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Duluth is a dog-friendly city, and most of the time that's a good thing. But unfortunately, not all dogs are friendly, and not all owners take the right precautions to protect their neighbors. A dog bite can happen in an instant, on a walk through your own neighborhood, at a friend's house, or even at your own front door. The injuries and trauma that follow these attacks often have life-changing consequences. Worse still, many of the victims are children.
Under Minnesota law, dog owners are always liable for the injuries their dogs cause without provocation. That doesn't mean insurance companies make it easy to get fair compensation, though. At SiebenCarey, we've represented thousands of injured Minnesotans, and we know how to cut through the pushback and get you the compensation you're owed.
Our Duluth team is ready to listen and help you find the fastest path to a fair result. Call our Duluth office at 218-722-6848 for a free, no-obligation case review.
Once you reach out, we move fast. We'll help make sure the bite gets reported to animal control, since that report becomes an official record of the dog, the owner, and what happened. We'll also help you get the medical attention and rabies or infection risk assessment you need right away.
A dog's owner will often try to shift blame onto the victim, claiming the dog was provoked or that the attack didn't happen the way you describe. We will track down the dog's vaccination and bite history, gather witness statements, and pull the animal control report as soon as it's available. If the owner disputes what happened or tries to claim you provoked the dog, this evidence is what backs up your side of the story.
Dog bites often require more than a single visit to urgent care. Treatment can stretch on for months, possibly including:
We work with your medical providers to make sure every step is properly documented and included in your claim.
Most dog bite claims are paid out through a homeowner's or renter's insurance policy. Those insurers look for any excuse to argue provocation or dispute your injuries. We handle every conversation with the insurance company and push back when they try to undervalue your claim.
Most dog bite claims settle before trial, but we prepare every case as if it's headed to court anyway. That preparation is often what convinces an insurer to offer a fair settlement instead of forcing the issue in front of a jury.
Call our Duluth office at 218-722-6848 to claim your free case evaluation.
Under Minnesota Statute 347.22, a dog's owner is always liable if their dog attacks or injures someone without provocation. You don't even have to prove the owner was careless or that the dog had bitten anyone before. All that is required is that you were acting peaceably and not trespassing when the attack happened. If those details are true, you likely have grounds for a personal injury claim.
Duluth's own city code requires dogs to be under control at all times. A dog running loose without a leash or fence counts as "at large" under the ordinance. A violation of this code would further support your case if the dog's owner let it roam free before the attack.
Minnesota animal control authorities can formally designate a dog as dangerous or potentially dangerous if it already has a history of attacks. If a dog has been designated as dangerous, the owner is required to keep the dog in a secure enclosure, muzzle it in public, and register it with the city. If the dog that bit you already carried one of these designations, that history can strengthen your case even more.
In most cases, Minnesota gives you six years from the date of the bite to file a personal injury claim. However, the sooner you reach out to an attorney, the easier it will be to build a strong case for full compensation.
Under Minnesota law, the owner is always primarily liable for unprovoked attacks. However, "owner" can cover more than just the person who bought or adopted the dog. Depending on the circumstances of your attack, more than one party could bear responsibility.
The dog's legal owner is always the primary target of a claim under Minnesota's strict liability law. As mentioned above, you don't need to prove the owner was negligent or that the dog had bitten before, only that the dog attacked you without provocation while you were somewhere you had a legal right to be.
Minnesota courts have held that someone who shelters or looks after another person's dog, even temporarily, can be treated as an owner. For example, if a homeowner lets a family member's dog stay at their house, they may share liability if that dog bites someone.
Anyone who takes responsibility for a dog may be liable if an attack happens while the dog is in their care. This could mean:
If a landlord knew that a tenant's dog was dangerous but overlooked the threat, they may be partially liable for an attack. In that case, the landlord might also be named in a lawsuit along with the owner.
Call our Duluth office at 218-722-6848 for a free case review.
A dog bite can cost you in more ways than just medical bills. Minnesota law recognizes a wide range of damages, including:
The value of your claim will depend on the severity of your injuries and how they've changed your life.
Most dog attacks trace back to a handful of patterns. Knowing those patterns can help you make sense of what happened, as well as protecting yourself from future injuries.
An owner who lets a dog roam free without a fence or leash leaves no safeguards between a dog's instincts and a stranger walking by. This is also the most common way an owner ends up in violation of Duluth's own leash and at-large ordinance.
Most aggression in dogs comes from fear rather than viciousness. A dog that feels cornered, startled, or threatened by a sudden movement or loud noise may bite defensively, even if it has never shown aggression before.
Children are bitten by dogs even more than adults, and most of those bites come from a dog the child already knows. Young children in particular often don't recognize a dog's warning signs, and behavior like pulling on ears or tails can provoke a bite even from a normally gentle dog.
Dogs that feel protective of food, toys, or their own space can bite when someone gets too close. This kind of aggression shows up most often at the dog's own home or yard, which is also where a large share of dog bites happen.
A dog with a known bite history or a formal dangerous dog designation is a much greater risk to the public. An owner who fails to take the required precautions after that history is established is inviting a second, often more serious, incident.
Call our Duluth office at 218-722-6848 anytime for a free case review.
Paul Schweiger and Tony Rubin lead our Duluth office, and both have spent their careers working on injury cases just like this across the Northland. That local perspective shows up in how quickly our team can navigate Duluth's animal control process and courts.
Strict liability sounds simple on paper, but insurance companies still fight provocation claims, dispute the severity of scarring, and drag out negotiations. Our Duluth attorneys handle these cases regularly and know how to stand up for your rights.
SiebenCarey has been representing injured Minnesotans since 1952. During that time, we have helped thousands of victims get the compensation they’re owed, even when insurance companies try to stall and minimize their payouts.
We work on contingency, so you don't pay us anything upfront. You won’t owe us any fee unless we win your case, in which case we will receive a payment of your settlement or verdict award.
If you can't make it to our office while you're healing, we'll meet you at home, at the hospital, or somewhere else that works. We will stay in communication with you during your case to keep you informed as your claim develops.
A dog attack can leave you dealing with medical bills, missed work, and an insurance company that's already looking for reasons to pay you less than you deserve. You don't have to sort through any of that on your own.
Call 218-722-6848 any time, day or night, and someone from our Duluth office will talk through what happened and what your options are, at no cost to you.
If a dog attack has disrupted your life, our Duluth team is ready to step in and take that burden off your plate. Call 218-722-6848 to reach our Duluth office directly. You can also visit us at 11 East Superior Street, Suite 430, Duluth, MN 55802. If getting to us isn't easy while you're recovering, we'll come to you instead.
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2027, 2026, 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008.
5 of our attorneys have been recognized as Attorneys of the Year
Also awarded in:
2026, 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010
Also awarded in:
2026, 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008
7 Certified Civil Trial Law Specialists, Minnesota Bar Association
3 Board Certified Trial Advocates, National Board of Trial Advocacy.
