Eau Claire Dog Bite Lawyer

It can. Under Wis. Stat. 174.02(1)(b), damages double when three things all line up: the current bite broke your skin and left a permanent scar or disfigurement, the same dog had previously, without provocation, bitten another person hard enough to break skin and leave a permanent scar, and the owner was notified of or otherwise knew about that prior bite. Investigating the prior bite through Eau Claire Police records, Eau Claire County Humane Association intake, prior homeowner claims, and neighbor statements is the case-building priority.

Front line bite intake inside Eau Claire city limits goes through the Eau Claire Police Department at (715) 839-4972. The city contracts with the Eau Claire County Humane Association for animal sheltering, but bite reports go through the police non-emergency line, and an animal control officer follows up. A vaccinated dog is usually quarantined at home for 10 days; an unvaccinated dog is quarantined at a veterinarian.

Yes, unless your share of fault was greater than the owner's share. Wis. Stat. 895.045 uses a 51 percent bar. Worked example: your total damages are $60,000 and a jury attributes 30 percent of the fault to you. Your fault (30 percent) is not greater than the owner's (70 percent), so you still recover, but your award is reduced by your share: $60,000 x 0.70 = $42,000. If double damages under Wis. Stat. 174.02(1)(b) apply, the underlying $60,000 becomes $120,000 and the same 30 percent reduction yields $84,000.

The strict liability rule and double damages rule under Wis. Stat. 174.02 are the same throughout the state, so the substantive law does not change. Tell your lawyer exactly where the bite happened so the claim is handled in the right county.

Cold weather cases are common in the Chippewa Valley. Dogs that usually spend the day outside are kept indoors during holiday gatherings, and children are put in close contact with unfamiliar animals in unfamiliar homes. The legal analysis is the same: Wis. Stat. 174.02 is strict liability, provocation does not include ordinary child behavior, and the homeowner or renter policy usually responds. What matters is documenting where the bite happened, whose homeowner policy covers that address (host, not necessarily the dog's owner if the dog was staying with them), and whether Pawlowski harborer liability opens a second policy.

Almost certainly yes. A service dog is still subject to Wis. Stat. 174.02 strict liability like any other privately owned dog. The narrow Wis. Stat. 174.02(4) exception only covers a dog used by a law enforcement agency that injures a crime suspect while performing law enforcement functions, so it does not apply to service animals used by university staff or students. Confirm the handler's homeowner or renter policy and, if the dog was on the job at the time of the bite, whether the university's general liability or a workers-compensation carve-out is also in play.

Possibly, and that is not always bad news. Under Pawlowski v. American Family Mut. Ins. Co., a person who "harbors" a dog by giving it lodging or refuge in their home is a statutory "owner" under Wis. Stat. 174.02, even if they are not the legal owner. From your visitor's perspective, that opens a second homeowner or renter policy (your HO-4 as well as your roommate's) that can respond to the claim. From your perspective, it is a reason to make sure your HO-4 policy is in force, does not exclude the specific breed, and carries adequate liability limits.