blog home dog attacks

Victim of Dog Attack to Sue Laguna Hills and Orange County Animal Care Services

By Renee Nordstrand on October 16, 2009

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/dogs-christian-county-2609339-suit-one

The Orange County Register reports that a 62-year-old Laguna Hills ophthalmologist, who was attacked by three bull mastiffs in Laguna Hills last December, is suing the city of Laguna Hills as well as Orange County’s Animal Care Services for negligence, claiming city and county officials knew that the dogs were dangerous due to complaints previously filed about the trio of vicious dogs.

The victim claims that she was walking around her mother’s neighborhood when the three dogs, each weighing between 95 and 130 pounds, attacked her for approximately ten minutes while neighbors attempted to halt the attack by kicking the dogs and hitting them over the head with a shovel. The dogs, which were euthanized later that day, caused severe physical injuries which prevented the woman from working and led to great emotional distress, the lawsuit contends.

City and county attorneys argue they are not liable for the attack due to state law, despite the several previous complaints regarding the dogs’ violent propensities.

According to the Center for Disease Control, 4.5 million Americans are bitten by dogs each year, and one in five dog bites results in injuries that require medical attention. A startling 31,000 Americans underwent reconstructive surgery due to dog bites in 2006 alone.  Dog bite attacks are often serious and require intensive medical treatment.  They can leave both physical and emotional scars that are difficult to surmount.  Experienced dog bite attorneys will fight aggressively to get victims compensation for the damages – both economic and non-economic – associated with a dog bite injury.