Dog Bites Cause Crushed Jaw, 60 Puncture Wounds for One-Year-Old Boy

A one-year-old boy was attacked by a neighbor’s dog and suffered a crushed jaw and over 60 puncture wounds from the dog bites.  The dog named Leo was put down on Sunday at an area animal facility. The dog’s owner was cited last year in Lee’s Summit after Leo bit someone at her home address in October 2014. The dog was declared a dangerous animal and the owner was suppose to follow certain regulations, but authorities say she did not do so.

The first two Greenwood police officers on the scene scooped up the baby and raced the baby and his mother to a nearby hospital without waiting on paramedics to arrive. Isaiah was transferred later on Saturday to Children’s Mercy.

There were questions on Saturday about whether the couple who live in the Greenwood home were completely forthcoming including about their ownership of the dog. They allegedly indicated to officers that the attack occurred outside, and the dog’s ownership was in question.

Officers would then learn that the dog was the family’s pet and the attack occurred inside their home. Police arrested the couple on Saturday for obstruction of justice because officers believe they were involved in hiding the dog at another location after officers were called.

The woman who was cited in Lee’s Summit last year is due back in court next month.Lee’s Summit authorities did a follow up check in February and found that the owner was in compliance with the city’s dangerous dog ordinance. However, Lee’s Summit officials said the woman and the dog moved to Greenwood earlier this year and did not notify Lee’s Summit officials as required. This would have allowed Lee’s Summit authorities to alert Greenwood authorities.

The couple who live in the Greenwood home refused comment Monday. Greenwood police are working to prepare their case to present to prosecutors for charges.  Thankfully, the child is reported to be in stable condition.

Dog owners are required to ensure that their pets are safe and sufficiently confined so as not to pose any risk of harm to those people around them.  Because of this, dog bite cases are one of the few types that are still subject to strict liability in Louisiana, meaning that the owner can be held liable for the damages caused by their dog without a finding of negligence or intent.  However, the victim still must prove that the owner knew or should have known that the dog was dangerous and that the owner could have prevented the attack.  The Louisiana Supreme Court has held that this means that the victim of dog bites must prove that the dog posed an unreasonable risk of harm, that the defendant owned the dog, and that the defendant failed to take reasonable steps to prevent the attack.

Quite often, as is the case in this story, an overly aggressive dog will have a history of dog bites or attacks in their past.  If that is the case, a dog bite victim who suffers serious injuries will likely have a high chance of success in a lawsuit against the owner of the dog.  If you or one of your family members has suffered serious injuries as a result of a dog bite or attack, contact a personal injury attorney in Baton Rouge at Fisher Injury Lawyers today to review your case.

Chris J. Day, Baton Rouge Personal Injury Attorney

Chris J. Day

Personal Injury Attorney Baton Rouge

Baton Rouge Accident Attorney