in an attack are in a much better position to recover from any injuries sustained in a dog, or other animal attack. In some other states recovering damages in a lawsuit from an attack means that animal likely has a history of attacks. In Illinois, the animal does not need to have attacked someone in the past for you to be able to recover.

Our Illinois law statute is fairly specific in regards to animal attacks such as dog attacks. You can read more here – Sec. 16. Animal attacks or injuries.

(510 ILCS 5/16) (from Ch. 8, par. 366)
Sec. 16. Animal attacks or injuries. If a dog or other animal, without provocation, attacks, attempts to attack, or injures any person who is peaceably conducting himself or herself in any place where he or she may lawfully be, the owner of such dog or other animal is liable in civil damages to such person for the full amount of the injury proximately caused thereby.
(Source: P.A. 94-819, eff. 5-31-06.)

This means that an injury doesn’t only have to be from an aggressive attack, but can also be any injury sustained from an attempted attack. If you were:

• In an areas where you were lawfully able to be;
• Conducting yourself peacefully or without provocation;
• An animal attacks or attempts to attack;
• You sustained injuries from the attack or attempted attack;

You might have a dog bite claim where you can recover any damages from your injuries, loss of work and time, and other expenses related to the injury.

If you were trespassing on private property or you were provoking an animal you won’t have a strong case. But being where you shouldn’t have been and still being attacked doesn’t mean you won’t win your case, it just makes it harder.