If I was bitten by a family member’s dog, what should I do?

If the dog owner has insurance such as a homeowner's policy that covers this, you can file a claim with the insurance carrier when you complete your medical treatment and are released by the doctor.  When you complete your medical treatment, obtain your medical bills, medical reports, and documentation of any wage loss.  Your personal injury claim should include these items.  Compensation for the medical bills is straight reimbursement.  The medical reports will document the nature and extent of your injury and will be used to determine compensation for pain and suffering which is an amount in addition to the medical bills.  Compensation for wage loss is straight reimbursement.  If the case is settled with the homeowner's insurance carrier, NO lawsuit is filed.

If the case is NOT settled with the homeowner's insurance carrier or there isn't any insurance , file a lawsuit against the dog owner for negligence if the dog does NOT have a history of biting others.  If the dog has a history of biting others, your lawsuit would be for strict liability.

Negligence is the failure to exercise due care (that degree of care that a reasonable dog owner would have exercised under the same or similar circumstances to prevent foreseeable harm).

Strict liability imposes liability whether or not due care was exercised.

If the case is NOT settled with the insurance carrier or there isn't any insurance, you will need to file a lawsuit as mentioned above.  If you obtain a judgment against the dog owner, which the dog owner does not pay, obtain a wage garnishment to satisfy the judgment or place a lien on the property.

If the case is NOT settled, you will need to file your lawsuit prior to the expiration of the applicable statute of limitations or you will lose your rights forever in the matter.