Dog Bite Attorneys in Minnesota Win 6-Figure Settlements

Can I Sue the Dog Owner if I Was Bitten in Minnesota?

If you or a loved one has been bitten by a dog, the owner and any additional responsible party should be held accountable. Your dog bite compensation may include amounts for hospital and other medical bills, future medical treatments, psychological counseling, loss of earnings, pain and suffering, and disfigurement. Your payout will generally come from the dog owner’s homeowner’s insurance.

Do you need a dog bite attorney in Minnesota to help you get a money settlement from the dog owner? The Pritzker Hageman legal team has helped numerous people bitten by dogs get compensation and justice. Contact our dog bite lawyers for a free consultation.

In Minnesota, you are generally entitled to receive compensation if you were attacked, although the rules and circumstances for such recovery may differ depending on where you file your lawsuit. Examples include violations of leash laws, harboring an animal with dangerous propensities, failure to maintain fences and enclosures, etc.

If You or Your Child Was Bitten by a Dog – Contact Us Today

Call us: 612-338-0202 | Text us: 612-261-0856

Our dog bite lawyers handle cases throughout Minnesota.
Consultations are 100% free and you never pay anything unless we collect money for you.

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We recently obtained a settlement in a case where a young child was bitten in the face by a dog. Our young client suffered severe disfigurement. The carelessness of the owner of this dog caused this little one severe pain and suffering, and the parents took action to get their child justice.

What if This is the First Time the Dog Bit Someone?

In Minnesota, you can also recover compensation if it is a “first offense.” The “one bite” rule no longer applies. This rule allowed a dog one act of aggression before its owner became responsible for any injuries.

You may also be able to sue people who don’t own the animal but are still responsible for the attack. For instance, a daycare center might be liable if staff allowed someone with an aggressive animal onto the property, or a landlord might be liable if he or she knew that a tenant had a dangerous dog.

A dog’s tendency to attack is based on factors such as its early experiences, socialization, and the victim’s behavior, as well as heredity. There are situations where the owner has trained the dog in such a way as to make it particularly dangerous. In such cases, the victim may make a claim for punitive damages, an amount meant to punish and/or deter behavior.

There are 300,000 animal attacks per year that require medical treatment; most of the victims are children (60%). Unfortunately, some of the injuries can be quite severe and can include:

Rabies
Lacerations
Emotional trauma
Fractures
Head injuries.

There are about 18 deaths per year. In these cases, the family can file a wrongful death suit against the owner.

Minnesota Dog Bite Lawyer: 11 Steps to Take to Protect Your Rights

Everything happens so fast in these situations. Here is a list of steps you need to take to protect your rights.

Identify the animal that bit you. If it was not tested for rabies, you may have to have some very painful rabies shots.
Get the license number.
Get the name, address and phone number of the owner and any witnesses.
See a medical professional.
Save all your records, including your insurance information. You will need them to make your claim.
Take photographs of the wounds and bloody clothes, if possible. You will need to prove that you were bitten.
Be careful as you talk to other people about your situation. Anything you say to insurance company representatives or investigators could make it harder for you to settle your claim.
Report the incident to the police. The police will investigate and make a report, which may help establish what happened.
Do not prepare any reports for insurance companies, owners or landlords. They may be looking for ways to avoid liability or reduce your claim.
Do not sign anything, particularly some kind of release form, without talking to a lawyer first.
If you were bitten at Petsmart or another place of business, you may have a claim against the company, so do not talk to employees about your case.

What if I Have an Infection?

Because dog bites can cause infections that can get into the blood (sepsis) and cause death, you need to immediately go to the doctor if it gets infected. Pritzker Hageman attorneys represented a young man who almost died from an infected dog bite. He was a contractor working in a woman’s house. As he knelt down to adjust a furnace valve, the homeowner’s small terrier nipped him right between the thumb and index finger. Because there was only a little blood from two small but deep puncture wounds, the man did not think anything of it and did not want to go to the doctor because he did not have health insurance. About three days later, a severe infection developed; he became delirious and was lucky to make it to the hospital. He nearly lost his hand.

Contact a Minnesota Dog Bite Lawyer

You can ask our dog bite attorneys about your legal rights after a dog attack and who you can sue for compensation. Our Minnesota law firm is listed in The Best Law Firms in America.

Our law firm is dog-friendly and our attorneys are dog lovers, but we all believe owners need to be held accountable for the behavior of their pets.

More Information

Our law firm helps dog bite victims throughout Minnesota: Twin Cities, Minneapolis, Rochester, St. Paul, Duluth, St. Cloud, Albert Lea, Anoka, Apple Valley, Alexandria, Austin, Baudette, Bemidji, Blaine, Brainerd, Bloomington, Coon Rapids, Detroit Lakes, Eagan, East Grand Forks, Eden Prairie, Elk River, Fergus Falls, Forest Lake, Golden Valley, Lanesboro, Lino Lakes, Little Canada, Mahnomen, Mankato, Maple Grove, Mounds View, New Ulm, Northfield, Roseau, Roseville, Shakopee, Shoreview, Stillwater, Thief River Falls, Wayzata, White Bear Lake, Woodbury.

Minnesota Dog Attacks In The News

Plymouth Father Injured in Severe Dog Bite Attack

A 52-year-old man suffered serious injuries in a dog bite attack outside his home in the 15300 block of 60th Avenue in Plymouth, Minnesota. Authorities say police were dispatched to the scene after a reported dog attack on October 8, 2024. Emil Mammadov, a father of four and professional chef, sustained severe facial and bodily wounds after being attacked by two pit bulls, who belonged to a nearby renter. Mammadov was transported to North Memorial Medical Center, where he had to undergo emergency surgery.

A family friend created a GoFundMe to help support the Mammadov family, who recently moved to Minnesota from Las Vegas after losing the majority of their belongings in an apartment fire.

According to the Plymouth Police Department, the owner of the dogs has been identified and the dogs are currently being quarantined in a secure policy facility.

Toddler Dies After Brooklyn Park Dog Bite Attack

A dog bite attack in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, resulted in the tragic death of 3-year-old Covil Allen. On July 19, 2024, Covil was attacked by two pit bull mixes in the backyard of a home where the dogs were being sold.

Despite the efforts of bystanders who used hammers and pick axes to fend off the dogs, Covil suffered critical injuries. His mother, Natasha Palacios Vegas, also suffered serious injuries in the attack.

Covil was rushed to Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC), where he sadly passed away on July 29th. Covil’s family arranged for his organs to be donated for transplant, helping save the life of another toddler. A GoFundMe was created to help support the family during this difficult time.