Serious Multiple-Dog Attack / Personal Injury
A 54-year-old woman suffered serious physical and psychological injuries after being attacked by multiple dogs while walking her own dog on a leash. The dogs were owned by a couple that had rented a property through an online rental service. She sustained numerous bite wounds, permanent scarring, and a knee injury that ultimately required arthroscopic surgery. The attack also caused significant psychological trauma, including post-traumatic stress symptoms and an ongoing fear of dogs.
D’Amico Pettinicchi pursued claims against the individuals responsible for the dogs and obtained their full $300,000 available liability policy limits. The firm’s investigation did not stop there. D’Amico Pettinicchi also brought a claim against the rental property owners, alleging among other things, that the property owners should not have rented their property to others who had dogs without fencing in their property or ensuring the dogs’ owners did not allow their dogs to run free, unleashed. D’Amico Pettinicchi negotiated an additional $275,000 settlement against the property owners.
After substantial discovery, depositions, mediation, and trial preparation, D’Amico Pettinicchi secured a combined $575,000 settlement, providing compensation for the client’s medical treatment, surgery, permanent scarring, psychological trauma, pain and suffering, and the lasting impact of the attack on her life.