Dog attacks in America have climbed sharply over the last decade, and the most serious ones are rising fastest. Roughly 4.5 million people are bitten by a dog each year in the United States, and fatal attacks have more than doubled since the pandemic. If a dog hurt you or someone you love in Illinois, the owner is often legally responsible for the harm, and you generally have two years to act.
How Many Dog Attacks Happen in America Each Year?
Dog bites are one of the most common injury events in the country. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates about 4.5 million dog bites happen each year, and nearly one in five of those bites becomes infected.
Many of those injuries are serious enough to need a doctor. The American Veterinary Medical Association reports that roughly 334,000 people are admitted to U.S. emergency departments each year for dog-bite injuries, with another 466,000 treated in other medical settings. The wounds are often severe, and in 2018 alone nearly 27,000 people needed reconstructive surgery after a dog bite, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.
Dog Attack Deaths Are Rising
Fatal dog attacks were once relatively rare. Between 2011 and 2021, the CDC recorded 468 deaths from being bitten or struck by a dog, an average of about 43 deaths per year. Even inside that period the trend was moving: the annual toll ranged from a low of 31 deaths in 2016 to 81 deaths in 2021, and deaths more than doubled between 2018 and 2021 for both men and women.
The climb has continued since. Counts compiled from the CDC’s WONDER mortality database show 98 deaths in 2022, and provisional WONDER figures put 2024 at 127 deaths, the highest single-year total recorded. Because the 2024 figure is provisional, it may be revised as death records are finalized. When an attack turns deadly, surviving family members may have a claim under Illinois law, and an Illinois wrongful death lawyer can explain who is eligible to recover.
Who Gets Hurt Most in Dog Attacks
Children and older adults are bitten most often, and they tend to suffer the worst injuries. A small child is closer to a dog’s head and face, so bites to the head, neck, and face are common in young victims.
A dog attack is rarely a clean wound. Bites can tear skin and muscle, crush or fracture bone, cause nerve damage, and leave permanent scarring. Many survivors also deal with lasting emotional trauma, including anxiety and a fear of dogs, long after the physical wounds heal.
What Is Driving the Increase in Dog Attacks?
There is no single cause, but researchers point to a mix of factors: more dogs in more homes, gaps in supervision around children, and dogs that are not spayed or neutered. Intact male dogs are associated with higher rates of aggression, and studies tie the majority of serious attacks to preventable human factors like poor supervision and irresponsible ownership.
Breed is a hotly debated part of the conversation. Certain breeds, including German shepherds, appear frequently in severe-injury and fatality data, but leading authorities urge caution with those numbers. The AVMA and CDC have both concluded that breed alone is a poor predictor of whether a dog will bite, in part because breed is frequently misidentified after an attack. The stronger predictors are the dog’s individual history and how responsibly the owner manages the animal.
The Cost of Dog Attacks in America
Dog attacks carry a steep financial toll. The Insurance Information Institute reports that homeowners insurers paid about $1.86 billion in dog-related injury liability claims in 2025, an 18.6% jump over 2024, across 28,450 claims. The average cost per claim was $65,450, and while that figure actually eased about 5.5% in 2025, it is still up roughly 97% over the past decade as medical bills and settlements have grown.
For an injured person, those costs are personal: emergency care, surgery, physical therapy, lost wages, and future treatment for scarring or nerve damage. Illinois law lets dog-attack victims seek compensation for those losses from the responsible owner.
Dog-Bite Law and Your Rights in Illinois
Illinois is one of the more protective states for dog-attack victims. Under the Animal Control Act, a dog owner is liable in civil damages for the full amount of the injury when their animal, without provocation, attacks or injures a person who is peaceably conducting themselves somewhere they have a lawful right to be (510 ILCS 5/16). You do not have to prove the owner knew the dog was dangerous or was careless, which is a much lower bar than in states that follow a “one-bite” rule. Provocation, and whether the person was lawfully and peaceably present, are the points owners and their insurers usually contest.
The law also reaches beyond bites. If an unleashed dog knocks someone down and injures them, the owner can still be responsible for the harm the animal proximately caused. In most Illinois personal-injury cases, including dog attacks, you generally have two years from the date of the injury to file a claim (735 ILCS 5/13-202), so it is worth talking with an Illinois dog bite lawyer sooner rather than later. Victims in and around the western suburbs can also connect with an Aurora dog bite lawyer for local help.
Two timing rules matter especially here. Because children are bitten so often, note that a child’s own claim is generally not lost while they are still a minor: the two-year clock runs from their 18th birthday (735 ILCS 5/13-211). On the other side, if a city, county, park district, or other local public body is responsible, the deadline shrinks to one year (745 ILCS 10/8-101), which can end a claim long before the usual two years is up.
Frequently Asked Questions About Dog Attacks in America
How many dog attacks happen in America each year?
The CDC estimates about 4.5 million dog bites occur in the United States each year. Around 334,000 of those injuries are serious enough to require an emergency-department visit, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association.
Are dog attacks increasing in the US?
Yes. The CDC recorded 468 deaths from being bitten or struck by a dog between 2011 and 2021, an average of about 43 a year, with the annual count climbing from 31 in 2016 to 81 in 2021. Counts compiled from CDC WONDER show 98 deaths in 2022 and a provisional 127 in 2024, the highest single-year total recorded.
What dog breeds are involved in the most attacks?
Some breeds appear more often in severe-injury and fatality statistics, but the AVMA and CDC caution that breed is a weak predictor of biting, partly because breeds are frequently misidentified. A dog’s individual history and the owner’s handling matter more than breed label.
Who is most at risk of a dog bite?
Children and older adults are bitten most often and tend to suffer the most serious injuries. Young children are especially likely to be bitten on the head, face, and neck.
Can I sue if a dog attacks me in Illinois?
Often, yes. Illinois imposes broad owner liability under 510 ILCS 5/16 when a dog attacks or injures someone who is peaceably and lawfully present and did not provoke the animal. Adults generally have two years from the date of injury to file, a child’s two years generally runs from their 18th birthday, and claims against a local public body must be filed within one year, so it helps to speak with an attorney early.
If a dog attack has left you or a family member injured in Illinois, you do not have to sort out the medical bills and insurance calls alone. The attorneys at 844-SEE-MIKE can review what happened for free and explain your options, and you pay nothing unless we recover money for you. Contact 844-SEE-MIKE anytime for a free, no-pressure consultation.
This article is general information about dog-attack trends and Illinois law, not legal advice about your specific situation.
