Dog Bite & Attack Lawyers in St. Louis

Dog Bites Are Painful and Can Leave Permanent Scarring. See How Our Attorneys Can Help Victims Win Compensation.

A dog doesn’t need to look scary to be a threat. Though there are some breeds of dog people assume are inherently more dangerous than others, the truth is, any dog can become provoked and attack someone unexpectedly. If this has happened to you or a loved one, it’s important to know your legal rights. Aside from the initial injuries, dog attacks can leave wounds both physical and psychological. As a victim, you deserve full and fair compensation to deal with the aftereffects of an attack.

Our St. Louis law firm provides quality representation to injury victims who need help receiving remuneration. We are not afraid to take on complex cases—our team puts in the work to find every legal angle you have after an attack. If we are unable to get the at-fault party to agree to a fair settlement, we will not hesitate to move forward with a lawsuit. We have a winning record in the courtroom and 24 years of experience to draw on as we fight for you.

Call our dog bite attorneys today at (314) 500-6000. No matter when you call, day or night, your call will be answered by an attorney ready to clarify your legal rights and schedule a free consultation.

Trial Ready Attorneys Who Go the Distance

We'll Fight to Get You the Justice You Deserve

The Basics of Dog Bite Law in Missouri

When your life is disrupted by an accident caused by someone else’s negligence, you deserve the best help there is. Recovering fair compensation is essential to receiving the treatment you need so you can return to your normal life. Our St. Louis lawyers want to help you maximize your claim and fight back against insurers who don’t want to pay what your injuries are worth.

Some attorneys promise to negotiate a settlement on your behalf. We promise to fight for you. Persuading an insurer to agree on a fair payout might be an ideal outcome, but it’s far from assured. As qualified trial lawyers, we have leverage against bad settlement offers.

When we determine litigation is necessary to help you get the results you’re after, we show up prepared. There’s a reason we’ve won a majority of the trials we’ve fought. Call our attorneys today to get started on your strategy for recovery.

  • $2,000,000
    Car Crash 7 Injured

    2 deaths and multiple fractures caused in car accident. Earning a $2 million settlement.

  • $2,000,000
    Employee Gets Drunk At Company Party and Causes Horrendous Crash

    A drunk driver slams into the back of an SUV at almost 100 miles per hour. The drunk was under age but had been given free alcohol at a company party that evening. Geoff took over after the original lawyer settled the “dramshop” part of the case. A dramshop case is made against a bar that wrongfully serves alcohol to a customer. Geoff then aimed the case against the company which threw the party and settled the case right before trial for $2,000,000.00.

  • $1,800,000
    Lake of the Ozarks Boat Crash Settlement

    Our firm stood up for two boat passengers after an intoxicated driver wrecked a boat and tried to blame the passengers. Both of the passengers were thrown from their seats when the boat hit a floating concrete wave barrier called a “wave break” at night. The insurance company for the boat driver offered zero dollars until Geoff and his team prepared the case for trial. Just a few weeks before the trial the insurance company changed its mind and paid a total settlement of $1,800,000.00.

  • $1,300,000
    Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) After Fall Recovery

    Geoff Meyerkord recovered compensation for a woman who fell down steps while visiting her daughter. Our client fell after stepping through a doorway exiting a church gym which was missing a handrail. When our client stepped out of the gymnasium door, her foot hit the door stopper and she lost her balance. This case required a lawsuit when the church tried to cover-up it’s knowledge of the missing handrail and was settled for $1,300,000.00.

  • $1,000,000
    Joy-Ride Turns Fatal

    Geoff was hired to represent a 15-year-old girl who was riding in the back seat of a car driven by a 16-year-old friend. The boy who was driving borrowed his grandparent’s car and took his friends for a joy-ride on a country road near his grandparent’s farm. The driver went too fast over a hill, causing a terrible crash. Geoff was able to recover every penny of the $1,000,000.00 insurance policy at a mediation session for his client.

  • $810,000
    Major Car Accident Recovery Involving Family

    Geoff was honored to represent a father and two sons who suffered terrible leg injuries when a pick-up truck swerved into their lane and hit their Jeep. We discovered three separate insurance policies covering the claim and convinced each insurance company to pay every penny of each policy. Geoff’s team produced a compelling video to tell the story of the case, with interviews and animation and clips from the 911 calls.

  • $500,000
    Motorcycle Passenger Suffers Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) When Driver Loses Control

    After spending the afternoon in the wine country, a motorcycle driver offers to take a female friend for a ride on his bike. The driver says he is sober and our client got on the back of the motorcycle and put on his extra helmet. Soon after, our client was thrown from the bike when the driver misses a curve. The rider develops post-concussion syndrome, a terrible condition that effects 15-20% of brain injury victims. We were able to recover every penny of all insurance policies.

