Imagine being invited to a friend’s home for a lovely dinner, only to be brutally attacked by the family dog. That’s what happened to M.E., who was attacked inside the home, just as she stepped into her friend’s living room.
M.E. sustained serious, disabling injuries as a result of the attack, including a fractured foot. Bogoroch & Associates took on the case and achieved a fair and reasonable settlement.
The Nature of the Case: M.E. was invited to a dinner party, and upon entering her host’s home, she entered the living room, where she was suddenly and unexpectedly attacked by the family dog. The family’s British Bulldog viciously attacked her leg and pulled her to the floor.
M.E. was seriously injured after the attack. The bite fractured the third metatarsal and severely damaged the fourth metatarsal in M’s foot. (The metatarsal bones are a group of five bones in the foot located between the tarsal bones of the hind- and mid-foot and the phalanges of the toes. They are analogous to the metacarpal bones in the hand.)
The cuts and lacerations in M.E.’s foot were so plentiful that she suffered infection in her foot. She was submitted to daily intravenous injections of antibiotics to combat the infection. Because she was unable to walk and had to use a wheelchair, she underwent daily visits from a nurse who would change the wound’s dressings in an attempt to combat the ongoing infection.
The pain from the bite and subsequent infection was terrible. M.E. was unable to work and enjoy life. And as time went on it became apparent that steps needed to be taken to further combat the persistent infection., so M.E. underwent irrigation and debridement of her foot. This required a week-long stay in the hospital.
Unable to work for nearly a year, M.E. never did heal completely. Not only was there a massive and ugly scar that would always be present on her foot, she lived with pain, stiffness and decreased movement and mobility.
The Resolution: Bogoroch & Associates took action against the dog owner, who had already been found completely liable / guilty and convicted under The Dog Owner’s Liability Act.
Bogoroch & Associates had an expert Orthopaedic surgeon examine M.E.’s foot, so that a diagnosis could be determined for any possible future issues, future costs, and future care. M.E.’s financial losses as a result of the attack were also evaluated.
M.E.’s life had radically changed because of the accident. Once able to perform her duties as an employee and daughter, M.E. was faced with lack of mobility, unable to go to work, and also unable to look after her mother. M.E. was forced to make the unwelcome decision to put her mother in home care, as she could not even look after herself, let alone a loved one.
The Bogoroch team:
- Issued a statement of claim to commence legal proceedings against the dog owner
- Gathered medical evidence from surgical experts
- Valuated employment losses
- Considered the pain and suffering endured from the bite
Bogoroch & Associates mediated a fair and reasonable settlement. Though the compensation could not heal M.E., it could compensate her for her financial losses incurred during the year she was so physically encumbered.
*Please note that the settlement amounts will vary from case to case and are not reflective of what your case may be worth.