Salt Lake City · Dog Bite Guide
Utah holds a dog owner strictly liable for a bite, so the harder question is usually whether an insurance policy will actually pay, not whether you have a case. We compared three dog bite attorneys in Salt Lake City on Utah State Bar records, the case types they actually handle, published fee terms and verified client reviews, and set out who each one suits and where each falls short.
DJA Editorial · Legal Directory Research
Checked against state bar licensee records, court sources and public review platforms · Last updated September 2026
The short answer
Three firms, each built for a different kind of Salt Lake City bite case. This is a shortlist rather than a ranking, and the firm in the top slot does not carry the largest review base of the three.
1
Waddoups Law Personal Injury AttorneysFeatured
Best for a bite case built directly on the strict liability statute
2
Craig Swapp & Associates
Best for a claim that may need offices across Utah and neighboring states
3
Acadia Law Group
Best for direct access to the firm’s owner in a Spanish speaking household
At a glance: Dog Bite Attorneys in Salt Lake City, compared
| Firm |
Best for |
Focus |
Bar record |
Fees |
Rating |
| Waddoups Law Personal Injury Attorneys |
Best for a bite case built directly on the strict liability statute |
Dog bite and catastrophic personal injury |
Riley T. Waddoups, Utah |
Contingency, no fee unless they win |
5.0 · 111 Birdeye aggregated reviews |
| Craig Swapp & Associates |
Best for a claim that may need offices across Utah and neighboring states |
High volume, multi state personal injury including dog bites |
Craig Swapp, Utah 1991 |
Contingency, no fee unless they win |
4.9 · 367 TrustAnalytica, Salt Lake City listing |
| Acadia Law Group |
Best for direct access to the firm’s owner in a Spanish speaking household |
Dog bite, personal injury and insurance claims |
Kenneth Denos, Utah 1998 |
Contingency, no fee unless they win |
4.4 · 194 Birdeye |
Dog Bite in Salt Lake City: the local picture
$58,545
What a dog bite claim is actually worth paying
The average dog bite insurance claim nationally cost $58,545 in 2023. That figure only gets paid if a policy covers it: homeowners and renters insurance typically pays dog bite liability up to the policy limit, usually $100,000 to $300,000, but many Utah insurers exclude or refuse coverage for breeds on their restricted list. None of the three firms below publishes its contingency percentage, so ask for both the pre-suit and post-filing rate before signing.
4 years
The rule that decides the case, and the deadline
Utah Code 18-1-1 makes a dog owner liable for a bite regardless of whether the dog ever showed aggression before or the owner knew it could bite. The two exceptions: a trespasser bitten by a dog reasonably secured on enclosed private property, and a victim who provoked the dog. The claim itself must be filed within four years of the bite under Utah Code 78B-2-307, or the clock does not start until a minor turns 18.
$20,000
Where you may not need a lawyer at all
Utah small claims handles disputes up to $20,000 through 2029 with no attorney required. Filing in district court above that costs $375, waived for filers on SNAP, Medicaid, SSI or TANF, or at or below 150% of the federal poverty line, using a Motion to Waive Fees. The Utah State Bar’s Modest Means program also refers qualifying callers to attorneys charging $50 to $75 an hour for a $25 administration fee.
What clients in Salt Lake City say: Reading the visible reviews across these three, clients talk less about the bite itself and more about who called them back. Waddoups and Acadia reviewers name the attorney or a specific staff member directly and describe frequent updates. Craig Swapp’s synthesized review data leans on the same themes at company scale rather than an individual voice. None of the three has a publicly visible negative review on the platforms checked this run, which is itself worth noting rather than assuming: a curated review page is not the same as a full record, so read a firm’s live listing yourself before you decide.
How we chose these Dog Bite Attorneys in Salt Lake City
We looked at firms handling dog bite claims for Salt Lake City residents, then compared them on things you can check yourself: bar admission and standing for the named attorney, the case types the firm actually lists rather than the ones it advertises, whether it publishes fee terms, the office it staffs closest to Salt Lake City, and the visible client reviews on public platforms.
Firm details come from each firm’s own site, cross checked against Google Business Profile listings, third party attorney directories and public court, statute and news sources. The Utah State Bar’s own licensee search blocked automated access during this update, so every bar number and admission year below comes from a secondary directory and is flagged for the user to re-confirm at utahbar.org before publishing. No case result or recovery total appears here unless the firm publishes it itself, in which case it is labelled as the firm’s own figure.