  • $450,000
    Hit & Run Settlement - Underinsured Motorist

    Three St. Louis County women were awarded a settlement totaling 450,000 after sustaining injuries in a hit and run. The key piece of evidence: a dash cam video submitted by a Good Samaritan and witness of the crash.

  • $312,000
    Jury Verdict for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

    As the customer was exiting the movie theater. another customer exited using the door to the right which caught the door post and flung it forward into his head. Our client suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI) and developed a terrible condition called post-concussive syndrome (PCS). The movie theatre denied they knew of the loose door post and said their customer was lying about his brain injury. The jury who heard five days of testimony returned a verdict $312,000.

  • $300,000
    Hotel Fails to Fix Pool Problem

    A grandpa takes his grandson, who is age five, to their hotel’s indoor pool. The hotel pool was built with pool tiles which are small and slick instead of tiles which are large and textured.The grandpa slips on the water and fractures his hip requiring surgery. Geoff argued that when the hotel company combined slick tiles with bad drainage the hotel guests are put at risk. After trying to settle the case out of court, Geoff had no choice but to sue the hotel company and settled the case for $300,000.00.

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The Basics of Dog Bite Law in Missouri

In Missouri, any victim of any dog attack has standing to sue the dog owner for compensation. The rights of dog bite victims have been facing consideration nationwide over the past few years; in 2009, Missouri settled on a “strict liability” rule to define victims’ rights. This means any attack is the responsibility of the dog owner—even if that person had no reason to believe their pet could be dangerous. If you were attacked while on public property or as a guest on private property, you have the right to recover damages.

Like all other premises liability cases in the state, one thing that may have an impact on your eventual recovery is the rule of comparative negligence. By law, if you had any part in causing the incident, your compensation could be reduced by the percentage of blame found to rest with you. For instance, a dog owner might claim that a victim teased their dog in a way that led it to attack, or that a child’s actions were careless and hurtful to the animal and therefore precipitated the bite. Our attorneys can begin to prepare defenses against such challenges the moment we start on your case. We want to put you in the best position to receive maximum compensation.

Recovering Compensation After a Dog Bite

Though liability in a dog bite case is typically straightforward, certain circumstances (were you bitten on rented property?) could complicate matters. Additionally, the dog owner themself might not be the person who pays your final settlement. We can help you understand the context of your claim and use all possible means to pursue the compensation you deserve.

What Damages Can I Recover?

After a dog bite, you can request compensation for all medical bills related to the attack. Depending on the seriousness of a bite, you may need multiple trips to the doctor to ensure your health. Additionally, some victims find themselves with PTSD triggered by any dog. If this sounds familiar, you might be able to ask for counseling fees to be covered as well.

Depending on the severity and location of the bite, you might also be able to receive non-economic damages. Dog attacks can leave serious and obvious scars, sometimes on the arms, hands, or even face. If this has happened, you might be able to collect damages for pain and suffering and permanent disfigurement. Our team can assess your case and determine the proper damages to request.

Many Dog Bites Are Covered by Homeowner’s or Renter’s Insurance

Before you decide it’s not worth it to pursue compensation from a dog owner, consider they may have insurance that will pay your claim in full. Making a personal injury claim of any sort against an individual may not result in the recovery an accident victim is hoping for. However, if the at-fault party is properly insured, you have a much better chance of receiving the full amount you request in your claim.

Start Your Claim with Our Dog Bite Lawyers

When arguing a dog bite case in court, you’ll need a strong representative on your side. Especially in situations where jurors may be tempted to empathize with the other party, the story you present must be complete and compelling to counteract any inclinations to downplay your struggles. With over 24 years of experience, our team can present a strong narrative that illustrates why you deserve full compensation after a dog bite.

We will put in the work ahead of time so we’re prepared for any challenges the other side might bring. Reach out to our firm today for a free consultation to learn about your legal options if you or a loved one has been bitten by a dog.

We’re available 24/7 at (314) 500-6000. Work with our experienced St. Louis dog bite attorneys today

We're Here for You

Working With Our Firm
  • We Take Cases to Trial

    At Geoff Meyerkord Law Firm, we founded our practice around our passion for getting our clients the best possible outcome. To ensure this, we often take cases to trial and won't accept unfair offers from insurance companies.

  • Day or Night, We're Here for You

    Attorney Geoff Meyerkord as well as many of our staff are available 24/7 and on weekends. We know injuries can happen at any time of day and we always get back to our clients as quickly as possible.

  • 90% of Success is Preparation

    We know that getting our clients the results they deserve requires an extensive amount of research, preparation, and critical thinking. Once we prepare our strategy, we focus group our cases to maximize results.

Your Injury. Our Priority.

Schedule a Free Consultation Today to Learn More
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