Missouri law does not require a person bitten by a dog to prove that the animal had attacked someone before. When an unprovoked bite occurs while the injured person is on public property or lawfully on private property, Missouri’s dog bite statute can impose liability regardless of whether the owner previously knew the dog was aggressive.
For people injured in St. Louis, Missouri, that distinction can affect how a claim is evaluated from the beginning. The personal injury attorneys at Brown & Brown Attorneys at Law represent clients dealing with serious physical and financial losses after accidents and attacks. Founding Partner Dan Brown has handled several thousand personal injury and workers’ compensation matters since 1993. Earlier in his career, he tried more than 100 cases while working for the prosecuting attorneys’ office in Chicago.
How Does Missouri Dog Bite Liability Work?
Under Missouri Revised Statute 273.036 (opens in new tab), an owner or possessor can be strictly liable when a dog bites someone without provocation while that person is on public property or lawfully on private property.
The law applies regardless of the dog’s former viciousness or the owner’s prior knowledge of aggressive behavior. That means Missouri generally does not use a traditional “one-bite rule” when the requirements of the statute are met.
Provocation still matters. Missouri law also allows damages to be reduced when the injured person shares fault for the incident.
Can Someone Other Than the Dog Owner Be Responsible?
Dog bite cases sometimes raise questions about other people or entities connected to the animal or property. A landlord, property owner, keeper, or another person who exercised control over the dog may need to be considered.
That does not mean a landlord is automatically responsible simply because an attack happened at a rental property. The facts surrounding control, knowledge, ownership, and the location of the attack matter. Our page about landlord liability for dog bites discusses these issues in greater detail.
Brown & Brown also maintains information about Missouri’s dangerous and vicious dog statute for cases involving aggressive animals and prior incidents.
Dog Attacks Can Cause Physical and Emotional Injuries
A serious dog bite may lead to:
- Deep cuts and puncture wounds
- Torn tissue
- Nerve damage
- Infection
- Scarring or disfigurement
- Fractures
- Loss of function
Some people also struggle with fear, anxiety, sleep problems, or other emotional effects after an attack. Children can be especially affected when an injury causes visible scarring or a lasting fear of animals. Our article about the psychological effects of dog attacks discusses this side of recovery in more depth.
Fatal attacks may also raise questions about a wrongful death claim for qualifying family members.
What Should You Do After a Dog Bite?
Move to a safe place and seek medical attention. Even a wound that appears limited at first may need professional care.
When circumstances allow, it can also be useful to:
- Identify the dog and its owner or handler
- Report the incident to the appropriate local authority
- Photograph the wounds as they heal
- Take pictures of the location
- Obtain witness contact information
- Keep medical bills and treatment records
- Save damaged clothing
Be cautious about resolving the matter with an insurance company before you know the extent of the injury and whether additional treatment may be needed.
Why Choose Brown & Brown for a Dog Bite Claim in St. Louis?
Dog bite claims require an understanding of the law that applies now, not outdated assumptions about whether a dog had previously shown aggression. Brown & Brown can examine the circumstances under Missouri’s current statute, identify the people and insurance policies that may be involved, and document how the attack affected the injured person.
Dan Brown brings decades of personal injury experience along with substantial courtroom experience from earlier in his legal career. That background gives our firm practical perspective when liability, the severity of an injury, or the amount of compensation becomes disputed.
Related Brown & Brown Personal Injury Results
Brown & Brown’s published results include a $500,000 settlement for a client who suffered severe lacerations, a closed head injury, and multiple fractures. The firm also reports a $170,000 premises-liability recovery involving a broken leg.
These examples come from other types of personal injury matters and are not dog-bite-specific case results.
Previous results do not guarantee future case outcomes. However, they show the results Brown & Brown has been able to obtain for clients. The circumstances and damages in every case are different.
Talk With a St. Louis Dog Bite Attorney
The circumstances immediately before a dog bite can matter just as much as the severity of the wound itself. Call Brown & Brown Attorneys at Law at (314) 333-3333 for a free case review in St. Louis, MO, or contact us online. We can review what occurred and explain how Missouri law may apply to your situation.
