Los Angeles Personal Injury Lawyer Directory

  • Home
  • Credentials Matter
  • Practice Areas
    • Personal Injury
    • Automobile Accident
    • Car Accident
    • Workers Compensation
    • Wrongful Death
    • Cruise Accident
    • Slip & Fall
    • Uber Accident
  • Blog
  • Contact an Attorney

March 16, 2018 by MatadorAdmin

Massachusetts Dog Bite Victim Calling for Tougher Animal Control Laws

A dog bite victim is taking matters into her own hands in the Village of Forestdale in Massachusetts, reports Cape News.

Elizabeth Hiatt, a grandmother who bakes, crafts and weaves, suffered damage to her hands in a violent dog attack in late 2017. Her mission is now threefold: to work on improving her hands, change the way dogs are put up for adoption, and change how they are removed from circulation should they prove to be dangerous.

Hiatt has lived in a spacious neighborhood in the village for more than 30 years and has close bonds with her neighbors. A lover of dogs, the grandmother agreed to walk Bubba, a pit bull, for her elderly neighbors who live down the road, Edith and Cliff Gardener. She walked the dog without any incident for six weeks, but on the evening of September 5, that changed.

The start of the walk was typical. Bubba was waiting by his owners’ door, and Hiatt and two of her relatives took the dog by its leash down the road. Coming from the opposite direction was another dog, a Samoyed named Klondike, and his owner. Normally, the two dogs passed without acknowledging each other, but this time, Bubba went after Klondike with so much force that he broke his own collar. Klondike’s owner was able to separate the dogs, but Bubba went after Hiatt next, biting her face and right hand before clamping down on her left hand. At the time, Hiatt could feel her bones breaking and her tendons tearing. A passerby call 911, and Hiatt was taken to the hospital. She received a total of 100 stitches, 75 of which were just for her left hand.

After the attack on Hiatt, Bubba was not put down. In fact, after a hearing, he was allowed back into circulation. He would go on to attack a 22-year-old groomer at a pet store where he had been brought for grooming a few months later. The groomer suffered bites to her hand, wrist and upper body.

While Hiatt has decided not to sue the town, the dog’s owners or anyone else over her incident, she has spent months researching adoption policies, animal control laws and how dog bite cases are handled by local governments. Through her research, she has decided that several protocols need to be put into effect to prevent incidents like this from happening again. Her suggested changes include serious consideration of euthanasia when a dog causes a person serious injury and a dangerous dog hearing in all of those cases, background checks of animals that attack, the immediate impound of any attacking animal, and an evaluation of the dog’s home environment before it is returned to its owners.

Hiatt does not blame her neighbors, who did not know Bubba was dangerous. She just wants to stop other people from being bitten, and to this day, she’s still upset that what happened to the young groomer could have been prevented.

Dog bites can have serious, lasting consequences for victims. If you’ve been attacked by an animal, speak to an attorney, like a dog bite lawyer Denver CO trusts, today.

Thanks to our friends and contributors from Richard J. Banta, P.C. for their insight into dog bite cases.

 

Filed Under: LA Personal Injury Law

Los Angeles Personal Injury Lawyers

  • Home
  • Credentials Matter
  • Practice Areas
    • Personal Injury
    • Automobile Accident
    • Car Accident
    • Workers Compensation
    • Wrongful Death
    • Cruise Accident
    • Slip & Fall
    • Uber Accident
  • Blog
  • Contact an Attorney

L.A. Personal Injury Resources

LA Car Accident Lawyers
Automobile Accident Lawyer LA
Los Angeles Personal Injury Lawyer
Los Angeles Automobile Accident Attorney
Car Accident Lawyer Los Angeles
Los Angeles Workers Compensation Attorney
Los Angeles Wrongful Death Attorney
Los Angeles Slip & Fall Lawyer
Uber Accident Lawyer Los Angeles
Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Woodland Hills CA
Truck Accident Lawyer Woodland Hills CA
Los Angeles Personal Injury Attorneys

Other Resources

Hot Legal Tips
Dog Bite lawyer Denver CO
Cruise Accident Lawyers LA
Drug Possession Lawyer Llano, TX
Pedestrian Accident Lawyer Atlanta GA
Car Accident Lawyer Los Angeles CA

Contact an Attorney

Contact an attorney from one of Los Angeles' premier personal injury law firms.

Free Case Evaluation

No Legal Advice Intended. This website includes general information about legal issues and law practices. Such materials are for informational purposes only and should not be considered legal advice or counsel. Information may not reflect current legal standards. For legal advice specific to your needs, contact an attorney licensed in your jurisdiction. Do not rely on any statement on this website for any reason whatsoever. Furthermore, the information contained in this website is for informational purposes only. It is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice or representation. Your review or use of this web site, its information and links does not create an attorney-client relationship or an attorney-client privilege between this law firm and you. Statements made to this firm before the formation of an attorney-client relationship may not be privileged and confidential.


Other Resources
American Bar Association | The American Lawyer | National Lawyers Association | Lawyers Without Borders | American College of Trial Lawyers | American Bar Association | National Association of Women Lawyers | Lawyers Associated Worldwide | Car Accident Lawyer DC | DC Personal Injury Lawyer | Elizabeth, NJ Workers Comp Attorney


© COPYRIGHT 2023 LOS ANGELES PERSONAL INJURY LAWYERS | POWERED BY SEO Marketing For Attorneys