Historically, when a person has been injured by a dog bite or other action by a dog in New York State, what was known as the “one bite rule” would loom large. If a dog bit or knocked someone down, it would be on the injured party to prove that the owner was already aware that the dog had a documented history of “violent propensity.”
An April 2025 New York court case has significantly expanded that. The ruling in Flanders vs. Goodfellow has overturned the violent propensity standard. Today, anyone in New York State who was injured by an animal can recover damages if they can prove that their injuries were caused by a pet owner who failed to take reasonable and responsible steps to prevent harm to others.
How often do dog bites occur in the Hudson Valley?
In New York State, CDC statistics estimate a rate of about 17.4 reported dog bite incidents per 100,000 residents.
If we were to apply that to the populations of our region, that would mean that for Ulster County’s 180,000 residents, there are about 31 dog bites per year. For Dutchess County’s population of 300,000 residents, there are about 52 dog bites a year. And for Orange County’s population of around 400,000 residents, there are around 70 dog bites a year.
How often do postal workers get attacked by dogs in the Hudson Valley?
According to the latest statistics from the United States Postal Service, there were 322 dog bites in New York State in 2024.
Extrapolating that to our populations, that means that around 7 dog bites on postal workers could have occurred in Orange County, 5 in Dutchess County, and 3 in Ulster County.
What is the average value of a dog bite claim?
According to data from the Insurance Information Institute, for a dataset of 994 reported insurance claims in 2024, there was an average cost per claim of $110,488, for a total of $109M.
What should you do after a dog bite?
Documenting the conditions of the accident is critical. It is possible that after contacting us, we may be able to obtain records, footage or third-party reports that can demonstrate liability.
The statute of limitations for a dog bite in New York State is three years, but the longer you wait, the harder it may be to gather the necessary evidence to get the maximum compensation for your injuries. Give us a call at 845-600-0000 to schedule a free personal injury consultation at our offices in Newburgh, Kingston or Poughkeepsie.