Wisconsin Dog Bite Lawyer

Wisconsin’s dog bite statute, WI Stat. § 174.02, imposes strict liability on dog owners. This means that the victim need not prove that the owner was somehow negligent. Under the statute, an owner is responsible for any injuries caused by their dog. Further, the victim can seek twice the amount of damages if (1) the bite broke the victim’s skin and caused permanent physical scarring or disfigurement, and (2) the owner knew that the dog had previously bitten a person. Wisconsin’s courts have interpreted the statute to allow dog owners to assert the defense of “comparative negligence,” which means that a victim’s recovery may be reduced to the extent that they were partly to blame for the dog bite. The court would determine the percentage of fault attributable to the victim and reduce their recovery by that amount. The victim would be unable to recover any damages if it was found that the victim was 51 percent at fault for the dog biting them (for example, if they provoked the dog immediately prior to the bite).