Dog bite incidents by state: Where they're most common

Dog bite incidents by state: Where they're most common

Close to 1,000 people are treated in U.S. emergency departments each day for dog bite injuries. That figure, drawn from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data compiled by DogsBite.org, is not a projection. It reflects a trend that has been climbing steadily: national dog bite-related emergency department visits rose 15% between 2018 and 2023, with California up 30% and Florida up 25% over the same period.

Insurance data shows a similar upward trend. In 2024, U.S. insurers paid out a record $1.57 billion in dog-related injury claims, up 19% from 2023 and 48% higher than a decade ago, according to the Insurance Information Institute (III). The average cost per claim that year reached $69,272, an 86% increase over the past decade.

Dog bite incidents are not evenly distributed across the country. They cluster geographically, and where a person lives has a measurable effect on their risk. In this article, Mokaram Injury Lawyers, a Houston-based personal injury law firm, examines the data to outline the states where these incidents are the most common.

The Top Three States Where Dog Bites Happen Most

When it comes to claim volume, three states consistently lead the country in dog bite injuries. The following is from state-related dog bite injury claim reports by the III.

California ranks first nationally. In 2024, the state saw 2,417 dog-related injury claims, the most of any state in the nation, with an average payout of $86,229 per claim. California also ranks first for dog bite-related emergency room visits, recording 48,596 ER visits in 2022, according to the Department of Health Care Access and Information. This was a 70% increase from 2005.

Florida is second, with 1,821 claims filed in 2024. These claims totaled more than $101 million, with an average of $55,680 per injury. Florida has also recorded a sharp increase in dog bite injuries requiring emergency treatment, with 32,557 visits in 2023 alone.

Texas is third for total claims. Dog bite victims filed a reported 1,190 claims totaling $90.1 million, averaging $75,674 per claim. While Texas had many fewer claims than Florida, the average value is higher, indicating potentially more significant injuries in many Texas dog attacks.

Rounding Out the Top Ten

The remaining states in the top ten for dog bite injury claims, according to III reports, include:

* Michigan, with 1,138 injury claims

* Pennsylvania, with 1,004 claims

* New York, with 994 claims

* Ohio, with 985 claims

* Illinois, with 940 claims

* New Jersey, with 782 claims

* Georgia, with 671 claims

Together, the top ten states account for a disproportionate share of the country's annual dog bite claims and costs. The top ten states totaled 11,942 claims, while all other states combined reported only 10,716 claims. Claims in these ten states also totaled about $864.4 million in 2024, while dog bite injury claims throughout the rest of the United States totaled $705.2 million.

This illustrates that the risks of serious dog bite injuries in the top ten states are substantially higher.

Why Some States See More Incidents Than Others

Population size explains part of the geographic disparity. Higher concentrations of people and dogs can increase the likelihood of incidents. Researchers also point to several other factors:

* Leash law enforcement: States and municipalities with stricter animal control tend to see fewer severe incidents.

* Rural versus urban divide: Rural areas experience dog bite injury rates four times higher than urban ones, largely due to gaps in animal control infrastructure and limited access to immediate medical care.

* Legal oversight: Dog bite liability laws vary widely. Thirty-six states have some version of a strict liability dog bite law, regardless of the animal's prior behavior. Most others follow the "one-bite rule," which can limit owner liability when a dog has no documented history of aggression.

* Reporting gaps: An estimated 80% of all dog bites never enter the medical or legal record system, meaning the true scope of the problem is larger than any single dataset reflects.

The Financial Toll Keeps Climbing

The financial impact of a dog bite often extends beyond the initial emergency room visit. The average insurance claim reached $69,272 in 2024, up 18% from 2023 and 86% higher than a decade ago, according to III. New York had the highest average payout in the nation at $110,488 per claim. California averaged $86,229.

The Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) has reported that hospital stays for dog bite injuries average roughly 50% more than hospitalizations for other injury types on a national level. In 2023, more than 19,000 people underwent reconstructive surgery as a result of dog attacks, which can significantly increase costs.

For victims facing those costs, the legal options available often depend on where the bite occurred. Texas follows a modified version of the one-bite rule, where establishing owner negligence or prior knowledge of a dog's aggression is often necessary for a claim. Victims in strict liability states like California or Florida may have a more straightforward route to compensation.

What the Numbers Miss

Dog bite data in the United States is fragmented by design. No single federal system tracks all incidents. Instead, researchers piece together figures from emergency room records, insurance claims, postal service reports, and nonprofit databases. The widely cited 4.5 million annual bite figure is only an estimate, not a confirmed count.

Across multiple data sources, a consistent pattern emerges: Incidents are rising, costs are increasing, and a handful of states account for a disproportionate share of both. For anyone bitten by a dog, the question of what comes next is rarely straightforward, and the answer almost always starts with the laws of the state where it happened.

Public health researchers note that many dog bite incidents are preventable. Education on responsible pet ownership and safe behavior around dogs can help reduce both injuries and associated costs.

This story was produced by Mokaram Injury Lawyers and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.