Three children were injured, one critically, in a Fontana dog bite incident after a pack of five pit bull mixes attacked them. The Press-Enterprise reports that the children — Princess Colon, 7, Hector Perez, 6, Destiny Colon, 5, and a 3-year-old – were on their way to a park the afternoon of February 1, 2010, with their mother Josie Arellano, when the dogs attacked them. Destiny suffered critical injuries and bites while Hector had to get 235 stitches and Princess, 18 stitches to close up the tears and bites.
5-year-old in Critical Condition
I sympathize deeply with this family for what they are going through right now. My thoughts and prayers are particularly with Destiny, who is on a ventilator and under heavy sedation because of unbearable pain. I sincerely hope she has not suffered catastrophic injuries in this dog attack and pray that she will recover quickly and completely from her injuries. I also wish Hector and Princess the very best for a speedy and full recovery from their injuries.
This news report states that the pack of dogs crawled under the fence and got out of the owner’s house. However, there is no question here that the dog owner should be held criminally and civilly responsible here for the injuries and severe emotional distress caused to these young children and their devastated family members. I truly hope the prosecutor files charges against the dog owner for allowing so many dogs to run loose in the neighborhood, endangering the safety of this family and others.
Liability in Dog Bite Cases
Under California’s “strict liability statute” the dog owner could be held liable for injuries sustained by a victim who is bitten by the dog while he or she is lawfully in a private or public place. Dog owners can be held liable under this statute even if the dog owner is not aware of the animal’s prior viciousness.
In cases where victims have sustained severe injuries it would be in their best interest to contact an experienced San Bernardino dog bite lawyer who has a successful track record of financially pursuing dog owners for their negligence and protecting victims’ legal rights.
The Bisnar Chase Personal Injury Attorneys is not representing any of the parties mentioned in this article at the time the article was posted. Our information source is cited in the article. If you were involved in this incident or a similar incident and have questions as to your rights and options, call us or another reputable law firm. Do not act solely upon the information provided herein. Get a consultation. The best law firms will provide a free consultation. We provide a free, confidential consultation to not at fault persons named in this article. The free consultation offer extends to family members as well.