Rhode Island Dog Bite Lawyer

More than 4.5 million Americans are bitten by dogs every year, and many of those incidents trigger complex liability questions. Rhode Island’s dog-bite laws differ sharply from neighboring Massachusetts and Connecticut, so Rhode Island residents and visitors need clear guidance. At Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers, our personal injury lawyers believe that informed clients make stronger cases and safer communities.

Rhode Island combines a century-old strict-liability statute with traditional negligence principles. Which track applies depends largely on where the bite happens.

• Outside the dog’s enclosure (for example, on a public street or in a neighbor’s yard): the owner or keeper is strictly liable for all damage, even if the dog has never shown aggression.
• Inside the dog’s enclosure (a fenced yard, a home, or another space the dog may legally occupy): the victim must prove common-law negligence, typically by showing the owner knew or should have known of the dog’s vicious propensity—the so-called “one-bite rule.”

Strict liability applies again if the same dog bites someone a second time outside its enclosure, and the statute mandates double damages and authorizes a court order to destroy the animal.

• R.I. Gen. Laws § 4-13-16: core strict-liability section for bites and other attacks outside the enclosure.
• R.I. Gen. Laws § 4-13-17: extends liability to anyone “keeping or harboring” a dog, which can include landlords, roommates, dog-sitters, and property owners who permit the dog on the premises.
• R.I. Gen. Laws § 4-13-16.1: imposes double damages when a dog injures a blind or visually-impaired person or harms a certified guide dog.

Case law clarifies that an enclosure is more than a collar and leash; it must be a physical barrier, fence, wall, or fully-enclosed structure that reasonably confines the dog. In Johnston v. Poulin, 844 A.2d 707 (R.I. 2004), the Supreme Court explained that strict liability “attaches for any injury occurring outside the dog’s enclosure,” underscoring the bright-line rule.

A “keeper” is anyone who possesses or controls the dog for even a short period, and a “harborer” is a person who allows the dog to live on or regularly visit their property. Courts have held landlords potentially liable if they knew of a tenant’s dangerous dog and had the right to remove or control it.

Victims may recover economic, non-economic, and, in some cases, punitive damages. Common categories include

• emergency transport and hospital bills
• reconstructive surgery and future medical care
• lost wages and diminished earning capacity, pain, suffering, and emotional distress
• scarring and disfigurement compensation
• assistive devices or home modifications for catastrophic injuries

When the dog has previously bitten and attacks again outside the enclosure, the court is required to award double the actual damages.

Strict liability does not eliminate the victim’s duty to exercise reasonable care. Rhode Island follows pure comparative negligence under R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-20-4. A damage award is reduced by the victim’s percentage of fault—even if that percentage is 99 percent.

Examples of comparative-fault arguments:

• provoking the dog (taunting, hitting, or stepping on its tail)
• trespassing or committing a crime on the property
• ignoring posted “Beware of Dog” signage

Rhode Island law requires any person who knows or suspects an animal is infected with rabies to report it to local authorities. Doctors treating bites must file a bite report with the Rhode Island Department of Health within 24 hours. Local animal control officers may quarantine the dog for rabies observation, order confinement, or classify the dog as dangerous.

State law allows municipalities to enact leash laws, but it prohibits ordinances that completely ban certain breeds. Providence, Cranston, Warwick, and other cities generally require dogs to be leashed in public places. Violations can strengthen a civil claim because they serve as evidence of negligence per se.

A dog-bite lawsuit must be filed within three years of the date of injury, the same deadline governing most personal-injury cases in Rhode Island. Waiting too long may permanently bar recovery unless a tolling exception (such as minority or mental incapacity) applies.

• Police or animal-control reports
• Witness statements with contact details
• Photographs or video of the scene, injuries, and the dog
• Medical records and billing statements
• Proof of lost income
• Any prior complaints or citations against the dog or the owner
• Expert testimony on scarring, future treatment, and psychological impact

Gathering this evidence quickly preserves details that fade with time and helps rebut claims about provocation or trespass.

Rhode Island’s double-damage provision is unique in New England. Once a dog injures a person or domestic animal outside the enclosure, its owner faces double damages on any subsequent attack, and the court must order the dog destroyed following that second recovery. The rule gives owners a powerful incentive to restrain or rehabilitate animals that pose a risk.

Section 4-13-16.1 doubles damages when a dog injures a blind or visually-impaired person or harms a certified guide dog. Courts apply this enhancement even if the attack occurs inside an enclosure, reflecting the Legislature’s commitment to protecting vulnerable pedestrians and service animals.

Dog owners and their insurers routinely argue:

• Provocation: The victim teased or assaulted the dog.
• Trespass: The victim was unlawfully on private property.
• Assumption of risk: The victim knowingly approached a snarling or muzzled dog.
• Wrong party: shifting blame to a harbinger or landlord.

At Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers, we counter these defenses with thorough investigation, medical experts, accident reconstruction specialists, and, when needed, animal-behavior consultants.

• Seek medical attention; infection risk and scarring worsen with delay.
• Identify the dog and its owner; photograph the animal, collar tags, and location.
• Report the incident to local animal control and request a copy of the report.
• Preserve torn clothing and personal items as evidence.
• Refrain from social-media posts that could be misinterpreted.
• Contact experienced counsel before giving a recorded statement to an insurer.

Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers has spent decades representing injury victims across New England. We:

• Conduct rapid on-site investigations and track down surveillance footageSubpoenaa veterinary and licensing records to show prior aggressionNegotiatee with insurers using comprehensive medical documentation
• pursue litigation in Rhode Island state and federal courts when defendants refuse a fair settlement
• advance case costs, so clients pay no legal fee unless we recover compensation

A UPS driver bitten on a client’s porch recently recovered six-figure compensation after we established that the dog had jumped over a waist-high gate, placing it “outside the enclosure” for purposes of strict liability. Surveillance video disproved the owner’s claim that the driver had provoked the dog by swinging a package. The settlement covered two surgeries, scar-revision procedures, and eighteen months of wage loss. (Case details anonymized for privacy.)

Dog-bite claims in Rhode Island pivot on a deceptively simple question: Was the dog outside or inside its enclosure at the moment of the attack? If outside, owners face automatic liability; if inside, victims must prove negligence or prior knowledge of vicious propensity. Layered onto that framework are special rules doubling damages for repeat or service-dog-related incidents, pure comparative negligence, and rigorous evidence requirements.

If you or a loved one has suffered a dog bite, Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers is ready to help you navigate every step, from emergency medical coordination to courtroom advocacy, so you can focus on healing. Contact us for a free, confidential consultation.