Strict Liability for Dog Bites in Ohio

By the FigureMyTax Editorial Team · How we calculate

Ohio has no first free bite. The statute makes the owner, keeper or harborer liable for any injury the dog causes.

The statute

R.C. 955.28(B) provides that the owner, keeper or harborer of a dog is liable in damages for any injury, death or loss to person or property that is caused by the dog, unless the injured person fell within a statutory exception.

No proof of viciousness or negligence

Under the statute, you do not need to show that the dog had a history of aggression or that the owner knew it was dangerous. It also reaches injuries other than bites.

Beyond the owner

The statute extends strict liability to anyone who provides some measure of care, custody or control over the dog, called keepers and harborers.

Common-law claims

Ohio also keeps the older scienter, or one-bite, doctrine and a negligence claim as alternatives.

Deadline

Negligence-based claims follow the two-year deadline in R.C. 2305.10; some summaries say claims under R.C. 955.28 may have up to six years, so treat two years as the safe assumption.

Official sources

• Ohio Rev. Code § 955.28 — dog owner liability
• Ohio Rev. Code § 2315.33 — contributory fault
• Ohio Rev. Code § 2305.10 — bodily injury deadline

This is general information, not legal advice, and the state comparisons above are illustrative, not an exhaustive survey. Confirm how Ohio's rules apply to your specific case with a licensed Ohio attorney.