Personal Injury Case Report – Dog Bite Injury
Dog Bite – Partial Amputation of Nose (2)
NATURE OF CASE:
Dog Bite Injury
INJURIES ALLEGED:
Partial amputation of nose.
NAME OF CASE:
Withheld.
AMOUNT OF AWARD / SETTLEMENT
$220,000.00
LAWYER FOR PLAINTIFF:
Eric J. Parker, Susan M. Bourque, PARKER | SCHEER, Boston, Massachusetts
CASE SUMMARY:
On November 15, 2002, the plaintiff, a Massachusetts licensed neuro- psychiatrist, and her husband, arrived at the home of the plaintiff’s sister to meet the defendants’ newly adopted dog, a Dalmatian. The plaintiff entered her sister’s home and greeted the dog. When the plaintiff bent down to hand the dog a play toy, the dog suddenly and without warning, lunged toward the plaintiff’s face, biting-off a portion of the plaintiff’s nose. The plaintiff originally believed that the dog’s head had simply struck her nose, but when she and her husband went into the bathroom to inspect her nose, the plaintiff was horrified to learn that the dog had amputated a significant portion of left nostril.
The plaintiff began to feel extremely light-headed and fainted in the bathroom. While waiting for the ambulance to arrive, the plaintiff’s sister placed the amputated portion of plaintiff’s nose in a jar of tap water, believing that this would best preserve the rescued tissue. Unfortunately, tap water (unlike saline, or simple ice-packing) lead to tissue swelling, further complicating the grafting process.
Following the initial surgery which resulted in the re-attachment of the severed tissue to the plaintiff’s nose, the plaintiff underwent a number of painful scar revision surgeries designed to improve the visual appearance of her nose.
The incident, including the disfigurement occasioned by the loss of considerable tissue, left the plaintiff depressed and distant from her husband.
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Francis T. O'Brien, Jr. is of counsel to Parker | Scheer, LLP and serves as director of the firm's criminal practice group. Mr. O'Brien's practice concentrates on all areas of criminal defense, including white collar, crimes of violence, fraud, narcotics, motor vehicle offenses and operating under the influence and DUI. He has extensive experience in issues relating to search and seizure as well as issues arising in the defense of operating under the influence.
Vincent A. Tofani is of counsel to Parker | Scheer, LLP and serves as an associate within the criminal practice group. Attorney Tofani, practices concentrates on all areas of criminal defense, including crimes of violence, narcotics, motor vehicle offenses and operating under the influence and DUI.