What to Know About Wisconsin Dog Injury Laws

Under Wisconsin state laws, dog owners are liable if their dog attacks or causes injuries to someone. The dog owner must pay the full amount of damages caused by the dog, and the owner may face criminal penalties including fines of $50 to $500, according to Wisconsin Statutes section 174.02.

However, if the owner knew that the dog had a propensity toward violence or a history of attacks, the owner may face double fines and be required to pay twice the amount of damages. For instance, if the courts rule that your damages were $10,000, the owner may be forced to pay $20,000 if their dog had a history of violent or aggressive behavior.

If a dog bites or mauls a victim, that is a clear case of an attack. However, the owner may also be responsible if the dog simply causes an injury.

To explain, imagine a dog wraps its leash around a jogger's legs, causing the jogger to trip, fall, and hurt themselves. That can be considered an injury caused by owner negligence, even if the dog didn't attack the victim. Similarly, if a dog jumps up on someone and causes them to fall and hit their head or suffer other injuries, the owner may also be liable.

Comparative negligence comes into play with dog bite cases in this state. For instance, if the victim was attacked because they were breaking into the dog owner's home or trespassing on their property, the victim may be held responsible for some of the attack.

As a result, the victim may not be entitled to any compensation or their settlement may be reduced. Similarly, if the victim provoked the dog or caused the attack in any other way, the victim may also be partially to blame.

In Wisconsin, the laws allow for modified comparative negligence. That means that if the victim is 10 percent responsible for their injuries, for example, their award is reduced by 10 percent. However, if the victim is 51 percent or more responsible, they cannot receive any compensation.

If you are attacked or bitten by a dog, seek medical attention as soon as possible. Globally, the biggest risk when you're bitten by a dog is rabies. Luckily, that's not that common in the United States, thanks to inoculations, but unfortunately, not all people get their dogs vaccinated.

If possible, find out if the dog has been vaccinated, but don't necessarily take the owners word for it. Get treatment anyway. If you wait for symptoms to show up, the results could be fatal.

Beyond rabies, you may also face other infections. If bacteria is in the dog's mouth, on its claws, on your skin, or in the environment around you, that bacteria can get into the wound and cause an infection. In other cases, you may need treatment to stop the bleeding or to stitch up large wounds. Depending on the extent of your injuries, you may even need a skin graft or reconstructive surgery.

When you get medical treatment, establish that your injuries were caused by a dog and keep your medical records. That information can be essential if you decide to bring forward a lawsuit against the dog's owner.  

If you have been attacked by a dog or if you need help after any other type of personal injury, contact us at the Osinga Law Offices, S.C. We can start with a case evaluation and help you decide which steps to take next.