Mother Of 4 Killed In Deadly Dog Attack

A 35-year-old mother of four was killed and her 11-year-old child was seriously injured when her neighbor’s dogs attacked them in May. The incident involved more than a dozen dogs. According to reports, the dogs’ owner isn’t being held liable for the mauling because of the wording of a local ordinance. According to a Brooks County local ordinance, the dog’s owner was not required to confine or restrain the dogs involved in the deadly attack.

Claudine Wilkins, a former prosecutor and attorney who penned Georgia’s Responsible Dog Owner Act in 2012, is determined to amend state law to make it easier for Georgia authorities to prosecute dog mauling cases against negligent owners. Right now, there is no statewide rule that holds dog owners accountable for severe negligence. Instead, injured parties or their grieving families have to file civil lawsuits against the dog owner for personal injury or wrongful death.

According to WALB’s research, there are 29 counties in Georgia that have no animal control ordinance or they have poorly written ordinances, which allow them to apply state law. However, the current state law requires owners of dogs classified as “dangerous” to register their dogs with local animal control and confine them. The dogs that killed the mother of 4 had yet to previously attack anyone. Hence, they were not classified as “dangerous” and the owner was under no obligation to restrain the dogs.

Wilkins believes that the state law needs “a lot of repair.” She’s hoping to study what needs to be changed due to an uptick in the number of serious dog attacks in Georgia. Wilkins is in partnership with the Lt. Governor’s office and is forming a Senate study committee for the upcoming legislative session to amend the Georgia law concerning dangerous and vicious dog attacks.

Civil lawsuits and dog bite attacks 

At present, the only way to hold an owner liable for a dog attack may be to file a personal injury lawsuit against them. Often, however, such claims are filed against the owner’s homeowner’s insurance policy. If the owner of the dog doesn’t have homeowner’s insurance, that could present a barrier to getting just compensation for the injuries. You would have to file suit directly against the owner of the dog. In some cases, the dog owner may not have substantial resources to sue against. In many cases, personal injury lawyers require an insurance policy to file suit. The injured victim can often end up with nothing to compensate them for their injuries. If you file directly against the owner of the dog, they could discharge the judgment in bankruptcy. So, state law needs to step in and fill the void.

Talk to a Jacksonville, FL Personal Injury Lawyer Today 

Gillette Law represents the interests of those who have been bitten by dangerous or vicious dogs. Call our Jacksonville personal injury attorneys today to schedule a consultation, and we can begin discussing how you could recover damages for medical expenses, lost wages, and reduced quality of life.

Source:

walb.com/2024/06/13/brooks-co-deadly-dog-attack-could-lead-state-law-change-justice-courtney-williams-family/