A dog attack can happen in seconds, but the physical and emotional consequences can last for years.
Victims may suffer deep puncture wounds, torn muscles, nerve damage, infections, broken bones, permanent scars and disfigurement. Children can be especially vulnerable to serious facial injuries and lasting emotional trauma after being attacked by a dog.
If you or someone you love was injured in a dog attack, the Knoxville dog bite lawyers at Poulin | Willey Trial Lawyers can investigate what happened, determine who may be legally responsible and pursue compensation for the losses caused by your injuries.
We have a local office right here in Knoxville and understand the communities we serve throughout Knox County and East Tennessee. At the same time, our team has the support and resources of a necessary when a case requires investigators, medical experts, extensive evidence gathering or litigation.
If you’ve been injured in a Knoxville Dog Bite incident, tell us what happened.
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Knoxville dog bite claims can face aggressive insurance-company defenses designed to reduce or deny compensation. Our Knoxville dog bite lawyers investigate the attack, the dog’s history, owner responsibility, and available insurance coverage to pursue the full compensation available under Tennessee law.
An insurance adjuster may contact you shortly after an attack and request photographs, medical information, a statement or other documentation. You might even receive an early settlement offer, but Before accepting an offer, consider having a Knoxville dog bite attorney evaluate the circumstances and potential long-term damages.
The dog owner is frequently the first person considered after an attack, but liability can depend upon the circumstances.
Our Knoxville dog bite lawyers handle claims involving aggressive dogs, attacks on children, rental-property incidents, loose dogs, severe injuries, permanent scarring, and fatal attacks throughout Knoxville and East Tennessee. We investigate every potentially responsible party and pursue the compensation available under Tennessee law.
Our Knoxville dog bite lawyers prepare every case with the expectation that it may go to trial. Insurance companies know we’re prepared to fight—not settle for less simply because it’s easier. From negotiation to the courtroom, Poulin + Willey Trial Lawyers works to pursue the maximum compensation available for car accident victims throughout Knoxville and East Tennessee.
Get the strength of a full legal team fighting for you, including Knoxville dog bite lawyers, investigators, and medical experts with the resources to take on insurance companies. Poulin + Willey Trial Lawyers offers injured clients throughout Knoxville and East Tennessee a free case evaluation, 24/7 support, and… you pay no attorney fees unless we win your case.
Out of 4.5 million annual U.S. dog bites, roughly 1.8%-2% occur in Tennessee alone, estimating that 80,000 to 90,000 total bites occur and roughly 15,000 seeking professional medical care or emergency room visits yearly. A 2025 study involving researchers from the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville found that 52.2% suffered arm injuries, 47.8% suffered injuries to the face or head, and 27.2% suffered leg injuries. For victims in Knoxville and throughout East Tennessee, a serious dog attack can result in nerve and tissue damage, infections, permanent scarring, disfigurement, lost income, and lasting emotional trauma. *https://www.tn.gov/commerce/news/2018/4/12/-tdci-urges-homeowners-to-put-a-leash-on-dog-attacks--.html
The CDC notes that any dog can bite, particularly when frightened, nervous, eating, protecting something, or feeling unwell, and young children are at greater risk—often while interacting with dogs they already know. a 2026 University of Tennessee Medical Center study of serious dog-bite injuries in East Tennessee found that dogs reported as pit bulls accounted for nearly one-third of the cases studied and were associated with a higher likelihood of requiring surgery, while working breeds—including Rottweilers, Great Danes and Huskies—accounted for another 15% of injuries.
Victims of serious dog bites and dog attacks in Knoxville, Tennessee may be entitled to compensation for medical expenses, reconstructive or plastic surgery, lost wages, pain and suffering, permanent scarring and disfigurement, emotional trauma, and other damages. Our Knoxville dog bite lawyers work to pursue the full compensation available under Tennessee law for victims throughout Knoxville and East Tennessee.
