Kirkwood Dog Bite Attorney

Dog attacks can happen suddenly and without warning, leaving victims with severe physical and emotional injuries. Whether you were bitten by a neighbor’s pet, attacked by a stray dog, or injured by an animal in a public space, you deserve compensation for your injuries.

Missouri law provides strong protection for dog bite victims through strict liability statutes that hold dog owners accountable for injuries their animals cause. However, insurance companies and dog owners often dispute liability, minimize the severity of injuries, or claim that victims provoked the attack to avoid paying fair compensation. You need an experienced Kirkwood dog bite attorney to protect your rights and fight for maximum recovery.

At Miller & Hine, our Kirkwood dog bite lawyers have extensive experience protecting injury victims and helping them obtain the justice they deserve. Call (314) 413-2053 or complete the short form on our contact page to schedule a free consultation to discuss your Kirkwood dog bite claim.

Why Choose Miller & Hine to Handle Your Dog Bite Claim

• We have a proven track record of recovering the maximum possible compensation for our injury clients.
• We handle dog bite claims on a contingency fee basis, so you pay nothing until we secure compensation for you.
• Our compassionate Kirkwood dog bite attorneys understand that dog bites cause more than just physical injuries, and we will fight to recover the full value of your economic and non-economic damages.
• We are available to take your call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, when you need us most.

Missouri’s Dog Bite Strict Liability Laws

Missouri Revised Statutes section 273.036 establishes strict liability for dog bites. This means dog owners are held liable for injuries caused by their dog biting someone. To recover compensation under the strict liability statute, a dog bite victim only needs to prove that the dog bit them without provocation, they were on public property or lawfully on private property at the time of the attack, and they suffered damages as a result of the dog bite.

While Missouri’s strict liability statute applies specifically to bite injuries, victims can also pursue negligence claims for other dog-related injuries, such as being knocked down, scratched, or chased. Negligent claims require proving that the dog owner failed to exercise reasonable care in controlling their animals, which led to your injuries.

Missouri’s pure comparative fault model allows injury victims to recover damages even if they share some responsibility for the incident that caused their injuries. However, your compensation will be reduced by the percentage of fault assigned to you.

Insurance companies and defense attorneys often try to shift blame to you by claiming you provoked the dog or were trespassing at the time of the attack. Our attorneys counter these defense tactics with thorough investigation and by gathering strong evidence to prove the owner’s liability.

Common Dog Bite Injuries

Dog attacks can cause devastating physical and emotional injuries. The severity of injuries often depends on the size and breed of the dog, the location of the bite, and the victim’s age and physical condition.

Dog bites often cause puncture wounds and lacerations requiring stitches or surgical repair, bacterial infections, broken bones from the force of bites or from being knocked down, nerve damage, severe scarring, and permanent disfigurement.

Beyond physical injuries, dog attacks often produce lasting psychological effects, including post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and panic attacks when encountering dogs, nightmares and sleep disturbances, and fear of leaving home or visiting places where dogs might be present.

Why You Need a Kirkwood Dog Bite Attorney

While Missouri’s strict liability statute simplifies light injury cases, insurance companies still dispute claims by alleging provocation, trespassing, or shared fault. A Kirkwood dog bite attorney can gather evidence to build your strongest case and establish clear liability.

They can accurately value your economic and non-economic damages and negotiate to reach a fair settlement of your claim as quickly as possible. If a fair settlement is not reached, your attorney can take your case to trial to recover the compensation you deserve.

Your chances of securing the maximum compensation possible for your damages are much higher if an experienced Kirkwood dog bite attorney represents you.

Contact Miller & Hine Today

If you have been injured in a dog bite or attack, we want to help you recover the compensation you deserve. Our Kirkwood dog bite attorneys have the experience, skills, and resources to help you obtain Justice and the full value of your damages.

Call (314) 413-2053 or visit our contact page and schedule a free consultation to discuss your dog bite claim.