Hawaii Dog Bite & Animal Attack Attorneys

At DearLegal, we connect you with experienced Hawaii dog bite and animal attack attorneys who understand the state’s modified one-bite framework under HRS § 663-9 and the strict county-level leash and dangerous-dog ordinances.

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Matched with a Hawaii attorney in 24 hours
30,000+ plaintiffs served nationwide

Free Hawaii animal incident case review

A Hawaii attorney will take a look. Or call 1-833-WELEGAL.

How we match your Hawaii animal incident case

When you submit a Hawaii animal incident matter, we route it through a national network of independent partner firms and put it in front of the one that fits best — based on the kind of case it is, what it is likely to involve, where it has to be handled, and who has capacity to take it on now.

Case type

A animal incident matter needs someone who handles animal incident work day to day, not a generalist. Practice area is the first filter.

Size and complexity

Some firms are built for catastrophic injury and multi-party litigation; others resolve straightforward claims quickly. We weigh what your matter is likely to involve against how each firm actually works.

Jurisdiction and licensing

Your matter is decided under Hawaii law, so it goes to an attorney licensed in Hawaii who regularly appears where your case would be heard.

Capacity and fit

Availability, conflicts of interest and language all matter. If the best-fit firm cannot take your case, we route it to the next one that can — or tell you plainly when no one in the network is the right answer.

Every partner reviews your case for free. Injury and workers’ compensation matters are handled on contingency — no fee unless you win. Other matters are quoted upfront, before you commit to anything.

Get started How DearLegal works

DearLegal provides marketing and matching services and is not a law firm. Submitting a case does not create an attorney-client relationship. Matches depend on case type, jurisdiction and firm availability.

Exhibit A

What happens with an animal incident claim in Hawaii

Day 0
It happens.
Get medical care and keep every record — photos, names, the report number. In Hawaii, what you document now is what your claim is built on.
Within 24 hours
Tell us what happened.
Two minutes on this page. A Hawaii animal incident attorney reviews it for free and, if it’s a fit, you’re matched within 24 hours.
Weeks 1–4
Your attorney builds the file.
Reports, medical records, witnesses, camera footage, insurance policies. This is the part insurers hope you skip.
Months 1–6
Demand and negotiation.
Your attorney sends a demand and negotiates with the insurer. Hawaii’s fault rule matters here — Modified comparative fault, 51% bar (HRS § 663-31) — recovery barred if you are more than 50% at fault.
Before the 2-year deadline
Suit is filed if it has to be.
Hawaii gives 2 years from the date it happened. Filing keeps your leverage; missing it ends the claim.
Resolution
Settlement or verdict.
You pay nothing along the way. The fee — typically 33% — comes only out of what’s recovered. If nothing is recovered, you owe nothing.

Statute of Limitations: 2 years
2 years from the date of the bite/attack (HRS § 657-7)
Dog-Bite Statute: HRS § 663-9
HRS § 663-9 and § 663-9.1 — modified framework with statutory negligence provisions; common-law scienter remains relevant
Comparative Fault Rule: 51%
Modified comparative fault, 51% bar (HRS § 663-31) — recovery barred if you are more than 50% at fault
Dangerous Dog Law: Local ordinance
Governed by county ordinance (e.g., Revised Ordinances of Honolulu ch. 7) — dangerous-dog classification, containment, and registration
Leash Law: County ordinance
County ordinance — Honolulu, Maui, Hawaii, and Kauai all require leashes in public; violation supports negligence per se
Typical attorney fee: 33%
33%–40% contingency — no fee unless you win

Hawaii does not apply pure strict liability for dog bites by statute. Hawaii Revised Statutes § 663-9 and § 663-9.1 impose liability on dog owners — but with negligence and reasonableness elements that are more plaintiff-friendly than a pure one-bite rule. Counties (Honolulu, Maui, Hawaii, Kauai) have detailed leash and dangerous-dog ordinances; violation supports negligence per se. Hawaii applies modified comparative fault with a 51% bar (HRS § 663-31). Most claims are paid through the dog owner’s homeowner’s or renter’s insurance. Hawaii also has an equine-activity statute (HRS § 663B). An attorney enforces § 663-9, builds the dangerous-propensity record where required, and pursues the homeowner’s carrier.

Exhibit B

When to call an animal incident attorney in Hawaii

Does any of this sound like you? Tap what applies.

Exhibit C

Animal Incident cases we take in Hawaii

Which one is closest to yours?

Domestic dog bites on owner’s property

Bites occurring when a lawful visitor is on the owner’s Hawaii property. § 663-9 framework plus common-law scienter applies.

Sound like yours? A Hawaii attorney reviews it free — no fee unless they win.

Start my free review

Exhibit D

How much do Hawaii animal incident attorneys cost?

Sample settlement statement

Hawaii · Animal Incident

Recovery$100,000

Attorney fee · 33%− $33,000

Case costs (advanced by firm)repaid at the end

To you$67,000

Due today$0

Try a different recovery$100,000

$5,000$3,000,000

Illustrative only. Your fee terms are set in a written agreement with your attorney and may include costs and expenses regardless of outcome.

Most Hawaii animal incident attorneys work on contingency: the fee is a share of what they recover, and nothing if they don’t.

Hawaii dog-bite and animal-attack attorneys typically work on a contingency-fee basis — 33% to 40% of the total recovery. With Hawaii’s modified one-bite framework and the $375,000 pain-and-suffering cap, careful damages strategy is essential. Case costs are typically advanced by the firm and deducted from the final recovery.

A good attorney walks through every number at your free consultation — before you sign anything.

Get startedTakes about two minutes. No obligation.

Exhibit E

What your Hawaii animal incident compensation can include

A Hawaii animal incident recovery is built from several parts. Tap one to see what it covers.

Medical Expenses

ER care, wound treatment, antibiotics, plastic surgery, scar revision, and future reconstruction.

DearLegal is a legal referral service, not a law firm. We connect individuals with licensed attorneys who can evaluate their case. Nothing on this page constitutes legal advice. Results vary based on individual circumstances.

Exhibit F

Hawaii animal incident questions, answered

Still unsure? Tell us what happened and a Hawaii attorney will review it for free.

Start free review

HRS § 663-9.1 modifies the common-law one-bite rule by recognizing that knowledge of a dog’s dangerous propensity can be inferred from various sources, and § 663-9 addresses owner liability for at-large dogs. County leash-law violations support negligence per se. Prior bites, complaints, and warning signs help establish dangerous propensity.

Provocation is a defense and reduces recovery under modified comparative fault. If found more than 50% at fault, you recover nothing.

Usually yes. Standard Hawaii homeowner’s policies include personal-liability coverage that typically applies to dog bites. Breed and prior-incident exclusions are common.

Renter’s insurance often covers dog bites. Hawaii landlords can be liable under common-law negligence if they had actual knowledge of the dog’s viciousness and the right to remove it.

Yes. Hawaii counties require quarantine of biting dogs (Hawaii has historically been rabies-free, so quarantine protocols differ —

Hawaii’s rabies-free status alters quarantine protocols. Under county dangerous-dog ordinances, a dog can be ordered contained, muzzled, or destroyed after a hearing.

Trespassing significantly reduces recovery under modified comparative fault and may defeat county leash-law negligence-per-se theories. Child trespassers retain stronger protection.