1. Waddoups Law Personal Injury AttorneysFeatured
Best for a bite case built directly on the strict liability statute
★★★★★ 5.0 / 5 · Birdeye aggregated reviews · 111 reviews
The pick with the deepest personal injury history of the three. George T. Waddoups has practiced in Utah since the early 1980s, and his own dog bite page states the strict liability rule in the same terms as the statute itself: an owner is liable regardless of the dog’s history. If you are looking for a dog bite lawyer in Salt Lake City who leads with the law rather than a general accident practice, this firm’s own page is built for exactly that claim.
Identity and footprint
Office623 East Fort Union Blvd, Suite 108, Midvale, UT 84047
Location noteThe office sits in Midvale, a few miles south of downtown Salt Lake City. The firm’s own page title covers both cities rather than a downtown Salt Lake address.
Phone(801) 212-9992, also listed as (801) 212-9211
Named attorneysGeorge T. Waddoups, Riley T. Waddoups, Michelle K. Waddoups, Geri C. Kelley
Practice and scope
Core workDog bites and broader personal injury, including car, truck, motorcycle, slip and fall and wrongful death
Dog bite contentThe firm’s own page states the four year filing deadline and the strict liability standard in terms that match Utah Code 18-1-1 and 78B-2-307
BackgroundGeorge T. Waddoups has practiced personal injury law in Utah since the early 1980s
Published resultsThe firm states it has recovered over $300 million for clients. This is the firm’s own figure and cannot be checked independently.
Credentials and licensing
George T. WaddoupsUtah bar number 3965, admitted Utah 1983 per a Distinguished Justice Advocates directory listing
Riley T. WaddoupsUtah bar number 12267 per Justia, admitted approximately 2008 per Avvo
Public disciplineA third party directory lists no misconduct found for Riley T. Waddoups. This is not the same as a state bar record and has not been independently confirmed.
RecognitionFirm and directory profiles list Super Lawyers recognition and a Distinguished Justice Advocates listing for George T. Waddoups
Fees and consultation
StructureContingency, advertised as no fee unless they win
ConsultationFree case review, advertised 24 hours a day
What clients say
✓ Riley named personally by reviewers
✓ George’s team praised for compassion
✓ Fast first response
· No negative reviews visible on this platform
Reviewers on the Birdeye listing describe Riley Waddoups as professional and genuinely engaged, several crediting him and a named paralegal with clear, frequent updates. One reviewer thanks George Waddoups and his team for handling the case with compassion while she focused on recovering. At 111 reviews and a perfect visible score, read a couple of the individual entries yourself rather than trusting the average alone.
Why they fit Salt Lake City: The strongest fit if you want a firm whose own dog bite page already states the strict liability rule and the filing deadline the way the statute does, backed by George Waddoups’ decades in Utah personal injury work. The honest caveat: the office itself sits in Midvale rather than downtown Salt Lake City, neither named attorney’s bar record could be confirmed on the official state bar site this run, and the firm’s $300 million recovered figure is its own unverified claim. Ask which attorney would actually handle your file and where they are based.
2. Craig Swapp & Associates
Best for a claim that may need offices across Utah and neighboring states
★★★★½ 4.9 / 5 · TrustAnalytica, Salt Lake City listing · 367 reviews
The largest footprint of the three by a wide margin, with a Salt Lake City office plus branches across Utah, Idaho, Washington, Montana, Wyoming, Oregon and Colorado. Founded by Craig Swapp in 1991, the firm publishes its own dog bite settlement data and statistics pages rather than a single generic injury page, which suggests the practice area gets real attention rather than a placeholder. If you are searching for a dog bite attorney in Salt Lake City but might later move or need a firm active in more than one state, that reach is the differentiator here.
Identity and footprint
Salt Lake City office222 South Main Street, Suite 500, Salt Lake City, UT 84101, by appointment only
Phone(801) 405-3273 for the Salt Lake office, (800) 404-9000 main line
Founded1991, by J. Craig Swapp
Other officesSandy headquarters plus Provo, Ogden, Logan, West Valley, and branches in Idaho, Washington, Montana, Wyoming, Oregon and Colorado
Practice and scope
Core workCar, truck and motorcycle accidents, dog bites, product liability, medical malpractice and premises liability
Dog bite contentThe firm publishes a standalone dog bite page plus separate posts on average Utah dog bite settlements and statistics
Link noteThe money page supplied for this entry is the firm’s general homepage, not its own Utah dog bite page. Confirm this is the intended landing page before publishing.
