Bitten by a Dog in Memphis?

Dog bites carry serious infection risks, including bacteria like Pasteurella, Staphylococcus, and in rare cases, rabies. Even bites that look minor on the surface can cause deep tissue damage, nerve injury, and infection that worsens rapidly.

Wash the wound with clean water and mild soap, then seek medical attention as soon as possible. For serious bites — especially those involving the face, hands, or significant bleeding — go to an emergency room. In Memphis, Regional One Health, Baptist Memorial Hospital, Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, and St. Francis Hospital all have emergency departments. For less severe bites, urgent care clinics throughout Shelby County can provide treatment.

If a child was bitten, Le Bonheur Children's Hospital provides specialized pediatric emergency care. Children are the most frequent victims of dog bites and often suffer bites to the face and neck.

Follow all medical treatment recommendations, including antibiotics and wound care instructions. Keep records of every medical visit, prescription, and bill.

Try to get the dog owner's name, address, and phone number. If you don't know the owner, ask witnesses or neighbors. If the dog was loose, note its appearance (breed, size, color, collar, tags) and the exact location where the bite occurred.

You need to identify the owner to pursue a claim, and you also need to determine the dog's vaccination status — particularly for rabies. If the dog's rabies vaccination status cannot be confirmed, you may need post-exposure rabies treatment, which is a series of injections over two weeks.

Report the bite to Memphis Animal Services (MAS), which handles animal control for the City of Memphis and Shelby County. You can reach MAS at (901) 636-1416 or visit their facility at 2350 Appling City Cove, Memphis, TN 38133.

An animal control report creates an official record of the incident, which is important evidence for your claim. Animal Services will also investigate the dog's vaccination status, determine whether the dog needs to be quarantined, and check whether the dog has a history of prior aggressive behavior — which can be crucial to your case under Tennessee law.

If the bite occurred in one of the suburban municipalities (Germantown, Collierville, Bartlett, Arlington, Millington, or Lakeland), contact that city's animal control department.

Photograph your injuries immediately after the bite and throughout the healing process — including bruising, swelling, stitches, and scarring at various stages. Photograph the location where the bite occurred, and note whether the dog was on a leash, behind a fence, or running loose.

Write down a detailed account of what happened while it's fresh in your memory: where you were, what you were doing, where the dog came from, whether the owner was present, what the owner said, and whether there were witnesses. Get witnesses' contact information.

Tennessee dog bite law is more complex than many states because it uses a hybrid system combining strict liability and the common-law "one-bite rule," depending on where the bite occurred:

Strict liability under the Dianna Acklen Act (Tenn. Code Ann. § 44-8-413): The dog owner is strictly liable — meaning liable regardless of whether they knew the dog was dangerous — if the dog was running at large (not under the owner's reasonable control) AND the bite occurred in a public place or on someone else's private property. Under strict liability, you do not need to prove the owner knew the dog was dangerous.

The residential exclusion (the critical distinction): If the bite occurred on the dog owner's residential, farm, or noncommercial property, strict liability does NOT apply. Instead, you must prove the owner knew or should have known the dog had dangerous propensities — essentially the "one-bite rule." Evidence of prior bites, aggressive behavior, complaints to animal control, or the dog's breed-specific reputation can help establish this knowledge. This distinction is unique to Tennessee and makes the location of the bite a pivotal factor in your case.

Most dog bite claims are covered by the dog owner's homeowner's or renter's insurance policy. The insurance company will try to settle quickly and cheaply — before you know the full extent of your medical costs, scarring, or psychological impact.

Dog bite injuries can require reconstructive surgery, leave permanent scars, and cause lasting psychological effects — especially in children. Don't accept a settlement until you understand the full scope of your damages.

Under Tenn. Code Ann. § 28-3-104, you have only one year from the date of the bite to file a personal injury lawsuit. This is one of the shortest deadlines in the country. If the bite victim is a minor, the deadline may be extended — but don't assume this applies without consulting an attorney.

Dog bite cases in Tennessee involve unique legal issues — the hybrid liability system, the residential exclusion, potential claims against landlords or property managers, and the complexity of documenting scarring and psychological damage. An experienced attorney can determine which liability standard applies, gather evidence of the dog's history, negotiate with homeowner's insurance, and ensure your claim accounts for all damages including future medical care and scarring.

Most personal injury attorneys offer free consultations and work on contingency.