Nassau County · Suffolk County · Dog bite injuries
Long Island Dog Bite Lawyer
After a dog bite in Nassau or Suffolk, get treatment, report the bite to the county health department, and pin down who owned or was handling the dog and whose property you were on.
Those local facts decide which deadlines apply and who may be responsible. Our office is in Uniondale.
Reporting
Reporting a bite in Nassau or Suffolk County
The county report starts the rabies follow-up on the dog and creates an official record of the date, place and animal. That record is often the first document a claim relies on.
- Nassau County
- Department of Health, Rabies & Animal Bites: electronic form, or 516-227-9663 (business hours) and 516-742-6154 (after hours and weekends). Treating providers must also report.
- Suffolk County
- Department of Health Services, Report Animal Bites, which lists weekday and after-hours numbers.
- Bitten in Queens or elsewhere in NYC
- Report to the New York City Health Department; see our Queens dog bite page.
Evidence
Nassau and Suffolk Dog Bite Claims Need Local Proof
Whether a bite happened on residential property, a sidewalk or in a park, useful evidence may be close to the scene:
- The health-department report and the follow-up on the dog's vaccination and confinement.
- Prior complaints or incidents known to neighbors, a homeowners' association, co-op board or the town animal shelter.
- How the dog was kept: fencing, gates, leashes and any local leash rules for the town, village or park.
- Who controlled the property: owner, tenant, landlord, or a county, town or village.
- Doorbell, home-security or business cameras on the street, which can be overwritten.
Nassau County dog bite lawyer
Bites in Hempstead, Oyster Bay, North Hempstead and Nassau's cities and villages: Nassau County dog bite attorney.
New York dog bite law overview
The full explanation of the 2025 change and the dangerous dog statute: New York dog bite lawyer.
Dog bite lawyer near me
Not sure which page fits? Find a dog bite lawyer near you.
Public property
Parks, beaches and other public property
Long Island parks and beaches are run by different levels of government: Nassau and Suffolk counties, the towns, incorporated villages and New York State. Where the bite happened and who was responsible for the dog both matter.
If a public entity may be responsible, a notice of claim is often due within 90 days (General Municipal Law 50-e). Our guide to suing a city or municipality in New York explains the process.
The law in brief
What the owner can be liable for
Since Flanders v Goodfellow (Court of Appeals, April 17, 2025), you can try to prove the owner did not use reasonable care, as well as the older rule for dogs with known vicious propensities.
Agriculture and Markets Law 123 adds strict liability for medical costs caused by a dangerous dog, subject to the statute's exceptions. A personal injury action is generally due within three years.
Published firm result
Dog bite result
This is the dog bite result in the firm's published archive. The published description does not say where the bite occurred, and it is not presented as a Long Island case.
Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Every case depends on its own facts.
See the full verdicts and settlements archive$300,000
$300,000 Settlement — Dog Bite Without Proof of Vicious Propensities
Obtained a $300,000 settlement for a client bitten by a dog, despite no proof of the dog's vicious propensities.
The Nassau County Department of Health investigates reported animal bites, and medical providers who treat a bite are required to report it. The Department lists an electronic form and the numbers 516-227-9663 during business hours and 516-742-6154 after hours and on weekends. Keep a note of when and how you reported.
Use the Suffolk County Department of Health Services' Report Animal Bites page, which lists the weekday and after-hours numbers. Your treating provider may also report it. Keep a note of the date and the person you spoke with.
Possibly. If a county, town, village or other public entity may be responsible, for example because its employee was handling the dog, a notice of claim may be due within 90 days under General Municipal Law 50-e, with a shorter deadline to sue. A claim against the dog's private owner follows the ordinary rules.
Yes. Flanders v Goodfellow is a decision of New York's highest court and applies statewide. It allows an injured person to pursue ordinary negligence against a dog owner, in addition to the rule for dogs with known vicious propensities.
A personal injury action is generally due within three years (CPLR 214), with possible extensions for children (CPLR 208). Public-entity claims can require notice within 90 days. Nassau and Suffolk cases follow the same state deadlines.
Yes. The firm's office is at RXR Plaza in Uniondale, Nassau County. You can also start by phone, and the first consultation is free.
Talk to a Long Island dog bite lawyer
Tell us where the bite happened and what you know about the dog and its owner. You can start by phone or arrange to meet at our Uniondale office.
What to bring
- The address where the bite happened
- The owner's name, if known
- Your county health-department report details
- Photos and medical records
Photo credits: Eisenhower Park west gate by R. Sullivan (Sullynyflhi), CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped and resized.