A 300-pound chimpanzee that escaped from its cage and ran amok made headlines recently in Kansas City. Had the chimpanzee injured someone, that person would have undoubtedly had a personal injury case under Kansas City's leash laws. Yes, in Kansas City you are required to keep your chimpanzee on a leash, or at least in its cage.
Section 14-31(b) of the Kansas City municipal code states, "No person shall own, keep or harbor any dog or other animal that is not securely confined, which by attempting to bite, jump upon, charge toward or otherwise threaten any other person shall cause such other person to have a reasonable fear of immediate serious physical injury." Undoubtedly a 300-pound chimpanzee qualifies under this section had it attacked someone. If that happened, the injured person would be entitled to compensation for the chimpanzee's owner's violation of section 14-31(b).
If you are injured in an animal attack, whether by a dog or 300-pound chimpanzee, and the animal was not properly leashed or caged, then you have right to compensation for your injuries under the leash laws. These cases are slightly different that standard personal injury cases and require knowledge of local municipal law. I practice in the Kansas City area and am familiar with local leash law ordinances and would be happy to talk to you about your animal attack or dog bite case.
If you think you have a personal injury case and would like to know more about the contingency fee system, please feel free to call at any time.