Child Injury Lawyer Blog
By David M. Baum, Attorney and David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network
A tragedy took place on the Southwest side of Chicago, Illinois when a 4 year old child (Alex Angulo) was mauled to death by the family’s dog. The father was out front clearing out snow with a snow blower when the incident took place. It is believed that one of the family’s Rottweilers mauled the child. A father’s worst nightmare took place when the father found his child in the backyard following the mauling. Neighbors reported that the dogs were menacing and some were scared of the dogs. Animal control and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services will conduct an investigation into the facts and circumstances surrounding the death of this child. You can read more about this article at ABC Channel 7 Chicago News – 4 Year Old Mauled to Death by Family Dog in Chicago, Illinois.
The State of Alabama has special laws in place pertaining to the liability of owners for dog bites. Children in Mobile, Birmingham and other Alabama cities and towns are especially at risk for serious injuries from dog bites to the size and strength of the child as compared to many medium and large sized dogs. Furthermore, many children lack the judgment and experience with dogs to know when there is danger lurking nearby. In Alabama, a dog owner is liable for damages / injuries caused by a dog bite when the incident takes place on the dog owner’s property or when the dog chases a person off the property and pursues the victim of the dog bite. The Alabama dog bite statute is narrowly defined. Even if the dog owner is liable under the Alabama dog bite statute, the dog owner can still argue or file a pleading that the damages should be limited to actual damages (i.e. medical bills, loss of wages, and other economic damages) by alleging that the dog owner had no knowledge or reason to believe that the dog was dangerous. You can read through the dog bite statutes at the