Personal injury lawyers generally do not take cases involving attacks and injuries to dogs, so if you want to sue your will probably need to do it yourself. Below is our step-by-step guide for handling your dog attack lawsuit.
Report the Incident to Animal Control: Your first step immediately after the attack should be to report the attack to local authorities. In Maryland, this would be the County Animal Control. If you are opposed to calling Animal Control, don't do it. (But it will hurt your case.) They will likely investigate the incident, issue a citation, or take other legal action against the other owner if appropriate.
Send a Demand Letter to the Other Dog Owner: Your first step should be to contact the other dog's owner and demand that they compensate you for the attack on their dog. The communication should be in writing (email or letter) in case you need to use it as evidence later. This is always a reasonable first step to take before filing any lawsuit.
File a Complaint in District Court: If you want to sue the other dog owner, you must file a complaint in the appropriate civil court. In Maryland, this would be the District Court for the County that has jurisdiction over your case based on the location where the incident occurred or where the defendant lives or does business. (The best and appropriate venue can be a challenge to determine in many cases but not in most of these dog bite claims.)
Serve Summons on Other Dog Owners: After you file your complaint in the appropriate civil court, the clerk of that court will issue a Civil Summons. This notifies the defendant of the lawsuit and compels them to respond. This Summons must be served on the defendant by someone other than you.  There are also certified mail, return receipt requests options you can investigate that are cheaper than hiring someone to serve the defendant.
Appear for Trial with Evidence: After the Summons is served on the defendant, the court will schedule a merit trial in your case. In Maryland, this is a bench trial before a District Court Judge with informal rules of evidence. Be prepared to present evidence to establish that the other dog owner was negligent. This will likely be testimony from you and any other witnesses. You will also need evidence to support your damages. This should include copies of your vet bills and documentation showing how much your dog is worth (e.g., a price quote from a breeder or an invoice from when you originally bought your dog).