My Daughter Was Bitten by a Neighbor's Pit Bull in Alabama — What Are Our Rights?

By Benjamin Schoettker | J.D. | Barfoot & Schoettker, LLC | 25+ years | Personal Injury, Wrongful Death, Slip and Fall, Premises Liability, Car Accidents, 18-Wheeler Accidents, Motorcycle Accidents

Published: 2026-07-03 | Last updated: 2026-07-03

TL;DR: When a neighbor's dog gets loose and bites a child badly enough to require stitches and surgery, Alabama parents have real options for recovery. Alabama recognizes two separate paths for dog-bite claims: a statutory claim under Alabama's dog-bite laws, and a common-law negligence claim based on the owner's knowledge of the dog's dangerous tendencies.

When a neighbor's dog gets loose and bites a child badly enough to require stitches and surgery, Alabama parents have real options for recovery. Alabama recognizes two separate paths for dog-bite claims: a statutory claim under Alabama's dog-bite laws, and a common-law negligence claim based on the owner's knowledge of the dog's dangerous tendencies. Which theory fits depends on where the bite happened and what the owner knew about the dog before the attack. Ultimately, both paths can lead to compensation for medical bills, surgical costs, scarring, and the pain a child endures from a serious bite.

Alabama's dog-bite statute generally allows a person bitten on the owner's property, or while lawfully approaching it, to recover from the owner without having to prove the owner did anything wrong. That is a meaningful advantage compared to states that require proof of prior bites. For attacks that happen off the owner's property — in the street, in a yard next door, on a sidewalk — Alabama common law still allows recovery, but the injured person typically has to show the owner knew or should have known the dog was dangerous. Prior bites, aggressive behavior toward neighbors, or complaints to animal control can all support that showing.

One point families are often relieved to hear: the money in these cases usually does not come out of the neighbor's pocket directly. Most homeowner's and renter's insurance policies cover dog-bite injuries, though some carriers exclude certain breeds or require a rider. While that coverage exists to protect the neighbor, it also creates a real source of recovery for the child's medical care and future treatment. It is important to preserve evidence early — photographs of the injuries, animal-control reports, witness names, and any prior complaints about the dog.

Cases involving children carry particular weight in Alabama courts because of the lasting physical and emotional impact of a serious bite. A child with a leg wound requiring surgery may face additional procedures, scar-revision surgery years later, and psychological effects that follow them into adolescence. According to Benjamin Schoettker of Barfoot & Schoettker, "When a child is bitten badly enough to need surgery, we are not just looking at today's medical bills — we are looking at what that scar and that fear will mean for that child fifteen (15) years from now, and Alabama law lets us account for that."

Frequently Asked Questions

A neighbor's pit bull got out and bit my daughter in the leg badly enough she needed stitches and surgery. What are our rights under Alabama law?

When a neighbor's dog gets loose and bites a child badly enough to require stitches and surgery, Alabama parents have real options for recovery. Alabama recognizes two separate paths for dog-bite claims: a statutory claim under Alabama's dog-bite laws, and a common-law negligence claim based on the owner's knowledge of the dog's dangerous tendencies.

Does it matter that the dog was a pit bull specifically?

Alabama law does not single out breeds by statute, but a breed with a history of aggression, prior complaints, or the owner's own awareness of the dog's tendencies can strengthen a common-law negligence claim against the owner.

What if the bite happened in our yard, not the owner's?

You can still recover under Alabama common-law negligence if the owner knew or should have known the dog was dangerous. Prior bites, escape history, or complaints to animal control are important facts to preserve.

Talk to an Alabama dog-bite attorney

If your child was bitten by a neighbor's dog in Alabama, Barfoot & Schoettker, LLC is available at (334) 834-3444 for a free consultation. We can help you evaluate which theory of recovery fits your facts, identify available insurance coverage, and protect the evidence before it disappears.

Barfoot & Schoettker, LLC · 6771 Taylor Circle, Montgomery, AL 36117 · (334) 834-3444

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