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Chicago Great Dane Dog Bite Lawyer
A Great Dane can weigh over 150 pounds and stand tall enough to look an adult in the eye. When one of these dogs attacks, the results are rarely minor. If you or someone you love was bitten or knocked down by a Great Dane in Chicago, you have real legal rights under Illinois law, and Briskman Briskman & Greenberg is ready to help you use them.
Table of Contents
- Why Great Dane Attacks Cause Serious Injuries
- Illinois Animal Control Act and What It Means for Your Case
- What to Do After a Great Dane Attack in Chicago
- Damages You Can Recover After a Great Dane Bite
- How Briskman Briskman & Greenberg Handles Great Dane Bite Cases
- FAQs About Chicago Great Dane Dog Bite Cases
Why Great Dane Attacks Cause Serious Injuries
Great Danes are often called “gentle giants,” and many of them truly are calm, affectionate dogs. But size alone makes them dangerous when something goes wrong. Adult Great Danes commonly weigh between 110 and 200-plus pounds, and that mass creates serious momentum and blunt-force impact when the dog lunges, knocks, or charges a person. Think about what that means for a child playing near Lincoln Park, a jogger on the Lakefront Trail, or an elderly resident walking through Wicker Park. The physics of a 175-pound dog hitting a person at full speed are unforgiving.
Their large skull and wide jaws can cause deeper wounds and greater crushing trauma than smaller breeds, and their reach means they can inflict injuries to the head, neck, and torso that smaller dogs simply cannot reach. That is a critical point in any injury claim, because head, neck, and torso injuries tend to be the most medically serious and the most costly to treat.
Due to their massive size and weight, Great Danes can knock victims to the ground even without biting, causing broken bones, head trauma, sprains, and joint damage. Illinois law accounts for this. Under the Illinois Animal Control Act, liability is not limited to bites alone. Any attack or injury caused by the dog can give rise to a claim. A Great Dane that jumps on a visitor and sends them crashing to the hardwood floor in a Bridgeport apartment can trigger the same legal liability as a direct bite.
Infection rates for dog bites range from 5 to 25 percent, with higher rates in deep wounds, contaminated wounds, and those involving marked tissue destruction. Given how deeply a Great Dane’s teeth can penetrate, infection risk is a serious concern that adds to the overall medical cost of these cases. Victims often face emergency room visits, wound debridement, antibiotic treatment, and in serious cases, reconstructive surgery.
Illinois Animal Control Act and What It Means for Your Case
Illinois does not use the “one-bite rule.” You do not need to prove the dog had bitten someone before or that the owner knew the dog was dangerous. The primary law governing dog bite liability in Illinois is the Illinois Animal Control Act, 510 ILCS 5/16. Under this statute, dog owners are liable for injuries caused by their pets if the attack was unprovoked, the injured person was lawfully present where the attack occurred, and the defendant is the legal owner, keeper, or harborer of the dog. Unlike states that require proof of a prior history of aggressive behavior, Illinois holds owners liable even if the dog has never shown signs of aggression before, though certain defenses such as provocation and assumption of risk may apply.
Como Chicago abogado de lesiones personales team, Briskman Briskman & Greenberg applies this framework every day. The law is powerful for victims because it significantly reduces the burden of proving the owner acted carelessly. You simply need to show the attack happened, you were where you had a right to be, and you did not provoke the dog.
Under Illinois law, a dog owner is defined as “any person having a right of property in an animal, or who keeps or harbors an animal, or who has it in his care, or acts as its custodian.” This means a person can be counted as a dog’s owner even if they are just dog-sitting for the weekend. So if a Great Dane bit you at a friend’s house in Pilsen and the actual owner lives in Logan Square, both the person caring for the dog and the legal owner may carry liability. This broad definition matters when you are trying to identify all parties responsible for your injuries.
The law also covers knockdown injuries, not just bites. The Illinois Animal Control Act covers injuries caused by a dog’s actions even if a bite did not occur, such as being knocked over by an aggressive dog. If a Great Dane charged you on a public sidewalk near Michigan Avenue and you fell and broke your wrist, that is a compensable injury under Illinois law.
What to Do After a Great Dane Attack in Chicago
The steps you take in the hours and days after a Great Dane attack directly affect the strength of your legal claim. First, get medical attention right away, even if the wound looks minor. Deep puncture wounds from a large dog can mask serious tissue and nerve damage below the surface, and prompt treatment creates the medical records that document your injuries.
Report the incident to Chicago Animal Care and Control. When a dog bites someone in Illinois, it sets off a formal public health and safety process. State law and local ordinances require that bites be reported, and animal control authorities may investigate, impose restrictions, or even order the dog to be euthanized depending on the circumstances. That official report becomes part of your evidence, especially if the dog has prior complaints on file. Under 510 ILCS 5/13, if a dog bites someone, the incident must be reported to the local administrator, and the dog must be confined for observation, usually for 10 days. That quarantine period also gives you time to gather information.
Photograph everything. Take pictures of your wounds, the location of the attack, any fencing or leash that was involved, and any damage to your clothing or belongings. Get the dog owner’s name, address, and insurance information. Collect contact details from any witnesses. If the attack happened near a business on North Michigan Avenue, in a park in Hyde Park, or in a courtyard in Andersonville, there may be surveillance cameras nearby. That footage can disappear quickly, so act fast.
Working with a abogados de mordeduras de perro team early in the process protects your right to fair compensation. Insurance companies move quickly after a claim is filed. They may contact you before you understand the full extent of your injuries. Do not give a recorded statement or accept any settlement offer before speaking with an attorney.
