Indianapolis Personal Injury Blog

Indianapolis Girl Faces 57th Surgery Following Dog Attack Five Years Ago

An Indiana girl will be getting a prosthetic eye five years after a pit bull mauled her in an Indianapolis park. She has had dozens of plastic surgeries.

Family Arrested After Pet Wolf Hybrid Attacked Another Dog

A couple is facing criminal charges after once again being found with a wolf hybrid in their ownership. The illegal part-wolf pet attacked another dog.

Average Dog Bite Claim In The United States: $26,166

Learn national dog bite claim statistics from a new report, including the cost of the average dog bite claim and how many dog bite claims were filed in Indiana.

Indiana Supreme Court Hears Evansville Dog Bite Case

A dog bite case involving the City of Evansville that is being heard by the Indiana Supreme Court could have an affect on a number of future dog bite cases.

Illinois Ranks Second In Country For Dog Bite Insurance Claims

A new report released by State Farm shows that Illinois reported the second-highest number of dog bites of any state in the country except for California.

Illinois Man Charged After Girl On Bike Attacked By Pit Bull

A nine-year-old girl from a trailer park in Franklin County, Illinois, was attacked by a loose pit bull while riding her bike. The puncture wounds she received required twenty five stitches. The owner of the pit bull is facing criminal charges.

Dangerous Rottweilers Will Be Rehabilitated After Lafayette Dog Attack

Two dangerous dogs have been taken from their owners and will be rehabilitated in the wake of two dog attack incidents -- one involving a neighborhood Husky and the other involving a 12-year-old on a bike.

Aggressive Harbor Beach Dog Owner Awaits Dog Attack Sentencing

A man was sentenced for two misdemeanors regarding a serious dog attack on a young boy in Muron County, Michigan.

Illinois Insurance Company Tries To Avoid Paying In Dog Bite Case

After a child was mauled by a dog in Grundy County, Illinois, the family's insurance company is refusing to pay out on the dog bite claim, arguing that the child was living on the property where he was bitten.

Pit Bull Dog Attack Stops Mail Delivery In Michigan Neighborhood

After a young pit bull attacked a Michigan mailman, the postal service has halted mail delivery in the neighborhood. The dog is one of many dangerous and aggressive dogs in the neighborhood according to those who deliver mail in the neighborhood.

Missouri City Man Attacked By Rottweiler – Neighbor Shoots Dog

A man walking his dog to the post office in Missouri City on Wednesday, November 4, when an unleashed dog attacked the pair on the road. Witnesses say that a man passing in a pickup truck saw the struggle, pulled over, and shot the aggressive Rottweiler several times to prevent further injury to the man and his small white dog.

The dangerous dog, a Rottweiler named Rebel, belonged to neighbor Tony Trammell. He told Clay County officials that the dog was not leashed because there is no leash law in Missouri City. He also said that the dog had acted aggressively with other dogs in the neighborhood before. Still, he claimed that Rebel was his buddy.

The Clay County man who was attacked could not be found after the dog attack incident, and it is unknown whether man or dog was seriously injured by a dog bite.  

Royal Oak, Michigan, To Toughen Vicious Animal Ordinances

New dog bite statistics out of Royal Oak, Michigan have city officials like Commissioner Terry Drinkwine interested in making stiffer city ordinances for the owners of vicious, aggressive, and dangerous dogs.

A new report found that although pit bulls makes up just 1.7 percent of licensed dogs in the Michigan city, they are responsible for over one third of dog bite incidents in the last year. However, despite the worsening problem with dangerous and aggressive pit bulls in the area, other in the city council meeting opposed breed-specific city ordinances that might single out pit bull terriers. The problem became even more complex when it was noted that pit bulls are not an officially recognized breed.

A city attorney suggested that making existing laws for all vicious dogs tougher may be the best solution to Royal Oak's serious dog attack problem. The revised city ordinance on dangerous dogs will be revealed at the next city council meeting.

Michigan Pit Bulls Escape Home, Kill Dog, Bite Woman

According to the Chicago Tribune, A Michigan man did not sufficiently pen his American pit bull terriers, which escaped from his home, killed a neighbor's dog, and bit a woman. The pit bull dog bite took place on Tuesday, July 21, in Allendale Township, MI, just outside of Grand Rapids

The 24-year-old owner of the two pit bulls, Craig Lick, tried to keep his aggressive dogs from escaping, but the two animals pushed out an air condition unit and killed a dachshund named Peanut who lived near by. The dangerous dogs also bit the dachshund's owner, an 18-year-old woman. The dogs escaped despite a new chain link fence and electronic dog fence.

