The defendants knew their dog had a habit of lunging aggressively at other dogs while on a leash, so much so that they had invested in specialized training and a restraint collar specifically to control the behavior. Despite this known danger, the dog broke free and violently attacked our client and his dog without warning.
The force of the attack knocked our client to the ground in a twisting fall, damaging hardware from a prior spinal fusion and requiring additional surgery to repair the injury. He went on to need further medical intervention, including implantation of a spinal cord stimulator, to manage the resulting chronic pain.
Our firm overcame the defendants’ motion for summary judgment, successfully upheld that victory on appeal, and prepared the case for trial before securing a $415,000 settlement on the eve of jury selection. The case was handled by trial attorney Victoria Lightcap and managing attorney Elizabeth Wolff.