Mass tort workAlso handles asbestos, Camp Lejeune, e-cigarette, baby formula and paraquat product claims, which is broader than the other two firms on this list
Credentials and licensing
Craig SwappUtah bar number 06042, admitted Utah 1991, also licensed in Idaho, Washington and Colorado
Law schoolUniversity of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law, JD 1991
Public recordThe firm agreed to pay $950,000 in 2020 to settle a federal class action in Washington alleging it purchased crash reports and used them to solicit roughly 30,000 drivers without consent. The settlement resolved the case without a finding that the firm violated the law.
Professional associationsFormer Utah Association for Justice Board of Governors member; also active in the Washington and Idaho Associations for Justice
Fees and consultation
StructureContingency, described as nothing owed until they win
ConsultationFree, available by phone or online form
What clients say
✓ Communication praised at company scale
✓ Personalized service despite firm size
· Individual reviewers rarely named in available data
· No negative reviews visible on this platform
The Salt Lake City listing runs to 367 reviews, the largest volume of the three, with recurring language about attorneys and support staff being responsive and thorough. The available data reads as an aggregated summary rather than individually attributed accounts, so it is worth reading a handful of the underlying reviews directly to see whether that holds for the Salt Lake office specifically rather than the brand overall.
Why they fit Salt Lake City: The right call if the size and reach of the firm matters to you, whether that is because the case may cross state lines or because you want a firm with a specific track record of publishing Utah dog bite data rather than a copied page. The trade off: the Salt Lake City office is appointment only rather than a full walk-in location, the money page supplied for this entry is the firm’s homepage rather than a dog bite specific page, and the firm settled a federal class action in 2020 over how it obtained and used accident report data to reach potential clients. Ask directly which attorney in the Salt Lake office would handle a dog bite claim.
3. Acadia Law Group
Best for direct access to the firm’s owner in a Spanish speaking household
★★★★½ 4.4 / 5 · Birdeye · 194 reviews
The smallest and most owner led practice on this list. Kenneth Denos founded the firm in 1999 and has practiced in Utah since 1998, and the site positions him as the attorney a caller actually reaches rather than a department. The firm operates in English and Spanish. For anyone who wants a Utah dog bite attorney willing to work the file personally rather than hand it to a large team, this is the practice built that way, with the trade off that there is only one named attorney to do it.
Identity and footprint
Office11650 South State Street, Suite 240, Draper, UT 84020
Location noteDraper sits roughly 20 minutes south of downtown Salt Lake City. No separate Salt Lake City office is listed.
Phone385-526-2542 for new clients, 801-816-2525 for existing clients, answered 24 hours
Founded1999, per BBB
Named attorneyKenneth Denos, founder and owner
Practice and scope
Core workPersonal injury including car accidents, semi truck and commercial accidents, dog bites, slip and fall, rideshare accidents and wrongful death
Dog bite standard as statedThe firm’s own page frames owner liability around whether the owner “knew or should have known” the dog was dangerous. Utah Code 18-1-1 actually imposes liability regardless of prior knowledge, with narrower trespass and provocation exceptions, so the firm’s own description reads more conservatively than the statute.
Damages describedMedical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and counseling costs
Credentials and licensing
Kenneth DenosUtah bar number 7848, admitted 1998
Law schoolUniversity of Utah, JD, plus an MBA and a finance and political science background
BBB statusNot BBB accredited and not currently rated
Firm structureOne named attorney; the practice does not list associate attorneys
Fees and consultation
StructureContingency, advertised as no fees until they win
ConsultationFree case review, phone answered 24 hours
What clients say
✓ Reviewers name attentiveness and patience
✓ Praised for explaining insurance and process clearly
✓ Free consultation called out repeatedly
· No negative reviews visible on this platform
Named reviewers on the Birdeye listing, including Ron Davis, Angel Soto, Carla Sanchez, Irene Alvarez and Julie Serrato, describe a firm that explains the insurance side of a claim clearly and keeps clients updated without added cost for questions. The tone across the visible reviews is consistent, though at 194 reviews for a one attorney practice it is worth asking who on staff actually handles day to day contact.
Why they fit Salt Lake City: The clearest fit if you want the owner of the firm on your file directly and need the process handled in Spanish as easily as English. The honest caveat: there is no Salt Lake City office, Draper is a real drive away, this is a one attorney practice with no listed associates to share the workload, and the firm’s own dog bite page describes owner liability in more conservative terms than the strict liability statute actually requires. Ask directly whether Kenneth Denos or another team member would handle your file day to day.
