For decades, my client started every morning the same way. Up at 4 a.m. Into the lake or into the pool. Then out on the bike for at least 22 miles before most people had their first cup of coffee. At 74 years old, she was still a competitive triathlete with a wall of nearly 100 medals to show for it. She regularly won her age group. She had a dream of crossing finish lines until she was 80.
Then, on an ordinary day, on an ordinary walk, all of it ended.
An off-leash dog charged at her and knocked her to the ground. Her leg shattered just below the knee. The bone has since healed, but the scar tissue that built up almost immediately means she will never have full use of the leg again. It now turns permanently inward. Her doctors have told her she will eventually need a knee replacement. She physically cannot run. She told me, plainly, that she can’t even imagine running anymore.
This is what people don’t understand about a serious injury. It isn’t just the broken bone. For the first several weeks, she couldn’t bathe herself, couldn’t turn over in bed, couldn’t put her own brace on without help. A woman who never took a break, who never wanted anyone’s help with anything, suddenly had no choice but to accept it. In her words, she went from feeling 60 to feeling 80 in a single day. The daily pain changed her life forever.
Nobody should lose the thing they love most because someone else didn’t do the one simple thing the law asks of them.
What Illinois Law Asks of Dog Owners
If you own a dog in Illinois, you are responsible for what that dog does. That responsibility doesn’t begin and end with biting. Under the Illinois Animal Control Act (510 ILCS 5/16), a dog’s owner is liable for the full amount of any injury their animal causes, not only bites. An unleashed dog that charges and knocks an elderly woman to the pavement fits the statute just as squarely as one that uses its teeth.
Illinois is what’s known as a strict liability state. That matters because it means an injured person does not have to prove the owner was careless or that the dog had ever shown aggression before. There is no “one free bite” rule here. To recover under the Act, four things generally have to be true:
- The injury was caused by the defendant’s animal.
- The dog acted without provocation.
- The injured person was conducting themselves peaceably.
- The injured person was somewhere they had a lawful right to be.
A person taking a walk attacked by a dog that should have been leashed. That is exactly the situation the law was written to address. It’s also worth knowing that in Illinois you generally have two years from the date of the injury to bring a claim, and the state places no cap on the damages an injured person can recover. The clock matters. Evidence disappears, memories fade, and waiting only makes a strong case harder to prove.
A Result That Reflects What Was Lost
We took this case to the insurance company, and they did not back down at first. The case settled for $1.3 million, the full amount of the available insurance policy. No settlement undoes a shattered leg or hands back the years of racing this client will never get to have. But it does send a message, and it secures the resources she needs for the surgeries and care still ahead of her.
I share this story, with my client’s identity protected, because the lesson in it belongs to the whole community. Owning a dog is a responsibility you take on the moment you bring that animal home. A leash is not a suggestion. The few seconds it takes to keep your dog under control are nothing compared to a lifetime of pain for the person on the other end of an attack that never had to happen.
If You’ve Been Injured by a Dog in Illinois
As a personal injury attorney who has dedicated nearly three decades to fighting for injured people across Illinois, I understand the devastating impact a single careless moment can have on a person and their family. A dog attack is not just a scary story or a minor scrape. It can take away your mobility, your independence, and the activities that give your life meaning.
Don’t let a dog owner’s negligence go unchallenged. If you or someone you love has been injured by a dog, whether by a bite, a knock-down, or any other attack, contact my office today for a free consultation. I’ll review your case, explain your legal options, and aggressively fight to secure the compensation you deserve. Your recovery is my priority, and I’m here to help you through every step of this difficult journey.
Brian Lewis | Lewis Law Firm | 224-706-1112 | lewisinjuryfirm.com
