Holding Wisconsin Pet Owners Accountable For Dog Bites And Animal Attacks

Dog bites can be severe and even deadly. A dog attack also takes an emotional toll on victims and their families, which can last a lifetime. If a dog recently bit or attacked you or a loved one, the experienced dog bite lawyers of Lindner Law, LLC, in Milwaukee, will protect your rights. For more than 40 years, we have fought for compensation for dog bite victims. We are ready to work for you and handle every aspect of your case.

Determining Liability Is Not Always Easy

While it may seem like a dog bite case is easy to resolve, that’s not necessarily true. Insurance companies may try to blame you for provoking the dog or may make a settlement offer that is far less than what you need to cover the medical expenses, lost wages and other expenses you encounter. You may be entitled to double damages under the law if the offending dog previously bit another person, something the insurance company will never voluntarily tell you about. At Lindner Law, LLC, our attorneys know how and where to obtain records from government agencies in order to uncover prior dog bites. Also, our investigator will contact all of the surrounding neighbors to see if they have knowledge of the dog’s prior bite history.

We also have the resources to investigate every aspect of your case, including:

• Determinations as to whether there was proper restraint of the dog
• Determinations as to whether any other person may be liable for the bite (a “harborer” or “keeper” of the dog, not just the legal “owner”)
• Determining the severity of the injuries and obtaining expert plastic surgical consultations on your behalf
• Refuting insurance company arguments that you were somehow at fault for the dog biting you

We will identify and collect all evidence that supports your claim, and we will challenge any defenses that the dog owner, keeper or harborer tries to argue. For instance, we will know how to respond if the dog owner claims that you trespassed at the time of the attack or provoked the dog. We will always aggressively stand up for you.

What Are Wisconsin’s Dog Bite Laws?

In Wisconsin, the owner is strictly liable for the full amount of damages caused by the dog, subject to the defense of comparative negligence. However, Wisconsin law also recognizes that children under the age of seven are incapable of being guilty of negligence. For those children, the fact that the dog may have been teased or provoked is not a defense.

Wisconsin law states that if the owner knew that the animal had attacked or injured a person in a previous incident to the extent that it left a permanent scar or disfigurement, then the owner is liable for two times the full damages. Further, the law provides statutory penalties up to $500 if the owner had no prior notice of the dog causing previous injury and up to $1,000 if the owner had notice. Dog owners need to be vigilant in order to avoid the damage they can inflict, especially to children. Families need to know that sometimes the family pet can do serious harm.