Two Connecticut Dog Bite Victims Recover Compensation in Separate Cases

 Posted on November 13, 2018 in Connecticut Personal Injury Attorney

When a dog attacks and causes injury to a person, the owner of the dog is generally liable for those injuries under Connecticut law. The damages that the victim could collect depend on a number of factors, including the extent of his or her injuries and the effect those injuries have on the victims’ life. For example, a person who has been permanently scarred as the result of a dog bite might be entitled to collect more than an individual whose injuries healed completely in a matter of weeks. This idea can perhaps be best explained with real-world cases that were resolved recently right here in Connecticut.

FedEx Driver Receives $160,000 Settlement

Delivery personnel, including those who work for the U.S. Postal Service and private companies like UPS and FedEx, encounter dogs virtually every day. In 2013, a FedEx driver was backing into a residential driveway in Thomaston when he was attacked and bitten by two pit bulls. According to the victim’s account, the attack continued for nearly two agonizing minutes. The man’s wounds were reportedly so deep that the staff at the hospital decided against stitching them up, opting to irrigate them instead to reduce the risk of infection.

The insurance company for the dogs’ owners offered a settlement of $10,000, reports indicate, and the victim’s initial demand was for $250,000. The victim filed suit in Litchfield Superior court in 2015, but a settlement agreement was only recently reached. Under the terms of the settlement, the man received $120,000 from the dog owners—via their insurance carrier—and $40,000 in workers’ compensation benefits since the attack occurred while the victim was working. The victim has recovered from his injuries but still has permanent scars on his arm.

Arbitration Nets $364,000 for Woman Bitten in the Face

In 2014, a woman entered her friend’s house to pick up her daughter and was attacked by a 35-pound Portuguese water dog. The dog—who had reportedly bitten three other people before the incident in question—“lunged at [the woman’s] face” as she attempted to pet the dog. The woman was only bitten once but the bite caused severe damage to her face. Court records indicate that the woman required stitches on both the inside and outside of the wound, as well as plastic surgery and a number of injections.

The woman filed a lawsuit in Hartford Superior Court in April 2016, and the case went to arbitration. In August, the arbitrator awarded the victim approximately $14,000 in past economic damages, $150,000 in past non-economic damages, and $200,000 in future damages for a total of $364,094. The woman’s facial scarring is expected to be permanent.

Call a Hartford Dog Bite Attorney for Guidance

If you have been injured as the result of a dog bite, an experienced Connecticut personal injury attorney. Call 860-290-8690 for a free consultation at Woolf Law Firm, LLC today. We will help you explore your available options and take action to get you the compensation you deserve.

Sources:

https://www.wci360.com/ouch-former-ct-fedex-driver-is-awarded-160g-in-settlement-after-vicious-dog-attack/

https://www.law.com/ctlawtribune/2018/08/01/glastonbury-woman-bitten-in-face-by-dog-gets-364094-in-arbitration/