In Ohio, a dog owner can be held strictly liable for any injuries or damage resulting from a dog bite. As a responsible dog owner, understanding your insurance coverage is fundamental to protecting yourself if your dog bites someone. If you are a dog owner and have questions about coverage, give Lardiere McNair & Stonebrook Ltd., LPA, a call.

Generally, homeowners’ and renters’ insurance policies have coverage for dog bites. However, some companies will not provide coverage to individuals who own certain breeds, deemed high-risk (such as pit bulls, rottweilers, and Dobermans). Others will decide on a case-by-case basis. 

The 6th Appellate District (Garlock v. Jordan, 2025-Ohio-82) recently ruled that an insurer had no duty to defend or indemnify the Defendants because the home insurance policy explicitly contained a provision excluding from coverage any injury caused by partial breed Rottweilers, regardless of the dog’s biting history.

Therefore, it is important to check your policy to see if any breed exclusions apply in order to minimize the risks.

If you are a victim, it is important to understand your rights and consider contacting an attorney to secure compensation for your injuries.

At Lardiere McNair & Stonebrook Ltd., LPA, our experienced attorneys can review your policy, as well as advise you with regard to your personal injury claim. Call (614) 534-1355 and schedule a free consultation.

Aline Wright is a Paralegal at Lardiere McNair & Stonebrook, Ltd., LPA.

Disclaimers: Artificial intelligence is used as a tool to supplement, enhance, make suggestions, and generate blog language from the thoughts, ideas, and opinions of our human lawyers.  The final product is reviewed and edited by an attorney.

The information presented here has been prepared by Lardiere McNair & Stonebrook, Ltd., LPA. for promotional and informational purposes only and should not be considered legal advice.  This information is not intended to provide, and receipt of it does not constitute legal advice.  Nor does the receipt of this material create an attorney/client relationship.  An attorney client relationship is not established until such time as Lardiere McNair enters into a written engagement agreement with a specific client for a specific legal matter.