Liberty Dog Bite Lawyer

Liberty Dog Bite Attorney

Dog attacks aren’t just scary. They can also cause severe injuries, especially if the dog in question is large or exceptionally aggressive. If you’ve been injured by a dog, you should contact a Liberty dog bite lawyer right away. Hiring a lawyer improves your chances of getting compensated for your medical bills, lost wages, and other damages.

Trust Northland Injury Law

You deserve to work with a legal team that you can trust to treat your case with the respect it deserves. At Northland Injury Law, we treat every client like they’re the only one we have. We will take your injuries seriously, and we can help you hold the dog owner liable for the attack, no matter the breed or its size. We’re intimately familiar with dog bite laws and will happily leverage our knowledge to get a positive outcome in your case.

Why Hire a Dog Bite Lawyer?

Each year, over 4.5 million dogs bite people in the United States. The top breed responsible for severe bites is the pit bull. However, any dog can cause serious damage if it is aggressive enough. Most dog bites, regardless of breed, occur in the home, and homeowners’ insurance companies paid out $1.56 billion in liability claims in 2024 alone. If you’ve been the victim of a dog attack, you may also want to file a claim.

Before you file your dog bite claim, you should hire a dog bite lawyer to help you throughout the process. Insurance companies are notorious for offering staggeringly low payouts to those who are willing to take them without question. A Liberty dog bite attorney can negotiate with the insurance companies on your behalf to get you a larger compensation package. Lawyers can also offer legal advice and represent you in court if it becomes necessary.

Who Is Liable for My Dog Bite Injury?

If you’ve suffered a dog bite injury, the dog’s owner is liable for your medical bills and other expenses. Missouri has a set of strict laws in place governing liability. Under Missouri law, a dog owner is always responsible for the actions of their animal, even if they didn’t know that the dog was aggressive or the person being bitten was found to be partially at fault for the attack. The exception is when animals are provoked. If you provoke a dog, its owner can’t be held liable.

Possible Damages in a Dog Bite Injury Case

Getting attacked by a dog can lead to all kinds of expenses. Economic and non-economic damages typically associated with dog bite injuries can include:

• Immediate medical bills. Expenses from dog bite injuries can include bills from doctors and hospitals, such as Liberty Hospital, medication, and psychological treatment.
• Ongoing medical care. If your injury was severe, you may need ongoing care such as physical therapy or, in extreme cases, assistive care.
• Lost wages. You’ll need to take time off from work while you heal from your injuries, which will lead to lost income.
• Pain and suffering. Pain and suffering can include both physical and emotional or mental pain. Even anxiety surrounding other dogs can be considered a form of pain and suffering.
• Property damage associated with the incident. If the dog destroyed anything on your person when it attacked you, its owner is also liable for the property damage.

Does It Matter What Breed the Dog Was?

While some breeds are known to be more aggressive than others, it doesn’t matter what breed the dog was when it comes to the owner’s liability. Even a chihuahua can do substantial damage if it attacks a child. The compensation you receive will be based on the severity of your injuries, not the type of dog that inflicted them.

If you want to get the full compensation to which you are entitled, you should work with a dog bite attorney who understands dog bite laws and how to leverage them to get insurance companies to pay reasonable compensation packages.

FAQs

How Many Times Can a Dog Bite Before Being Put Down?

A dog can be put down after a single bite in Missouri. The Show-Me State has a strict liability statute and does not allow people to keep dangerous dogs. Dogs can be legally declared dangerous after one bite. If the bite was particularly egregious, animal control can seize and euthanize the dog.

Who Pays if My Dog Bites Someone?

If your dog bites someone, you have to pay for the injury victim’s medical bills, lost wages, and other damages. If you have a homeowners’ insurance policy and the attack occurred at your home, your policy might cover the payout. If your dog bites someone after being actively provoked or while they were trespassing on your property, you may not be held financially liable.

Does Missouri Have the One-Bite Rule?

Missouri does not have the one-bite rule. Instead, the state imposes strict liability standards where owners are responsible for the injuries caused by their dogs even if they don’t have a past history of aggressive behavior. What that means is that if your dog bites someone, you can be held financially liable for the attack victim’s medical bills, lost wages, and other damages.

What Happens if You Don’t Report a Dog Bite?

If you don’t report a dog bite, you could be placing yourself at risk of developing rabies and losing the ability to get compensation for the injury. Animal control also uses bite reports to track dangerous dogs and ensure public safety in Liberty, so you could also be placing other people in danger by not reporting the attack.

Your Liberty Dog Bite Lawyer

If you’re looking for a Liberty dog bite lawyer to help you determine liability for your injuries and hold the dog owner responsible, look no further. The team here at Northland Injury Law has been in practice for decades. In that time, we’ve seen numerous dog bite cases and have helped personal injury clients recover millions of dollars. We can help you, too. Contact us today to schedule your initial consultation.