Statistics
Over 1000 people go to the emergency room for dog bite injuries every day in the United States. Dog bite fatalities range from 10 to 20 people every year.
According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), a reported 4.7 million Americans are injured by dog bites each year. Not all of those bites are life threatening, as a matter of fact, only 800,000 of those involved seek medical attention for their injuries.
Over half of the 800,000 people who seek medical treatment for dog bite wounds are children. Children are the most vulnerable for injury from dog bites. The CDC found that children ages 5-9 suffered the highest rate of dog bites. Boys of this age were found to be more vulnerable than girls.
Contrary to belief, mixed breeds are more likely to bite than pure breeds, and male dogs a year old to five years in age are more likely to bite than a female of any age. Rottweilers and pit bulls are the breeds most often involved in canine-inflicted homicides.
Dog attack victims in the US suffer over $1 billion in monetary losses every year from medical, legal and insurance costs. The vast majority of dogs (77%) that inflict injury belong to the victim's family or a friend.
Contact Us for a Free Case Evaluation
You can have a meeting with one of our experienced injury attorneys today. We will review your case free of charge. If we accept your case, we are only paid if we recover compensation for you. Call us at 866-936-2599 or send us an e-mail for a free case evaluation.
Legal Considerations
If you or a loved one has been attacked by an animal, we can bring a claim under several different causes of action to recover your damages.
- Premises Liability - Owner of an animal is liable for the foreseeable danger created by the normally dangerous propensities of their dog. Wilson v. Simmons, 103 S.W.3d 211 (Mo.App.W.D. 2003)
- Common Law Negligence - "One who possesses or harbors a domestic animal that he does not know or have reason to know to be abnormally dangerous, is subject to liability for harm done by the animal, but only if, (a) he intentionally causes the animal to do the harm, or (b) he is negligent in failing to prevent the harm." Restatement Second of Torts §518 quoted in Miles v. Rich, 2011 WL 1564030 (Mo.App.E.D.)) Applies only to possessors or harborers of animals.
-
Strict Liability - Owner knows he/she has a vicious animal. Wilson v. Simmons, 103 S.W.3d 211 (Mo.App.W.D. 2003). Additional remedies set out in R.S.Mo §273.036
Damages
Dog bite victims often suffer life-long scarring and disfigurement requiring medical treatment and plastic surgery. We are dedicated to making sure our clients are compensated for their medical expenses, scarring, disfigurement, lost wages and emotional distress.
