Dog Bite Demand Letter - Louisiana

LOUISIANA DOG-BITE SETTLEMENT DEMAND LETTER

Before you use this: Complete the incident, owner, preventability, provocation, injury, and loss facts from records. This letter addresses a claim against the dog's owner under Civil Code article 2321(B); have Louisiana counsel review any other defendant or theory separately.

Date: [__/__/____]

Delivery: ☐ Certified mail ☐ First-class mail ☐ Email ☐ Other: [METHOD]

To: [DOG OWNER / OWNER'S CLAIM REPRESENTATIVE]

Address or email: [ADDRESS OR EMAIL]

From: [CLAIMANT OR COUNSEL]

Re: Dog-bite incident on [__/__/____] at [LOCATION]; claimant [FULL NAME]

Claim or policy number, if known: [NUMBER / UNKNOWN]

Dear [RECIPIENT NAME]:

I represent [CLAIMANT NAME] regarding injuries caused by [DOG DESCRIPTION] at [LOCATION] on [DATE]. This letter states the claim and offers to resolve it on the terms below.

Incident and ownership

At approximately [TIME], [CLAIMANT] was [ACTIVITY AND LOCATION]. The dog [DESCRIBE CONTACT AND INJURY]. [NAME] owned the dog at the time, as shown by [LICENSE, ADMISSION, VETERINARY RECORD, WITNESS, OR OTHER EVIDENCE]. [IDENTIFY ANY DISPUTE ABOUT OWNERSHIP].

[DESCRIBE THE SEQUENCE, INCLUDING WHERE THE DOG WAS, WHO CONTROLLED IT, AND HOW THE INCIDENT ENDED.]

Basis of this demand

Louisiana Civil Code article 2321(B) addresses injury to a person or property caused by a dog whose owner could have prevented the injury, where the injury did not result from the injured person's provocation of the dog. The statute describes the owner's liability as strict, subject to those conditions.

The available evidence supports this claim because [SPECIFIC FACTS SHOWING HOW THE OWNER COULD HAVE PREVENTED THE INJURY]. The injury did not result from [CLAIMANT]'s provocation because [SPECIFIC FACTS ABOUT CLAIMANT'S CONDUCT AND ANY DISPUTED INTERACTION]. [IDENTIFY WITNESS, RECORD, PHOTO, VIDEO, OR OTHER SUPPORT FOR EACH ASSERTION].

[IF THE FACTS DO NOT SUPPORT OWNER PREVENTABILITY OR NONPROVOCATION, REVISE OR WITHHOLD THIS DEMAND AFTER COUNSEL'S REVIEW.]

Injuries and losses

[CLAIMANT] received care from [PROVIDERS] on [DATES]. The documented injuries are [DIAGNOSES AND FINDINGS]. Current symptoms, restrictions, scarring, or further treatment supported by records are [DETAILS].

[DESCRIBE ANY ADDITIONAL NON-ECONOMIC LOSS CLAIMED AND ITS FACTUAL SUPPORT. OMIT UNSUPPORTED ITEMS.]

Settlement offer

To resolve [DEFINED CLAIMS] arising from this incident, [CLAIMANT] offers to accept $[AMOUNT], subject to a written agreement identifying the released persons and claims, treatment of any liens or reimbursement interests, payment deadline, and delivery method. This offer is open until [DATE AND TIME] unless withdrawn sooner in writing.

Please respond to [CONTACT AND EMAIL OR POSTAL ADDRESS]. If liability, the claimed losses, or the settlement amount are disputed, identify the facts and documents on which you rely. The response date is for negotiation; the claimant will calculate and protect any filing or notice deadline separately.

Please preserve materials in your possession or control that relate to this incident, including photographs, video, communications, animal-control or veterinary records, prior incident reports, and relevant insurance correspondence. This is a request to preserve evidence; it does not itself establish a legal duty or a sanction.

Sincerely,

[SIGNATURE]

[PRINTED NAME AND CAPACITY]

[ADDRESS]
[PHONE AND EMAIL]

Enclosures: [MEDICAL RECORDS / BILLS / PHOTOGRAPHS / WITNESS RECORDS / OTHER]

Source

• Louisiana Civil Code article 2321(B), current Legislature text