Dog Bite Demand Letter - Georgia

DEMAND FOR SETTLEMENT - DOG BITE / ANIMAL ATTACK

STATE OF GEORGIA

[FIRM NAME]
Attorneys at Law
[Street Address]
[City, Georgia ZIP]
Telephone: [Phone]
Facsimile: [Fax]
Email: [Email]
Licensed in the State of Georgia

DATE: [Date]

VIA CERTIFIED MAIL, RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED
AND FIRST-CLASS MAIL

[Adjuster Name / Dog Owner Name]
[Insurance Company Name / Address]
[Street Address]
[City, State ZIP]

RE: DOG BITE CLAIM - SETTLEMENT DEMAND
Our Client: [Client Full Name]
Date of Attack: [Date of Attack]
Location of Attack: [Address where attack occurred]
Dog Owner: [Dog Owner Name]
Dog Breed/Description: [Breed, Size, Color]
Claim Number: [If assigned]
Homeowner's Policy Number: [If known]

Dear [Recipient Name]:

This firm represents [Client Name] ("Claimant") concerning injuries allegedly sustained in an incident involving a [Breed] dog on [Date of Attack]. The currently available evidence identifies [Dog Owner Name] as the dog's owner. This letter states Claimant's settlement position based on the facts and legal routes selected below.

I. VERIFIED GEORGIA STATUTORY ROUTE

A. O.C.G.A. § 51-2-7 Route

O.C.G.A. § 51-2-7 states that an owner or keeper of a vicious or dangerous
animal who, through careless management or by allowing the animal to go at
liberty, causes injury to a person who did not provoke the injury may be liable
in damages. The section also states that vicious propensity may be shown by a
city, county, or consolidated-government ordinance requiring the animal to be
at heel or on a leash, together with proof that the animal was not at heel or
on a leash when the occurrence happened.

The statutory text does not by itself complete the controlling-case analysis.
Before sending a liability argument, Georgia counsel must verify the current
official cases governing owner or keeper status, animal propensity, knowledge,
careless management, causation, provocation, ordinance use, landlords or other
property actors, defenses, and available damages.

B. Section 51-2-7 Fact Gate

Use this route only after counsel confirms and documents:

• ☐ the defendant's exact owner, keeper, custody, or control role;

• ☐ the conduct and evidence supporting the alleged vicious or dangerous
  propensity;

• ☐ any current local heel-or-leash ordinance, its geographic reach, and its
  application to this animal and location;

• ☐ whether the animal was at heel or on a leash at the occurrence;

• ☐ the alleged careless-management or liberty conduct;
• ☐ injury and causation;
• ☐ the claimant's conduct and the no-provocation position; and
• ☐ the current controlling cases and defenses selected by counsel.

Owner or keeper evidence: [________________________________]

Propensity and knowledge evidence: [________________________________]

Current local ordinance and official source: [________________________]

Management, liberty, causation, and provocation evidence: [___________]

C. Classified-Dog Status

O.C.G.A. § 4-8-21 defines classified, dangerous, and vicious dogs for the
Responsible Dog Ownership Law. O.C.G.A. § 4-8-27 requires a certificate of
registration for a classified dog and states separate conditions for dangerous
and vicious dogs. Section 4-8-24 is an impoundment provision; do not cite it as
the classification definition.

Do not state that an allegation, investigation, classification, registration
violation, or impoundment automatically proves an element or remedy in the
civil claim without current authority connecting the two.

D. Comparative-Fault Gate

Under O.C.G.A. § 51-12-33(a), a plaintiff's damages are reduced in proportion
to the plaintiff's percentage of fault. Subsection (g) bars damages when the
plaintiff is 50 percent or more responsible. Counsel must determine which acts,
persons, defenses, notices, and apportionment provisions apply to the selected
claims and forum.

Claimant-conduct facts: [________________________________]

Other potentially responsible persons or entities: [__________________]

E. Separate Premises, Landlord, Ordinance, or Other Theory

Do not add a premises, landlord, keeper, negligence-per-se, preservation,
insurance, punitive-damages, or other theory until counsel identifies and
verifies its current official authority, covered person, required facts,
defenses, and remedy.

II. PRESERVATION OF EVIDENCE NOTICE

Claimant requests preservation of the following specifically identified evidence relating to the incident. The recipient should promptly identify any item it does not possess or control and any preservation burden that requires coordination:

☐ The animal itself (do not destroy, euthanize, or transfer without notice)
☐ All veterinary records for the animal
☐ Vaccination records, including rabies vaccination
☐ Animal licensing and registration documents
☐ Prior bite reports or complaints
☐ Any "dangerous dog" or "vicious dog" designations
☐ Communications with animal control
☐ Homeowner's or renter's insurance policies
☐ Training records for the animal
☐ Proof of confinement measures

This request does not assert that a demand letter alone creates a preservation duty, an adverse inference, a sanction, or an independent claim. Counsel should separately analyze party status, control, pending or anticipated litigation, any agreement or undertaking, the specificity of the request, and responsibility for preservation costs before stating a legal consequence.

III. STATEMENT OF FACTS

A. The Attack

On [Date of Attack], at approximately [Time], our client was [describe activity - e.g., "walking on the public sidewalk in front of [Address]," "visiting the dog owner's residence as an invited guest," etc.].

