At Christie Farrell Lee & Bell, we’ve spent over 40 years helping injury victims across Indiana hold negligent dog owners accountable. From animal control reports to medical records, we know how to uncover the facts that matter and use them to support your claim.
Lee Christie is a partner with Christie Farrell Lee & Bell and a lifelong Indiana resident. He has trial experience in both federal and state court and is a frequent lecturer on personal injury.
Every year, thousands of people in the U.S. experience dog bites serious enough to require medical attention, with an estimated 337,000 ending up in emergency rooms annually. With the right attorney, victims in Carmel can file a claim for these attacks and recover compensation under Indiana’s dog bite liability laws.
A seasoned Carmel personal injury lawyer can help you navigate every step of the legal process. Here’s what Christie Farrell Lee & Bell offers:
Some victims don’t realize they have legal options until a lawyer reviews their case. If you’re unsure where to start, our attorneys can explain how to file a dog bite attack claim, assess your injuries, and help you understand your eligibility for compensation, all during a free consultation.
Speak with a personal injury lawyer today. Call: 317-488-5500
Before filing a claim, it’s important to understand how Indiana law handles dog bite incidents. The rules around liability, public versus private property, and owner responsibility can all influence the outcome of your case.
According to Indiana’s dog bite laws, the state doesn’t follow a strict “one bite rule,” meaning dog owners can be liable even if the bite was the first sign of aggression. In other words, the law focuses more on whether the dog was properly restrained and whether the victim had a legal right to be where the attack occurred, rather than on the dog’s history.
In many cases, strict liability applies if the bite occurred while the victim was lawfully in a public space or legally on private property. While trespassers aren’t protected in incidents happening on private property, invited guests, delivery workers, and tenants are generally covered under the state’s dog bite laws.
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What you do in the hours and days after a dog bite can directly affect both your physical recovery and your ability to hold the dog’s owner accountable under Indiana law.
Here’s what we recommend immediately following a dog attack:
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To know if a dog bite is serious, be aware of the following symptoms:
In addition to physical harm, emotional trauma is common, especially among children or older adults. Victims may develop phobias, anxiety disorders, or PTSD, which can impact daily life long after the physical wounds have healed.
At Christie Farrell Lee & Bell, a dog bite lawyer will build your claim with these long-term consequences in mind, ensuring psychological harm is factored into your total compensation.
The impact of a dog attack can extend far beyond the initial bite. Our firm regularly works with medical experts to document the full range of injuries that clients experience, which may include:
We understand how traumatic these injuries can be and how essential it is to recover not only physically, but also emotionally and financially. That’s why we document every layer of harm to support a full and fair recovery.
Victims often worry about who will cover their medical bills or lost income. Here are the primary parties who must pay damages to dog bite victims after an incident in Indiana:
At Christie Farrell Lee & Bell, we don’t stop at the obvious answers. We dig deeper to identify every liable party, gather the evidence needed to hold them accountable, and ensure your claim includes all medical costs, lost income, emotional trauma, and future care.
The value of a dog bite case depends on several factors, including the severity of your injuries, the cost of medical treatment, time missed from work, and any lasting physical or emotional effects.
To calculate damages in a dog bite case, we review medical bills, lost wages, future treatment needs, and the emotional toll of the injury. Our attorneys work with doctors and financial experts to document every loss and ensure your claim reflects the full impact of the attack.
Damages fall into two broad categories:
Your dog bite attorney will work closely with you and medical professionals to fully document these losses, ensuring they’re backed by clear evidence that courts and insurers will recognize.
At Christie Farrell Lee & Bell, we know how to investigate dog bite incidents, gather strong evidence, and fight for the compensation you deserve. You can explore our past case results to see how we’ve helped others recover.
We offer a free, confidential consultation to help you understand your legal options and outline the next steps. Contact us today to speak directly with a member of our team and start building your claim.
“From my first telephone conference with Mr. Christie to the settlement of my case, I found Lee and his office staff to be professional, courteous, and extremely helpful. Mr. Christie is professional, very knowledgeable, thorough, and realistic.”
“Tina Bell is the best. She continued to pursue the case resulting in an agreeable settlement.”
“Lee Christie represented my parents after an auto accident and he was wonderful! He always answered any questions or concerns we had and I would recommend him to anyone!”
“Lee Christie and Jill DuVall were very compassionate and caring in a stressful situation. They always answered our questions promptly, sometimes very late in the evening.”
“They were professional, yet very personally involved in our case. After hiring them, I felt a huge weight lifted from my shoulder so I concentrate on taking care of my husband.”
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