The state of Missouri has enacted laws which hold dog owners responsible for any injuries that their pets may inflict upon others. This is a strict liability law, which means that owners are responsible regardless of whether their pet has ever bitten anyone before or whether the owner lacked the knowledge that their dog might do so. If you have been bitten by a dog without provocation on public property or on the dog owner's property at his or her invitation, you may be entitled to monetary damages for your injuries. These damages may include economic damages such as medical expenses and loss of wages as well as non-economic damages, such as pain and suffering.
If you or a loved one has been injured by a dog in or around the St. Joseph area, we advise that you contact Smith Law to arrange for a consultation with a St. Joseph personal injury attorney. We can review your case in terms of personal injury law and help you move forward with an injury claim where a dog owner has been negligent.
According to DogsBite.org, a national dog bite victims' organization, 31 individuals died in 2011 due to dog attacks in this country. The majority of these victims died as a result of attacks by pit bulls. The organization has reported that pit bulls and Rottweilers are those breeds which are the most dangerous in regards to attacking people. Of those who were attacked, 58 percent were adults while the remainder (42 percent) were children, aged 11 or younger.
The American Humane Association reports that approximately 4.7 million dog bite injuries occur annually with close to 800,000 of such injuries requiring medical attention. In two-thirds of these cases, victims were attacked on or close to their own property and many of these victims knew the dog.
Contact a St. Joseph dog bite lawyer at the firm if you or a loved one has been injured in a dog attack today.