What are my legal options if I got bit by a dog causing me to seek medical treatment?

How bad was the bite? What breed of dog was it? You can sue the dog-owner for damages. I just settled a $400,000 lawsuit where the letter carrier was mauled by a pitt-bull.

You need to get a local attorney and start the legal process. Negotiation with the insurer of the dog owner, followed by litigation.

If a pet owner failed to keep control of their animal causing injury, there could be financial recovery by an injured party for the negligence of the pet owner. In a lawsuit you can recover medical expenses along with pain and suffering as well as an amount to compensate for any scarring. If the owner of the pet was covered by homeowners insurance, there is likely to be insurance coverage for the claim. Most attorneys will accept these cases on a contingency fee basis if there is insurance coverage which means that you will not pay an attorney fee unless there is a financial recovery. Of course, the value of any claim would be based on the severity of any damages.

Under Michigan law, the owner of a dog is responsible for all damages arising from an unprovoked dog bite. If you attempted to pet the dog or otherwise provoke it, then the owner would not necessarily be responsible. If you were on the property of the dog owner, then the owner would be responsible to you for premises liability, i.e. having an unrestrained animal on the property.

Your best option is to seek a lawsuit against the dog's owner. Injuries caused by dog bites are strict liability crimes, meaning that all you have to show is that you were bitten, the dog was unprovoked, and you suffered an injury as a result.