A 2-year-old boy suffered a severe facial injury in a Newport Beach dog bite incident the afternoon of April 20, 2009, The Orange County Register reports. He is now recovering from a serious dog bite to the face by an unattended German Shepherd at the Newport Pier. The boy apparently had petted the dog, which was tied to the tree without incident while walking by with his parents. A few minutes later, standing about 2 feet away, the child wanted to say goodbye to the dog when it lunged forward, jumped on him and bit the boy without any provocation.
The mother said she kicked the dog in the head to get it away from her son. The German Shepherd dog bite resulted in six stitches. The boy's face was so swollen after the dog attack that it was hard for doctors to determine whether the child's nose was broken. The dog's owner was located and was able to provide documentation of rabies vaccinations. Officials will be placing the dog under quarantine to watch for any symptoms of rabies. A decision on whether to euthanize the dog will depend on the outcome of the ongoing investigation, Orange County Animal Control officials say.
I'm relieved that little this little boy is recovering from this horrific dog attack case. I hope and pray his dog bite injuries heal and that he also recovers emotionally from this incident. I wish him the very best for a quick and complete recovery.
I agree with the mother that this owner was irresponsible to leave his dog unattended although it was tied to a tree. I hope Newport Beach police are also looking into whether this German Shepherd had a history of attacking humans or other animals. However, California has a "strict liability statute" when it comes to California dog bite cases, which means a dog owner is responsible for personal injuries or damages suffered by any person who is bitten by the dog in a public place or in private property, provided they are there legally.
In California a person bitten by a dog sues in state court under California’s Civil Code Section 3342 which states: "The owner of any dog is liable for the damages suffered by any person who is bitten by the dog while in a public place or lawfully in a private place, including the property of the owner of the dog, regardless of the former viciousness of the dog or the owner’s knowledge of such viciousness."
The family would be well-advised to retain the services of an experienced Orange County dog bite lawyer, who can help them protect their son's legal rights and make sure they get fair compensation to pay for medical expenses and future medical treatment if necessary. Bisnar | Chase has represented families of young dog bite victims and we have seen in many cases that children often need plastic surgery to help remedy the scars. In some cases, the scars cannot be repaired. Children and adult dog bite victims also suffer emotionally and psychologically and often need therapy to deal with their fears and apprehensions stemming from the attack.
SLS Consulting