Dog Bites Archives

When the Bark is NOT Worse than the Bite

Dog bite claims are common among insurance carriers. The Insurance Information Institute reported $882 million in carrier liability for dog bites and injuries in 2021. In 2020, AP News reported 46 deadly attacks on humans by dogs and the average cost per dog bite claim that year increased to $50,425.

Types of dog bite claims
Insurance carriers see several types of dog bite claims. The most common involve house guests injured by a homeowner’s dog. Claims also arise when a dog gets off its leash or when a dog escapes the owner’s property and attacks a passerby. Establishments, such as pet-friendly hotels and businesses, may also see claims if a dog attacks a patron.

How does North Carolina law

Heartbroken mother warns against aggressive dogs after losing infant to attack

Authorities were called to a home along Apache Lane in Kodak Oct. 19 after reports of a dog attack.

A dog attacked and killed an infant and injured the child’s grandmother, according to officials with the Sevier County Sheriff’s Office. The mother, Tiffany Parker, said 7-month-old Bentley was visiting his grandmother while she was moving into a home a block away. She told WVLT News she eventually heard commotion coming from near her mother’s home and rushed over to check on her son.

Investigators told her the family dog, which Parker said was a St. Bernard, attacked her mother and killed her son. Parker said the dog typically stayed outside when the baby was visiting his grandmother.

“He was so innocent. I know he couldn’t fight for himself and I know my mama did all she could,” said Parker. “That baby was so precious. So full of life. He just brightened every heart that he came across.”

While trying to cope with never hearing her baby call out her name or take his first steps, Parker said she’s thinking of other parents and believes her message could save other children.

“If you have any doubt about an animal, please please just get rid of the dog or something,” said Parker. “You wouldn’t expect it to happen, but it does.”

The Sevier County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the incident and reported the dog got so aggressive with first responders, it was put down on the scene.

Which dogs are most dangerous?
Ohio State researchers compared how likely a dog is to bite with the severity of the bite. They found that Pit Bull Terriers and mixed breeds pose the highest risk for children.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control reported most dog bites are in children between five and nine years old. Young children are most vulnerable because they don’t notice the subtle signs that a dog might bite.

Animal control officer recovering after being attacked by 2 pit bulls in Riverside

An animal control officer was attacked by a pair of pit bulls roaming a Riverside property, the officer suffered bites to one of his legs before he used force to repel the canines.

According to the Riverside County Department of Animal Services, Officer Michael Cox went to the 2500 block of Mount Vernon Avenue, on the west side of Box Springs Mountain Reserve Park, shortly after 11 a.m. to investigate complaints that four dogs were on a homeowner’s adjacent but vacant fenced property.

Agency spokesman John Welsh said that when Cox approached the dogs, they initially seemed friendly, but then one of them latched onto his right leg, puncturing it. A second pit bull then joined in the attack, also biting the officer.

Officer Cox retreated while using his retractable baton and pepper spray to protect himself, Welsh said.

Paramedics were requested, as well as additional animal control officers and police, according to Welsh.

Three of the four dogs were impounded,” he said. The fourth, one of the two that had attacked the officer, managed to break through a gate and escaped into the nearby hills.”

Cox was taken to Riverside Community Hospital for treatment of the bite injuries and is expected to fully recover.

“We go into dangerous situations all the time, but we’re trained to know the warning signs of aggressive dogs,” Department of Animal Services Cmdr. Chris Mayer said. In this incident, Mike didn’t have any time to react. “We’re thankful the attacks weren’t worse.”

Top Five Pit Bull Verdicts

SPOILER ALERT: The top verdict is a $37 Million Jury Verdict (reduced from $72 Million) for an 8-year-old girl in a Dekalb County, GA pitbull attack.

Each day about 1,000 U.S. citizens require emergency care treatment for dog bite injury, according to Dogsbite.org. For pit bull injuries or dangerous breeds, one in every six bites require medical attention. In the last 10 years, pit bulls killed 203 Americans and accounted for 62 percent of total recorded animal related injuries.

A victim may recover damages from the owner’s homeowner or renter’s insurance policy if the breed is covered. However, most insurance policies do not insure aggressive breeds such as pit bulls and rottweilers. Below are recent verdicts from pit-bull attacks.

$500k dog bite settlement sheds light on victim-friendly laws in N.J.

As he walked out of his office around 5:30 that July morning, Samuel Akinsanya heard growling in the hallway. A Rottweiler and pit bull had escaped from a cage in the Elizabeth factory where he worked the overnight shift as a security guard. Before Akinsanya could react, the dogs pounced.

“They jumped at me. I was trying to fight. I was trying to defend myself but they were biting me all over my body,” Akinsanya, 43, said in a phone interview Friday. He said he fought the animals “for almost an hour before police came to rescue me.”

The attack, which occurred in 2010, was so vicious that Akinsanya, who lives in Newark, was left in a coma-like state, intubated in a hospital bed, for 10 days. He was bitten over most of his body, and suffered muscle damage and permanent scarring.

The pit bull choked itself to death because it was thrashing around so much when police tried to subdue the dog. The Rottweiler was eventually returned to its owner.