What to check before hiring a Dog Bite Attorney in Salt Lake City
✓ Look up the bar record yourself before you call
The Utah State Bar runs a free licensee search at utahbar.org showing bar number, admission date, current status and any public discipline. Search the individual attorney who will handle your file, not just the firm name. We could not crawl that search this run, so treat every bar number in this guide as a starting point, not a confirmed record.
✓ Report the bite within 24 hours
Salt Lake City ordinance 8.04.230 requires the dog’s owner, the person bitten, and any medical provider who treats the bite to report it to Animal Services or the Salt Lake County Health Department within 24 hours. That report becomes part of the record an attorney or insurer will ask for later, so file it even if you have not decided whether to pursue a claim.
✓ Ask whether the dog’s breed is excluded from the owner’s policy
Homeowners and renters insurance in Utah typically pays a dog bite claim up to the policy limit, often $100,000 to $300,000, but many insurers exclude specific breeds from coverage entirely. If the dog is excluded, the individual owner is personally on the hook rather than an insurer, which changes whether the claim is worth pursuing and against whom.
✓ Get both fee percentages in writing
Utah Rule of Professional Conduct 1.5(c) requires a contingency agreement to be in writing and to state the percentage. Ask for the pre-suit rate and the post-filing rate, and whether the fee is calculated on the gross settlement or after case costs come out.
✓ Know the two exceptions to strict liability
Utah Code 18-1-1 holds an owner liable for a bite regardless of the dog’s history, with two exceptions: a trespasser bitten by a dog reasonably secured on enclosed private property, and a victim who provoked the dog. If either might apply to your situation, raise it at the first call rather than after the fact.
✓ Do not let the four year deadline slide
Most Utah dog bite claims must be filed within four years of the bite under Utah Code 78B-2-307. For a minor, that four year clock does not start until they turn 18. Waiting still costs you regardless of the deadline, since witnesses move and the dog’s own history can become harder to document.
Dog Bite Attorneys in Salt Lake City: frequently asked questions
How much does a dog bite attorney cost in Salt Lake City?
Nothing upfront. Utah injury attorneys work on contingency and the state does not cap the percentage under Rule of Professional Conduct 1.5(c). None of the three firms on this page publishes its rate, so ask for the pre-suit and post-filing percentages and the cost policy in writing before you sign.
Does Utah require proof the owner knew the dog was dangerous?
No. Utah Code 18-1-1 makes an owner liable for a bite regardless of whether the dog showed prior aggression or the owner knew about it. The two exceptions are a trespasser bitten by a dog reasonably secured on enclosed private property, and a victim who provoked the dog.
How long do I have to file a dog bite claim in Utah?
Four years from the date of the bite for an adult, under Utah Code 78B-2-307. For a minor, the four year period does not begin until they turn 18. Filing the required 24 hour bite report with Salt Lake City Animal Services or the county health department is separate from that deadline and should happen immediately regardless.
Will homeowners or renters insurance actually pay a dog bite claim?
Usually, up to the policy limit, commonly $100,000 to $300,000. The complication is breed exclusions: many Utah insurers refuse to cover specific breeds, and an excluded dog leaves the individual owner personally responsible rather than an insurer. Ask early whether the dog was covered under the owner’s policy.
What if I was bitten while trespassing or after teasing the dog?
Those are the two statutory exceptions to Utah’s strict liability rule. An owner is not liable for a bite to a trespasser if the dog was reasonably secured on enclosed private property, and provoking the dog through teasing or aggression can also defeat a claim. Accidental contact, like stepping on a dog’s tail, generally does not count as provocation.
Is my dog bite claim too small to need a lawyer?
Possibly. Utah small claims handles disputes up to $20,000 through the end of 2029 with no attorney required. On a claim with modest medical bills and clear liability, a contingency fee may cost more than representation adds. Filing in district court above that costs $375, waived for filers who qualify on income or benefits, and the Utah State Bar’s Modest Means program refers qualifying callers to attorneys at $50 to $75 an hour.
DJA Editorial
Legal Directory Research
Compiles Distinguished Justice Advocates city guides from state bar and directory records, court and statute sources, and publicly visible client reviews. Firms appear as a shortlist rather than a ranking. Figures a firm publishes about itself are labelled as such, and anything that could not be verified is flagged on the page rather than estimated.