At that time, [Dog Owner Name]'s [Breed] dog [describe how attack occurred - e.g., "escaped from the owner's property," "was off-leash in violation of local ordinance," etc.].

The dog attacked our client viciously and without provocation. [Describe the attack in detail].

B. Ownership, Location, and Knowledge Facts

Describe the evidence concerning ownership of the dog, ownership or control of
the location, the claimant's presence, prior events, complaints, warnings,
confinement measures, and what the recipient knew and when. Do not state a
separate legal consequence unless counsel has verified the governing theory.

[____________________________________________________________]

C. No Provocation

Our client did absolutely nothing to provoke this attack. [He/She] was peacefully and lawfully present at the location.

IV. CONTRARY FACTS AND DEFENSE REVIEW

The presently available evidence supports the following factual positions,
subject to contrary evidence and counsel's route-specific defense analysis:

☐ [He/She] was lawfully present at the location
☐ [He/She] did not approach, touch, or interact with the dog
☐ [He/She] did not engage in any provoking behavior
☐ [He/She] exercised all reasonable care
☐ The attack was entirely unprovoked and without warning

Known contrary facts or anticipated defense evidence: [________________________________]

Counsel's verified defense analysis and authority: [________________________]

V. INJURIES AND MEDICAL TREATMENT

A. Description of Injuries

The attack caused severe injuries to our client, including:

Bite Wounds:
☐ [Location] - [Description]
☐ [Location] - [Description]

Secondary Injuries:
☐ Soft tissue damage
☐ Nerve damage
☐ Infection risk
☐ Scarring and disfigurement

Psychological Injuries:
☐ Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
☐ Cynophobia (fear of dogs)
☐ Anxiety and panic attacks

B. Medical Treatment

[Detail emergency treatment, follow-up care, surgeries, mental health treatment]

C. Prognosis

[Detail permanent conditions, ongoing treatment needs, future care requirements]

VI. DAMAGES

A. Medical Expenses

B. Future Medical Expenses

C. Lost Wages

D. Pain and Suffering

Claim the following only to the extent supported by admissible evidence, causation, and the selected liability route:

• Physical pain and suffering
• Mental anguish
• Emotional distress
• Permanent scarring and disfigurement
• Loss of enjoyment of life

E. Georgia Damages Review

Do not assume that one cap rule fits every defendant or claim. Screen governmental, medical, wrongful-death, intentional-tort, class, insurance, and other claim-specific limits before stating an available amount.

This template makes no categorical statement that compensatory or punitive
damages are uncapped. Counsel must verify the cause of action, defendant,
remedy, proof standard, exclusions, limitations, and current controlling
authority before including any non-economic, exemplary, fee, interest, or
other non-documentary amount.

F. Summary of Damages

VII. SETTLEMENT DEMAND

A. Demand Amount

Based on the liability evidence, defenses, injuries, and damages described above, Claimant demands:

$[DEMAND AMOUNT]

B. Time for Response

Counsel-selected response date: [Date and time]

Counsel must calendar all filing dates independently of this drafting
selection and must add any intended acceptance, withdrawal, release, or
insurance term expressly.

VIII. STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS

O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33 states that covered actions for injuries to the person must
be brought within two years after the right of action accrues, subject to the
article's other provisions. The same section states different periods for
injury to reputation and loss of consortium. Counsel must determine accrual,
claimant capacity, tolling, defendant identity, commencement and service, any
governmental or other notice, and every more specific provision before
calendaring the actual deadline.

Date of Attack: [Date]
Counsel-calculated filing deadline: [________________________________]

IX. DOCUMENTATION ENCLOSED

☐ Medical records and bills
☐ Photographs of injuries
☐ Police/Animal Control report
☐ Witness statements
☐ Employment records
☐ Prior incident documentation
☐ HIPAA authorizations

X. CONCLUSION

The evidence identified in this letter supports Claimant's selected statutory
route as follows: [briefly connect each required fact to its evidence]. Any
additional theory must be separately researched and approved by counsel.
Claimant has sustained the documented injuries and losses summarized above.

If the matter is not resolved, Claimant will evaluate the appropriate filing
route and all available claims and defenses. Counsel will calendar every
deadline independently of the settlement-response date.

We urge you to resolve this matter promptly.

Respectfully submitted,

[FIRM NAME]

By: _________________________________
[Attorney Name]
Georgia State Bar Number [Number]
Attorney for [Client Name]

ENCLOSURES: [List]

cc: [Client Name]
[File]

GEORGIA-SPECIFIC PRACTICE NOTES

• Animal-injury statute: O.C.G.A. § 51-2-7 supplies the statutory text used
  here. Add controlling case holdings only after current official verification.

• Classified-dog provisions: Definitions are in § 4-8-21 and registration
  conditions are in § 4-8-27. Section 4-8-24 governs impoundment.

• Comparative fault: Section 51-12-33(a), (g) supplies the reduction and
  50-percent-bar text; counsel must complete the claim-specific analysis.

• Limitations: Section 9-3-33 supplies the stated periods, but counsel must
  calculate accrual, tolling, parties, commencement, service, and exceptions.

• Other theories and remedies: Research and ground every premises,
  landlord, ordinance, negligence-per-se, preservation, insurance, damages,
  fee, interest, venue, and settlement-offer proposition before adding it.

This template must be reviewed and customized by a Georgia-licensed attorney before use.