Dog bite case settled

A settlement in a dog bite attack lawsuit in Michigan was settled recently for the sum of $115,000.  The settlement was reached on behalf of a girl who was attacked by a neighbor's dog in 2006.  The dog bit the girl several times, causing numerous puncture wounds.

As an experienced Chicago dog bite lawyer, there are a few points I would like to make about this news story:

• The case was settled last week even though it took place in 2006.  Cases can take that long to resolve, even when the liability for the dog bite is clear.  At a minimum, I advise my clients to not even think about trying to settle a case until the dog bite would has healed substantially which may take a year or more.  Until the healing is largely complete, we do not know what kind of residual scarring the dog bite victim will have, and the permanent disfigurement resulting from the dog bite is an important issue when trying to arrive at a fair settlement figure.
• The settlement in this case was paid by the homeowner's insurance for the owner of the dog.  Once a claim is turned over the insurance company, they get to make all of the decisions about whether a settlement offer will be made, and if so, for how much.