Dog Bite
Minnesota Dog Bite Law
Minnesota has some of the most favorable legislation for people that have been bitten or attacked by dogs. According to the Minnesota Statutes Annotated, Section 347.22:
Damages, Owner Liable:
If a dog, without provocation, attacks or injures any person who is acting peaceably in any place where the person may lawfully be, the owner of the dog is liable in damages to the person so attacked or injured to the full amount of the injury sustained. The term “owner” includes any person harboring or keeping a dog but the owner shall be primarily liable. The term “dog” includes both male and female of the canine species.
This law extends beyond just dog bites and allows people injured by dogs (being knocked down by a dog for example) to seek compensation for the damages they have incurred.
Unfortunately, children are the victims of 60% of dog bite injuries. Most commonly, dog bite injuries are facial injuries leaving painful scarring. Other injuries from dog bites include:
- Rabies
- Lacerations
- Emotional Trauma
- Fractures
- Head injuries
- Death
If you have been attacked by a dog you can recover damages for:
- Medical expenses
- Disability
- Emotional distress
- Loss of earnings
- Loss of ability to earn
- Permanent Disfigurement
Damages are most often recovered from the owner of the animal however if someone other than the owner was responsible for the dog at the time of the attack, the dog harborer could also be a liable party.
Dog bites may occur as result of:
- Violation of leash laws
- Harboring a dog with dangerous tendencies
- Failure to maintain fences and enclosures
The most common defense to avoid liability for dog bite injuries is to attempt to say that the dog was provoked and attacked only as a response to aggravation.
Statute of Limitations
A claim must be filed within six years of the attack, unless the victim of the dog attack is a minor. If the victim is a minor, the plaintiff has until his/her 19th birthday or six years, whichever time period is greater, to file a claim.
The nationally recognized and experienced lawyers at Pritzker|Ruohonen represent victims of dog bites throughout Minnesota including Minneapolis, St. Paul, Duluth, St. Cloud, Rochester, Little Falls, Brainard, Bemidji, Grand Rapids, Elbow Lake, Nashua and Chisholm