Cannon & Dunphy, S.C. has won more $10 million and higher awards than any other personal injury law firm in Wisconsin.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ("CDC"), every year in the United States, more than 4.7 million people are bitten by dogs. Each year, 800,000 Americans seek medical attention for dog bites; half of these are children. Of those injured, 386,000 require treatment in an emergency department and about a dozen die. The rate of dog bite-related injuries is highest for children ages 5 to 9 years, and the rate decreases as children age. Almost two thirds of injuries among children ages four years and younger are to the head or neck region. According to a well publicized report, between 1979 and 1998, two breeds accounted for 60% of all attacks that resulted in death: pit bulls and Rottweilers. See Sacks, Sinclair, Gilchrist, Golab and Lockwood, Breeds of Dogs Involved in Fatal Human Attacks in the United States Between 1979 and 1998, Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, Vol. 217 (2000)

Dog Bite and Animal Injury Laws in Wisconsin

Because all dogs, regardless of breed, are potentially dangerous Wisconsin law makes dog owners strictly liable (i.e., liable regardless of any fault) for the full amount of damages resulting from injuries that their dog causes to another person, domestic animal or property.  See Wis. Stat. § 174.02.  While this statute is commonly referred to as the "dog bite" statute, that is a misnomer.  Under this law, a dog owner is liable for any and all injuries caused by his or her dog to another person, domestic animal or property. In addition, a dog owner is liable for two times the amount of damages caused if the owner was notified or knew that his or her dog had previously injured or caused injury to a person, domestic animal or property.  Id. This is commonly referred to as "double damages."

Under Wisconsin law, an owner or keeper of any other animal must use ordinary care to restrain and control the animal so that it will not in the exercise of its natural traits and habits cause injury or damage to the person or property of another.  Thus, for example, an owner of a horse or cow must exercise due care with respect to keeping and restraining the animal, so as to prevent the animal from escaping and straying onto a highway, whereby it may cause an accident. We also handle cases involving motor vehicle accidents caused by stray horses or farm animals. Where such an accident occurs, the attorneys at Cannon & Dunphy, S.C., will pursue the animal owners and hold them accountable for their negligent failure to control their animals.

Dog attacks on persons often result in permanent disfiguring injuries, even with the advances of plastic surgery.  If you or a loved one has been injured as a result of an unprovoked attack by a dog, the attorneys at Cannon & Dunphy, S.C. can help you to recover compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, psychological trauma, and any permanent scarring or disfigurement. 

A sample of Cannon & Dunphy's previous results in Animal Injuries and Dog Bite cases: