Facial dog bite injuries are among the most devastating and highest-value cases in Michigan personal injury law. Solomon Radner and The Michigan Dog Bite Law Firm represent victims of facial dog attacks across Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties.
Suffered a facial dog bite in Michigan? Get a free case review from Solomon Radner. Facial cases require specialized handling — we know how to maximize compensation for scarring, disfigurement, and reconstructive surgery. No fee unless we win.
Facial dog bites are not ordinary injuries. A dog’s jaws can crush bone, tear cartilage, sever nerves, and leave permanent disfigurement on a body part the victim cannot hide. The legal and medical complexity of facial cases is on a different level than typical dog bite claims, and the settlement values reflect that.
This page explains what makes facial dog bite cases unique under Michigan law, the categories of damages available, why these cases settle for substantially more than other bite injuries, and how The Michigan Dog Bite Law Firm handles them.
Why Facial Dog Bites Are Different
Facial injuries differ from other dog bite injuries in three fundamental ways, and each of those differences increases case value.
Permanent visibility
A scar on the leg can be covered by pants. A facial scar cannot be hidden. Every interaction the victim has — at work, in public, in relationships, in the mirror — is shaped by the injury. Michigan juries understand this, and Michigan courts have repeatedly held that the unique impact of facial disfigurement justifies substantially higher non-economic damages.
Complex medical treatment
Facial wounds often require specialists most general practitioners do not have access to — plastic surgeons, oral and maxillofacial surgeons, otolaryngologists, ophthalmologists, neurologists. Treatment frequently involves multiple surgeries over months or years. Each surgery, each revision, each follow-up has a cost — and all of it is compensable under Michigan law.
Psychological impact
The emotional consequences of facial disfigurement are well-documented in medical and legal literature. Depression, anxiety, social withdrawal, and PTSD are common — and they are real, compensable damages under Michigan law. See our guide on PTSD and emotional trauma compensation for the full breakdown.
Types of Facial Dog Bite Injuries We Handle
Every facial bite case is unique, but the injuries generally fall into recognized categories. The Michigan Dog Bite Law Firm has represented victims of:
- Laceration and tearing injuries — cheeks, lips, chin, forehead. Often require layered surgical closure to minimize scarring.
- Puncture wounds — deep punctures from canine teeth that can damage underlying nerves, blood vessels, and salivary structures.
- Crushing injuries — bite force from powerful breeds can fracture facial bones, particularly the maxilla, mandible, and nasal bones.
- Avulsion injuries — when the dog tears away tissue. Lip, ear, and cheek avulsions are particularly common and may require complex reconstruction.
- Eye and eyelid injuries — bites near or involving the eye, including damage to the tear ducts, eyelids, and in rare cases the globe itself.
- Nose injuries — including nasal cartilage damage, septal injury, and complete or partial avulsion.
- Ear injuries — partial or complete avulsion of the ear is among the most disfiguring facial bite injuries.
- Nerve damage to the face — bites that sever or damage the facial nerve can cause permanent paralysis or weakness on one side of the face.
- Scalp injuries — particularly common in attacks on children, where the dog reaches the head before the victim can defend.
Michigan Strict Liability Applies to Facial Bites
Under Michigan’s strict liability statute (MCL 287.351), the dog’s owner is liable for the full range of damages from a facial bite — without any need to prove the owner was negligent. The owner cannot escape liability by claiming the dog had never bitten anyone before. There is no “one-bite free pass” in Michigan.
The three statutory requirements are simple: the victim must have been bitten (not just scratched or knocked down), must have been lawfully present, and must not have provoked the dog. Approaching a dog, petting a dog, or accidentally startling a dog does not constitute legal provocation in Michigan. Insurance companies will sometimes argue otherwise — they are wrong, and Michigan courts have consistently rejected those arguments.
What Facial Dog Bite Victims Can Recover
Medical expenses — past and future
Every dollar of medical treatment related to the bite is recoverable. For facial cases specifically, this includes:
- Emergency room treatment and initial wound closure
- Hospital admission for severe injuries
- Plastic and reconstructive surgery — often multiple procedures over months or years
- Scar revision surgery — frequently needed 6-18 months after initial healing
- Nerve repair surgery and follow-up
- Dental reconstruction if teeth were lost or damaged
- Eye and vision care
- Physical therapy for facial muscle function
- Psychological counseling and PTSD treatment
- Future medical care projected over the victim’s lifetime
Future medical costs are critical in facial cases. A 30-year-old victim with a permanent facial scar may need scar revision procedures every 5-10 years for the rest of their life. The full projected cost of that future care is recoverable in the current claim — see our guide on who pays medical bills for more on this.
