OH · Strict liability
Ohio dog bite law
Ohio is a strict-liability state for injuries a dog causes, owners and keepers both. The deadline is the part people get wrong.
- Liability
- Strict liability
- Statute
- Ohio Rev. Code § 955.28(B)
- Deadline to file
- 2 years · O.R.C. § 2305.10; § 2305.07
- Bites only?
- Injuries more broadly
Negligence claims: 2 years. Some statutory-liability claims have been given 6 years. Do not assume you have six.
A negligence claim is two years. A claim pleaded under the dog statute has been treated as a liability created by statute with a longer period in some cases. File as if you have two.
Exceptions insurers will mention
Trespassing; crime other than a minor misdemeanor; provocation. Applies to owners and keepers.
Compare the national split in strict liability vs one-bite, and confirm your clock on statute of limitations.
Similar liability rules
This page is general information, not legal advice, and is not a substitute for a lawyer licensed in your state. Statutes change. Confirm the current rule and your deadline with counsel before you rely on a date.