Meyerkord & Meyerkord: St. Louis County Jury Reaches a $250,000 Verdict in Dog Bite Case

ST. LOUIS, March 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- On March 8, 2019, a jury found that the plaintiff in a dog bite case suffered $250,000 in compensatory damages due to severe injuries arising from a dog bite. The defendant in the case decided to take her dog out despite the fact that the dog had been stressed by trick or treaters coming to its door on Halloween night. The defendant's dog ultimately bit the child in the face, causing scarring and permanent disfigurement associated with "animation deformation."

Under Missouri's dog bite statute, dog owners are strictly liable for injuries caused by dog bites that were not provoked by the plaintiff. Here, the defendant argued that the plaintiff's son provoked her dog. However, after taking all relevant circumstances into account, the jury ultimately found the defendant to be 75% liable for the plaintiff's damages.

According to a study by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), there were 365,000 emergency room visits for dog bites in 2007. In extreme cases, a dog bite can lead to permanent disabilities and possibly life-threatening injuries. Particularly vicious dogs can maul their victims to the point necessitating extensive medical and surgical treatment, sometimes requiring years of physical or occupational therapy. Furthermore, dogs can carry rabies: a disease that has no known cure and can cause a very painful death in infected persons if not treated early.

The plaintiff was represented by distinguished veteran personal injury attorney Geoff Meyerkord from St. Louis-based law firm Meyerkord & Meyerkord, LLC. Mr. Meyerkord's firm practices personal injury law such as dog bite cases. To learn more about Meyerkord & Meyerkord, LLC and their practice, please visit their website at www.stlouis-personalinjury.com.

SOURCE Meyerkord & Meyerkord, LLC