Strict Liability Beyond Just Bites in Minnesota

By the FigureMyTax Editorial Team · How we calculate

Minnesota has no one-bite rule, and its statute isn't limited to bites. A dog that attacks or injures you is enough.

The wording

Minn. Stat. 347.22 says that if a dog, without provocation, attacks or injures any person acting peaceably in any place where the person may lawfully be, the owner is liable in damages to the full amount of the injury sustained. There is no mention of a prior bite, the dog's temperament, or what the owner knew.

Care and knowledge are irrelevant

Because liability is strict, it makes no difference that the owner used reasonable care, and past good behavior of the dog is also immaterial. The injured person doesn't have to prove negligence.

Attacks and injuries, not only bites

Some states' statutes apply only when a dog bites. Minnesota's wording, "attacks or injures," reaches a dog that knocks someone down, jumps on them or chases them into an injury, as long as the other conditions are met: no provocation, and the person was acting peaceably in a lawful place.

Negligence stays available

A common-law negligence claim doesn't require proving the dog's viciousness or the owner's knowledge. That route can matter against someone who isn't an owner, harborer or keeper, such as a landlord, though it faces its own hurdles.

This is general information, not legal advice. Which theory applies, and how strong your evidence is under it, depends on the specific facts. Confirm your situation with a licensed Minnesota attorney.