The dogs, two five-year-old pit bulls named Riddick and Diesel, are now quarantined at an Ottawa County animal control center.

Pit Bull Kills One-Year-Old Boy In Northeast Detroit

WIYN and the Associated Press report that a family pet killed a one-year-old just outside of Detroit. On April 22, Eastpointe, Michigan, police reported that a pit bull terrier killed a toddler in the boy's home on Wednesday afternoon.

Following the fatal dog attack, the father of the dog bite victim shot the family pet with a handgun. The boy was pronounced dead after the pit bull mauling at St. John Hospital. Police did not release the name of the family or the pit bull victim. Pit bulls have long been a breed of dog most likely to bite humans.

The deadly pit bull attack is under investigation, though no charges have been filed in the dog bite case.

To keep your children safe from potential dog attack, read our dog bite prevention tips for children. In the case of a dog bite attack, read our article about what to do after a dog bite.

Children and dog bite statistics

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 4.7 million Americans - almost two per cent of the population - were bitten by dogs in 1994. One out of six required medical treatment. The American Humane Association calls dog bites a greater health problem for children in the US, than measles, mumps, and whooping cough combined, and points to data showing almost 70% dog-bite victims are children under 15 years of age. Even more shocking is that two thirds of these incidents happen near the child's home, often by a dog the child knows.

In many cases, teasing or unintentionally provoking an aggressive reaction from a dog leads to a bite, but occasionally an attack is unprovoked. That is why small children should never be left alone with a dog. Whether or not there is a dog in the family, parents need to teach their children how to behave around dogs.

Statutes of Limitations for Dog Bite Cases

Statutes of limitations restrict the time period that a person can file a lawsuit for their dog bite case. These statutes not only vary by state, but they also vary by cause of action. It is important that you contact an experienced attorney who can provide you specific time lines regarding your dog bite case. Not preserving your rights within your state’s specified statute of limitation will cause your dog bite claim to be barred from recovery, forever.

Special Rules for Minors: 

Because dog bites are often associated with children, it is very important to understand the laws associated with Minors.

Except in cases of wrongful death, an "unemancipated minor" must file suit within two years of his or her 18th birthday. An "unemancipated minor" is a person under 18 who is not totally self-supporting. In cases where the minor is emancipated, or totally self-supporting, at the time of the injury, he or she must file suit within two years of the date when the injury occurred. 

Pit Bull Bites Officer Trying To Arrest Owner In Muncie, Indiana

The East Central Indiana Star Press reports that a domestic dispute in Muncie, IN, turned into a dog bite case when police arrived to break up the fight.

Muncie Police responded to the call on Monday evening, when two women called to complain about 38-year-old Larry Lee Reed and asked to file battery and assault charges. Reed allegedly stole money from one women and gave the other woman a black eye. When Reed tried to shut the door on the police, they entered the house and handcuffed the man.

It was then that Reed's pit bull attacked Patrol Officer Matt Berger and bit the man in the leg. Berger was transported to Ball Memorial Hospital.

Reed was arrested for battery and resisting arrest. This is his eleventh charge in the last ten years, and his fifth battery charge. He as also resisted law enforcement on two other recent occasions. One of the victims reported that the pit bill was trained to attack on command.

Mount Meridian woman attacked by pit bull on U.S. 40

A Mount Meridian, Indiana woman suffered severe injuries after being attacked by a pit bull that was not properly restrained.  Bobbi Belognia, 23, was walking her dog near the 5000 block of U.S. 40 when she was confronted by the pit bull. 

Initially, the pit bull began attacking Ms. Belognia's dog.  When Ms. Belongia attempted to intervene, the pit bull turned its attention to her.  The animal latched onto Ms. Belognia's left ankle and would not release.  A passerby stopped their vehicle and attempted to help Ms. Belognia by striking the pit bull several times on the head with a flashlight. 

Ms. Belognia's injuries were so severe that she was taken to a hospital for surgery on her ankle.

The pit bull's owner requested that the animal be euthanized.  No charges have been filed to date.