A vicious dog bite incident in Orange County has left a 6-year-old child seriously injured, the Los Angeles Times reports. Police said the mother of the child who was attacked ended up shooting the dangerous dog, described as a pit bull mix or a boxer, the morning of May 19, 2010. The dog attack occurred in the driveway of the girl’s Lake Forest home as her mother was coming out of the house with her infant child and 14-year-old son. The girl and her sister were playing outside when the dog pushed her to the ground and started biting her ferociously.
Despite a neighbor’s attempt to free the girl from the dog, it was her brother who jumped on the dog and punched it until it let go. The woman took all her children and ran inside with the dog chasing her. The woman then came out with a handgun and shot the dog, which was still in the porch. The dog has apparently been spotted in the neighborhood before displaying violent or hostile behavior. The girl sustained several bites to her face, leg and body. Police are looking for the owner of the dog, which survived the gunshot.
I hope this young girl did not suffer any major personal injuries or scarring as a result of this brutal attack. I pray that she has a speedy and complete recovery.
Dog Bite Statistics
According to Dogsbite.org, a website for dog attack victims nationwide, of the 88 fatal dog attacks in the United States in a three-year period between January 1, 2006 and December 31, 2008, 59 percent or 52 incidents involved pit bulls followed by Rottweilers (14 percent). This dog bite fatality finding is similar to an earlier report released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), which states that pit bulls and Rottweilers together account for 60 percent of fatal dog attacks. A majority of fatal dog bite victims tend to be young children.
Dog Owner Liability
California has what is known as a “strict liability statute” when it comes to dog bites. What this means is the dog owner is liable for injuries caused by his or her pet – whether the incident occurs on public or private property. In this particular case, I hope officials locate the dog owner and hold him or her accountable for negligence. I would be interested to find out whether this dog has been involved in other incidents in the neighborhood.
Victims in such cases would be well-advised to contact an experienced experienced Orange County dog bite lawyer, who will make sure that the negligent parties are held liable and that the victim’s medical expenses and other damages are covered.
Do you have dangerous dogs in your neighborhood? Have you contacted animal control about it? We’d like to hear from you.
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.