Alpine Personal Injury Attorneys
CASE STUDY: ALPINE DOG BITE ATTACK
Summary
Stan and Shirly, residents of Alpine, decided to take a short family vacation with their three children in August of 2005.
They chose to camp at Silver Lake Reservoir in American Fork Canyon since their young boys love riding bikes, fishing and hiking. One morning, their ten-year old son Tom asked Shirly for permission to ride his bike around the lake before breakfast. Shirly readily agreed, glad that her son was enjoying the outdoors. Soon thereafter, Shirly was startled by her young son screams. When she ran over to Tom, she encountered a mother’s worst nightmare. Tom had become a victim of a dog attack!
Avoid Common Mistakes of Dog Bite Victims
Tom had been pulled off his bike and was laying in fetal position underneath the large Great Dane. The little boy had been bitten several times and had lacerations on his face and arms. Instinctively, Shirly began yelling at the dog and calling for help. Luckily there was help nearby and they were able to fend off the dog and find the dog owner. Shirly acted quickly and avoided making the common mistakes dog bite victims often incur. She called animal control, obtained the contact information of the dog owner and most importantly took her son to a nearby Instacare for immediate medical treatment.
Costs Associated With Dog Bite Attacks
Tom sustained several bites which would require stitches and later resulted in scarring. He was treated by a plastic surgeon and the cost to repair his facial disfigurement was over $6,000.00. Along with the physical injuries, being a child victim of a dog bite, Tom sustained substantial psychological trauma including fear and anxiety. Shirly found an excellent counseling program designed specifically for minors who are victims of dog attacks in Utah. Concerned with the inevitable medical bills resulting from the dog attack, Shirly decided to seek legal representation from Attorney Kenneth Christensen.
Benefits of Using a Dog Bite Lawyer
She states, “The attention to our case was very professional, and yet we felt we also received personal consideration with regard to the emotional nature of this type of trauma and with enduring the settlement procedures. It was our first legal experience and it was amazing and stress free!” Stan, Shirly and Mr. Christensen worked together to create a structured minor’s settlement for Tom so he could benefit from receiving continued medical care and also receive a final portion of his settlement when he later goes to college.