The United States Postal Service has released its annual city dog attack rankings just in time for April’s National Dog Bite Prevention Week. Fortunately, Kansas City, Missouri moved lower on the 2018 USPS list for cities where postal workers suffered the most dog attacks, but unfortunately, the city is still high on the list coming in at number 15. In 2018, 31 dogs in Kansas City, Missouri attacked letter carriers and in 2017, 32 dogs attacked letter carriers. Dog attacks coincidentally were also lower by one dog attack in Kansas City, Kansas in 2018 as well, which saw 9 letter carrier dog attacks and in 2017 there were 10.
Dog bite attorneys Kansas City MO believe that there is a significant dog attack problem in Kansas City and being in the top 15 cities with the most dog bites is evidence of that. Between KC, Missouri and KC, Kansas, there were 40 total USPS dog attacks and that number is only a fraction of the number of Kansas City dog bites that occurred in 2018 as this list only includes letter carrier victims that were attacked by dogs.
Dog bite facts
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 4.7 million dog bites occur each year and 800,000 of those bites require medical treatment. Children ages 4 – 9 suffer more dog bites than any other age group each year. Chihuahuas, Bulldogs, Pit Bulls, and German Shepherds are responsible for the most dog bites and dog attacks while Pit Bulls, Rottweilers, German Shepherds, and Bulldogs are responsible for the largest number of fatal dog attacks.
When dogs bite
Dogs frequently attack under several different circumstances including the following:
- When they feel stressed and agitated. This could be due to large crowds, strangers in the home, or sounds that frighten them such as fireworks.
- When they feel threatened, afraid, or otherwise that their safety is in jeopardy.
- When something or someone startles them.
- When they believe that someone poses a danger to their puppies or owners.
- Dogs that have been abused, neglected, or otherwise mistreated may attack under any circumstances without cause.
Kansas City dog bite law
Dog bite laws are different in different states including Kansas and Missouri. Missouri’s dog bite law makes recovery easier in some dog bite cases than in Kansas because, in Missouri, dog owners are strictly liable for injuries caused by dog bites. Kansas still follows the ‘one bite’ rule, which provides that owners are liable if it can be proven that their dog had previously bitten someone or acted like it may bite someone or if the dog owner’s negligence led to the dog bite.
Depending on the circumstances, dog bite laws can be complicated and especially when injuries and damages are significant, these cases should only be trusted to experienced dog bite attorneys. If you or a loved one has sustained injuries caused by a dog or other type of domestic animal, contact a Kansas City dog bite attorney at Mayer Rosenberg, P.C. to schedule a consultation. Our experienced dog attack attorneys will fight to see that you are fully and fairly compensated for your injuries.