Scarring and disfigurement damages
This is where facial bite cases generate substantially higher settlement values than other dog bite cases. Michigan has no statutory cap on disfigurement damages, and juries are willing to compensate facial victims at levels they would not consider for less visible injuries. The factors that drive disfigurement damages include:
- Size and length of the scar(s)
- Location on the face — central/visible scars carry more weight than scars hidden by hair or facial features
- Visibility under normal lighting conditions
- Whether any tissue or feature was permanently lost
- Whether facial symmetry was affected
- Age of the victim — younger victims live with the injury longer
- Effect on facial expression and emotional communication
- Whether the scar can be substantially improved by surgery
Our deep-dive on damages calculation is in our facial scarring compensation guide, which covers how attorneys, juries, and insurance companies put dollar values on these factors.
Pain and suffering
The acute pain of a facial bite — and the ongoing pain of healing, surgery, scar revision, and nerve damage — is fully compensable. Michigan has no cap on pain and suffering damages.
Lost wages and earning capacity
Time missed from work during recovery is recoverable. For victims in appearance-sensitive professions — sales, hospitality, broadcast, modeling, performing arts — the long-term impact on earning capacity can be substantial and is fully compensable.
Emotional distress and PTSD
Facial dog bites carry an exceptionally high rate of PTSD and emotional trauma. Many victims develop ongoing anxiety, depression, fear of dogs, social withdrawal, and difficulty looking in mirrors. All of this is recoverable as part of the claim.
Why Facial Cases Settle for More
Insurance companies know that facial dog bite cases are extremely dangerous if they go to trial. A jury that sees a victim’s facial scar in person, and hears the victim describe what daily life has been like since the attack, will compensate generously. Insurance defense lawyers know this. The result is that facial cases tend to settle substantially higher than other bite cases — even when the underlying medical bills are similar.
This is the area where having an experienced Michigan dog bite attorney is most valuable. A lawyer who has handled facial cases knows how to document the disfigurement, work with the right experts, and present the case in a way that forces the insurance company to recognize what the case is actually worth. See our settlement value guide for more on how cases get valued.
Child Facial Bite Victims
Children are bitten on the face more than any other age group, because their faces are at dog-mouth level. A facial bite on a child carries unique legal and damages considerations — a longer life expectancy means more years of living with the disfigurement, and Michigan courts apply heightened scrutiny to settlements involving minors.
If your child suffered a facial dog bite, our guide for parents of child bite victims covers the special rules that apply, including how the statute of limitations is tolled until the child turns 18.
What to Do After a Facial Dog Bite in Michigan
- Get emergency medical care immediately. Facial wounds need rapid expert closure to minimize scarring. Do not delay. Go to an ER, ideally one with plastic surgery on call.
- Photograph everything. Take photos of the wounds before any treatment if possible, and continue documenting throughout healing. Photos at every stage are powerful evidence.
- Follow up with a plastic surgeon. Even if the ER closed the wound, get an evaluation from a plastic surgeon within the first week. Plastic surgeons may revise the closure for better cosmetic outcomes.
- Document the attack. See our first 24 hours guide for the complete checklist — animal control report, owner identification, witness names, insurance information.
- Do not give statements to the dog owner’s insurance. They will call. Politely decline and refer them to your attorney.
- Contact a Michigan dog bite attorney experienced with facial cases. Facial cases require specialized handling. Call The Michigan Dog Bite Law Firm at 1-800-LAWSUIT for a free case review.
Why Choose The Michigan Dog Bite Law Firm
The Michigan Dog Bite Law Firm represents dog bite victims exclusively. Solomon Radner does not split his attention across a generic personal injury practice — facial dog bites are part of his focused expertise. We work with plastic surgeons, psychologists, and life-care planners to document the full impact of a facial injury and recover the maximum compensation Michigan law allows.
Solomon Radner is a Michigan Super Lawyer (every year since 2014). The firm operates on contingency — no fee unless we win. The case review is free.
Suffered a facial dog bite in Michigan?
Call 1-800-LAWSUIT or request a free case review. No fee unless we win.