Dog Bites
Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 3-1901 — the owner is presumed to have known the dog was dangerous
A presumption against the owner. In a Maryland suit against a dog's owner for injury or death the dog caused, evidence that the dog caused it creates a rebuttable presumption that the owner knew or should have known the dog had vicious or dangerous propensities. In a jury trial, the judge may not rule the presumption rebutted as a matter of law before the verdict.
An owner is liable for any injury, death or loss the dog causes while running at large, unless the person harmed was trespassing or committing a crime on the owner's property, committing a crime against someone, or teasing, tormenting, abusing or provoking the dog.
Against someone other than the owner, the common law as it stood on April 1, 2012, applies without regard to the dog's breed.
Sources for this section (1)
- Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 3-1901 — Liability for dogs
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Maryland attorney.