A dog is supposed to be man's best friend, but sometimes they can be dangerous too. Dogs have been domesticated for centuries, but in the last several years there have been numerous reports of dogs attacking people. As a Missouri Dog Bite Lawyer, I have fought against many dog owners who were liable for my client's dog bite injuries. Not all dogs are dangerous, but it is the owner's responsibility to make sure their animal does not cause harm to another person.

The story of an 84-year-old minister in Missouri who died as a result of an animal attack recently caught my attention. Rev. John Reynolds and his son, John Reynolds Jr., owned 17 pit bulls in Callaway County. Reynolds Jr. found his father in the dog's pen severely injured from animal bites, which he later died from. When the son arrived, 16 of the dogs were loose. One dog did not leave the pen because it was also wounded from animal bites.

Rev. Reynolds loved his dogs and always insisted to his family that the pit bulls had a calm nature. He was never concerned of his safety when it came to his dogs. The Reverend's son does not believe that the pit bulls are the cause of his father's death. He believes that a pack of stray dogs or a mountain lion attacked the pit bulls and his father. Since the owner of the property died from his injuries, no charges will be filed and the dogs will remain on the property because the county can't handle that many dogs.

There are over 500,000 reports of a dog bite each year in the United States and 12 reports of dog bite fatalities. In the event of a dog bite, the owner of the dog could face a civil lawsuit because they are liable for their animal. There are many factors in dog bite cases such as if the dog was provoked, previous knowledge of the dog's aggressive behavior, or the county where the bite took place. There is a statute of limitation on dog bite cases that limits the amount of time to file a lawsuit. The statute of limitations for a dog bite is 5 years, so please call an experienced St. Louis dog bite attorney to help protect your rights as a victim. Call 888.956.2487 for a free consultation to discuss your dog bite claim.

Joshua P. Myers is the owner and President of Myers Injury Law, LLC and a founding partner of Schultz & Myers, LLC.  Based in St. Louis, Missouri, his personal injury law firm routinely handles personal injury claims for dog bites that result in personal injury or death in Missouri and Illinois. If you have been hurt or lost a loved one due to the negligence of a dog owner, please contact a personal injury attorney to learn your rights. It is always free to discuss your case and there are never any attorney's fees until we recover on your behalf.