Two pit bull terriers attack 62-year-old Chicago jogger "like he was a piece of steak"

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Chicago Jogger Critically Injured by Pit Bulls
Published January 02, 2012

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/01/02/chicago-jogger-critically-injured-by-pit-bulls/?test=latestnews

CHICAGO – A Chicago man was left in critical condition after two pit bull terriers attacked him as he jogged along the city's lakefront Monday morning.

The 62-year-old man was running in the city's South Shore neighborhood at approximately 6 a.m. when the mauling occurred. He sustained bites all over his body, including on his face.

"They were just going after the man like he was a piece of steak," Stanley Lee, who swung a baseball bat at the dogs in hopes to free the jogger, told MyFoxChicago.com. He went on to say the dogs went for the jogger's throat, face and arms, and called the attack was the worst thing he's ever seen.

Police officers found the dogs a short distance away from the site of the attack and fatally shot the animals as they attempted to attack them, department spokesman Officer Robert Perez said.

[raccoon]

1. Were they feral? If not, somebody is in for a lawsuit. And deservedly so. nt

[unblock]

2. well they certainly weren't domesticated!

they may have lived in someone's home, but it doesn't sound like they were domesticated properly, if at all.

[monmouth]

3. Why? Biting and possibly killing someone is alright? I'm glad they shot them before they can

hurt other people. Lawsuit? Not much of a case there...

[Coyote_Bandit]

5. The jogger could certainly sue the dog's owner

No justification for thw owner to sue the cops that put the dogs down, however.

[monmouth]

6. Definitely and hopefully this man will pull through and do just that. n/t

[AngryAmish]

7. There may not be a point in suing the owner

You sue someone when you can get money out of them. The money comes from two places, the person and their insurance company. But only if a person is independently wealthy you can sue them and actually get a recovery.

This is a poor area. In order to have some insurance coverage the person has to be a homeowner. Homeowners insurance covers this sort of thing even away from the home. Most mortgages require homeowners insurance (usually 300k worth but can be 100k).

So if this guy (pit bull owner) is a renter, then SOL unless the guy is independently wealthy - which is real unlikely.

(Il trial lawyer)

[Coyote_Bandit]

9. Here most renters are required

to carry some type of renters insurance particularly if they keep animals on the premises. Often renters insurance carries some liability coverage which might very well provide the victim here some $$$. Renters policies are not limited to only contents coverage.

Of course it makes no sense to seek a judgement that cannot be collected. But just because it cannot be collected now does not mean that it cannot be collected in the future. And once the judgment is awarded it can always be noted on a credit report as unpaid. Or the judgment can be sold. The decision whether to sue and, if so, who to sue rests on circumstances unique to the incident and the defendant.

It is possible that the property owner could be sued and he or his insurance company could be held liable even if the dog belonged to a renter. Perhaps the owner was negligent in maintaining appropriate fencing. Perhaps the terms of the lease are relevant to liability. Perhaps there is a relevant course of conduct. Perhaps the owner was aware that the tenant maintained a dangerous animal on the premises.

It is certainly likely that most trial lawyers would defer and refuse the case - probably while suggesting that the client seek counsel elsewhere (gotta comply wth those ethics requirements). That has as much to do with the need to pay the overhead as it has to do with the ability to settle the claim or to get or collect a judgment.

I've certainly seen far more frivilous claims that resulted in successful settlements.



(licensed to practice law in 2 states, supervised multiple lines of property and casualty claims in multiple states for a decade, financial professional)

[undeterred]

4. I heard they were vegetarians.

Edit: story has previously been chewed over

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002106656

[bvar22]

8. But they were such sweet, loving animals who never hurt a fly.

Famous last words of Pit Bull owners.
"Gee. They never did this before."


Anybody here watch Fatal Attractions?
It is a TV series about people who own dangerous animals.
They ALL believe that they are somehow different or smarter than everybody else,
and have a special relationship with their animals,
so the RULES do not apply to them.

Truth is, NO dog is fully domesticated.
ANY dog (or other animal) can Go Off for any reason at any time.
The problem is that when Pit Bulls Go Off,
they do a LOT of damage.
When a Collie or a Pug Goes Off,
not so much.