Not every minor dog bite requires an attorney. But if you have been seriously injured, liability is disputed, the insurance company is blaming you, your medical expenses are significant, you’ve missed work, or an insurer is pressuring you to accept a settlement, speaking with a Knoxville dog bite lawyer can help you understand your rights and options.
An insurance company has people protecting its interests.
You deserve someone protecting yours.
A Knoxville dog bite attorney can investigate how the bite occurred, identify potentially responsible parties, preserve available evidence, document your injuries and financial losses, communicate with insurers, evaluate settlement offers, and pursue compensation on your behalf.
At Poulin | Willey Trial Lawyers, our job is to handle the legal fight so you can focus on something more important:
Getting your life back.
There are national personal injury firms advertising everywhere.
But if you were attacked by a dog in Tennessee, there can be meaningful advantages to having a law firm with an office in your community.
Our attorneys understand Knoxville, Knox County and the surrounding East Tennessee communities we serve.
We’re familiar with the neighborhoods, local roads, hospitals, courts and communities where our clients live.
Dog attacks are inherently local events.
They happen in neighborhoods, apartment complexes, parks, businesses and homes.
Understanding the location and local circumstances can help provide context when investigating the attack.
When you’re dealing with painful injuries or your child has been seriously hurt, you shouldn’t feel like your attorney exists only in another state or behind a national call center.
We are available by phone, email or you can even visit our office right here in Knoxville. If you can’t make it to us, we will come to you at your home or hospital.
There’s another side to choosing a personal injury law firm.
Relationship matters. But resources matter, too.
Serious dog bite cases can require extensive investigation, medical documentation, expert analysis, depositions, litigation, and substantial preparation.
That’s why Poulin | Willey Trial Lawyers offers injured East Tennesseans what we believe is an important combination:
Our Knoxville dog bite lawyers at Poulin | Willey Trial Lawyers provide aggressive representation backed by the resources necessary to take cases all the way to trial, if necessary.
That gives our clients a legal team that understands the community while having access to resources appropriate for serious injury cases.
Dogs are part of countless families throughout Knoxville and East Tennessee, and most interactions with them never result in an injury.
Unfortunately, when a dog attacks, the consequences can be severe.
Unlike many other accidents, a dog attack can involve biting, crushing, pulling and tearing injuries. A victim may also be knocked to the ground while attempting to escape, causing additional orthopedic or head injuries.
Our Knoxville dog bite attorneys represent people suffering injuries such as:
Some victims recover after emergency treatment and follow-up care. Others require surgery, reconstructive procedures, physical therapy or years of additional treatment.
The compensation pursued in a dog bite claim should reflect the actual consequences of the attack, not simply the initial emergency-room bill.
Possibly. Tennessee law does not make a previous bite an absolute requirement in every situation. The applicable standard can depend upon where and how the attack occurred, including whether the dog was running at large.
The location of an attack can significantly affect the legal analysis under Tennessee law. Residential and certain other noncommercial property situations can involve different requirements concerning the owner’s knowledge of the dog’s dangerous propensities.
Potentially. Tennessee’s statute addresses injuries caused by dogs and is not written exclusively around puncture wounds from bites. The circumstances of the incident and applicable law would need to be evaluated.
Children can suffer particularly serious facial, head and psychological injuries. Claims involving minors can also present additional legal considerations, making it important to have the circumstances evaluated individually.
Depending upon the circumstances, insurance coverage such as homeowners or renters insurance may potentially apply. Coverage depends upon the specific policy, exclusions and facts of the attack.
You may still have legal options. Many claims are handled through applicable insurance coverage rather than requiring an injured person to directly pursue a friend or neighbor for payment.
Consider having the circumstances reviewed before signing a release. An early settlement may arrive before permanent scarring, future treatment or other long-term consequences are fully understood.
There is no standard settlement amount. The value depends upon factors such as injury severity, medical expenses, permanent scarring, future treatment, lost income, psychological effects, liability evidence and available insurance coverage.