Dog Bite or Knockdown FAQs

Connecticut General Statute Section 22-357 is the statute that allows a person who has been seriously injured by some action of a dog to make a claim for damages.

Here is the complete text of Connecticut General Statute Section 22-357, which is also commonly known as the Dog Bite Statute:

"If any dog does any damage to either the body or property of any person, the owner or keeper, or, if the owner or keeper is a minor, the parent or guardian of such minor, shall be liable for such damage, except when such damage has been occasioned to the body or property of a person who, at the time such damage was sustained, was committing a trespass or other tort, or was teasing, tormenting or abusing such dog. If a minor, on whose behalf an action under this section is brought, was under seven years of age at the time the damage was done, it shall be presumed that such minor was not committing a trespass or other tort, or teasing, tormenting or abusing such dog, and the burden of proof thereof shall be upon the defendant in such action."

At Advocates Law Firm, we have been prosecuting serious injury and wrongful death claims since 1983. Since that time, we have handled thousands injury and malpractice claims and recovered millions of dollars for our clients.

The lawyers and legal assistants in our Connecticut Dog Bite Lawyer Group are all experienced and trained professionals with significant experience in prosecuting claims for injury caused by dog bite or dog knockdown. Our firm has earned the highest rating possible from other lawyers for both Legal Ability and Professional Ethics. In short, we have the experience and know-how to help you and your family get the compensation you need and deserve for your injuries and losses.

Our Connecticut Dog Bite Lawyer Group is lead by Attorney Ron Murphy, who is one of the few Board Certified Civil Trial Advocates in Connecticut and Massachusetts. Ron has been licensed to practice law in Connecticut since 1983 and Massachusetts since 1985. Ron has also been trained Accident Reconstruction and is a former certified Emergency Medical Technician. Ron is also an Adjunct Instructor of Law at the University of Connecticut School of Law, where he currently teaches Trial Advocacy (and where he previously taught Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility). Ron is also: one of the Staff Instructors at the Gerry Spence Trial Lawyers College, where he teaches lawyers around the country how to get the maximum recovery for injured clients; an Elected Member of the Board of Governors for the Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association (CTLA), the State's only organization of trial lawyers dedicated to representing the interests of people injured by accident or malpractice; one of the Staff Instructors at the Connecticut Bar Association's Trial Advocacy Institute; a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum (where membership is limited to attorneys who have won million and multimillion dollar verdicts and settlements for clients); a designated "SuperLawyer" (an honor limited to no more that 5% of the lawyers in any state) as chosen by his peers through a poll conducted by the national publication "Law and Politics"; a member of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America; and a member of the Massachusetts Academy of Trial Attorneys. As you can see, Atty. Ron Murphy has the experience and background to successfully handle any serious injury claim involving an attack or knockdown by a dog. But Ron does not work alone. Continue reading to learn about some of the other members of our Connecticut Dog Bite Law Group.

In addition to our lawyers, our Connecticut Dog Bite Lawyer Group also has the help and support of three trained and experienced Legal Assistants: Kelly Peasley, Ellen Roche, and Joanna Carrasquillo. Kelly, Ellen, and Joanna assist the lawyer prosecuting your claim by: ordering your medical records and bills (and following up on those orders), organizing those medical records and bills, obtaining police accident reports and photographs, monitoring your medical treatment so we always have the most up-to-date records, organizing pleadings filed in your case, scheduling depositions and other events related to your claim, fielding telephone calls related to your case and forwarding them to our attorneys if they can't answer the question, etc. In short, Kelly, Ellen, and Joanna work closely with both you and the lawyer assigned to your case to assure that your claim is prosecuted efficiently and professionally.

If you or a loved one has suffered a serious injury or loss caused by a dog, please contact our Connecticut Dog Bite Law Group to arrange a free and confidential consultation.

"Venue" refers to where your Connecticut dog bite or dog knockdown injury lawsuit should be filed. If a motor vehicle accident lawsuit is filed in the wrong Connecticut courthouse, it could be transferred or dismissed.

The proper venue for a Connecticut lawsuit seeking money damages for serious injury arising from an accident involving a dog bite or dog knockdown depends on one of three criteria: (1) where the injured party resides; (2) where the the owner or keeper of the dog resides; or (3) where the dog bite or dog knockdown occurred if neither party resides in Connecticut.

According to Connecticut General Statutes Section 51-344 (1), the courthouse for the Judicial District of Ansonia - Milford (located at 14 West River Street, Milford 06460) would be the proper venue for your dog bite claim if the above criteria are met for any of the following Connecticut towns: Ansonia, Beacon Falls, Derby, Milford, Orange, Oxford, Seymour, Shelton and West Haven.

In addition, even though the following towns are not located in the Judicial District of Ansonia-Milford, we can choose to file a dog bite claim there if you or the owner or keeper live in any of the following Connecticut towns: Bethany, Milford, West Haven, Woodbury; or Southbury. See Connecticut General Statutes Section 51-345 (c) and (d).

Whenever we have a choice, the lawyers in our Dog Bite Law Group will file your Connecticut dog bite claim in the courthouse that we believe would be best for you based on our judgment and experience.