Damages You Can Recover After a Great Dane Bite
Illinois law entitles bite victims to the full amount of their injuries under 510 ILCS 5/16. That phrase “full amount” is broad on purpose. It covers economic losses you can calculate and non-economic losses that reflect the real human cost of what happened to you.
Economic damages include all medical expenses, from the emergency room visit at Northwestern Memorial Hospital or Rush University Medical Center to follow-up surgeries, physical therapy, prescription medications, and any future care your injuries require. Lost wages are recoverable if the injury prevents you from working temporarily or permanently. For someone who works with their hands, a crush injury to the hand or fingers from a Great Dane bite can mean weeks or months away from work. That lost income is part of your claim.
Non-economic damages cover pain and suffering, emotional distress, and permanent disfigurement. Compensation for permanent scars or injuries that impact your quality of life is available under Illinois law. Facial scars are among the most significant in terms of settlement value because of their visibility and long-term psychological impact. Great Danes, given their height, can easily reach a person’s face and neck, making these injuries more common in Great Dane attacks than in bites from smaller breeds.
Psychological trauma is a real and compensable injury too. Victims who develop a fear of dogs, anxiety in public spaces, or post-traumatic stress after a violent Great Dane attack deserve compensation for that suffering. A skilled abogado de mordedura de perro will document these damages thoroughly so that the full picture of your losses is presented to the insurance company or a jury.
If the dog was off-leash in violation of Chicago’s leash ordinance or Illinois law under 510 ILCS 5/15.2, that violation strengthens your claim. Statute 510 ILCS 5/2.05a defines a potentially dangerous dog as one that is anywhere other than the owner’s property and is not muzzled, leashed, or otherwise restrained. An owner who let a 160-pound Great Dane run loose in Grant Park or Millennium Park without a leash was breaking the law before the first bite ever happened.
How Briskman Briskman & Greenberg Handles Great Dane Bite Cases
Briskman Briskman & Greenberg has fought for injured Chicagoans for decades. When you contact us after a Great Dane attack, we investigate the incident from every angle. We identify the dog’s owner, gather animal control records, review any prior complaints about the dog, and work to preserve surveillance footage from the attack location before it is overwritten. We handle all communication with the insurance company so you can focus on healing.
Our team understands that Great Dane bite cases often involve serious injuries that require expert medical evidence. We work with medical professionals who can document the full extent of your injuries, including long-term complications from nerve damage, infection, and scarring. If the case involves a dangerous dog designation under 510 ILCS 5/15, animal control may investigate further and file a petition to classify the dog as dangerous or vicious, which can significantly strengthen a civil claim. We monitor those proceedings and use that evidence in your favor.
Whether your attack happened in a Lakeview condo building, on a sidewalk in Evanston, near the Chicago Riverwalk, or in a backyard in Beverly, our team knows how to build a strong case under Illinois law. If you were bitten or injured by a Great Dane and need a abogado de mordedura de perro who will take your case seriously, call Briskman Briskman & Greenberg for a free consultation. There are no fees unless we recover for you.
Illinois gives you two years from the date of the attack to file a personal injury lawsuit. That deadline matters. Evidence fades, witnesses forget details, and insurance companies grow harder to deal with the longer you wait. If you were hurt by a Great Dane anywhere in the Chicago area, contact a abogado de mordedura de perro at Briskman Briskman & Greenberg today. The sooner you act, the stronger your case will be. You can also reach a abogado de mordedura de perro at our office to discuss what happened and learn what your claim may be worth, with no obligation and no upfront cost.
FAQs About Chicago Great Dane Dog Bite Cases
Does the Great Dane need to have bitten someone before for me to have a case in Illinois?
No. Illinois law under 510 ILCS 5/16 holds dog owners liable for injuries caused by their pets if the attack was unprovoked, the injured person was lawfully present where the attack occurred, and the defendant is the legal owner, keeper, or harborer of the dog. You do not need to show the dog had any prior history of aggression. However, defenses such as provocation and assumption of risk may apply depending on the circumstances.
What if the Great Dane knocked me down but did not actually bite me?
You still have a claim. The Illinois Animal Control Act covers any injury caused by a dog’s actions, not just bites. If a Great Dane charged you, jumped on you, or knocked you to the ground and you were injured as a result, the same liability rules apply. Broken bones, head injuries, and joint damage from a knockdown are all compensable under Illinois law.
Can I sue the landlord if a tenant’s Great Dane bit me in a Chicago apartment building?
Possibly. If the landlord knew or had reason to know that a tenant kept a dangerous dog on the property and did nothing to address it, the landlord may share liability alongside the dog’s owner. Cases involving tenant dogs in Chicago apartment buildings, condos, and common areas like hallways and elevators often involve multiple potentially liable parties. An attorney can investigate who knew what and when.
How long does a Great Dane dog bite case take to resolve in Chicago?
It depends on the severity of the injuries and whether the case settles or goes to trial. Cases involving serious injuries, like nerve damage, facial scarring, or crush injuries, typically take longer because it is important to reach maximum medical improvement before settling so the full value of your damages is known. Many cases resolve through settlement negotiations within several months to a year, while more complex cases can take longer if litigation is required.
What should I say to the dog owner’s insurance company after a Great Dane attack?
Say as little as possible before speaking with an attorney. Insurance adjusters are trained to minimize claim values, and anything you say in a recorded statement can be used to reduce your payout. Do not accept the first settlement offer, which is almost never the full amount you are entitled to. Contact Briskman Briskman & Greenberg first so we can handle all communications with the insurer on your behalf.
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