On October 12, 2014, our client, a retired United States Marine, was walking on a public sidewalk in Woodbridge, VA, when a pit bull, being walked on a leash, attacked him without any reason or provocation.
The official law enforcement investigation, which resulted in criminal charges against the dog walker for failure to properly control the vicious animal, determined that the offending dog jumped directly at our client’s face, latched on to his right arm (which our client used to deflect the dog’s attack), and dragged him more than 20 yards, resulting in serious lacerations on and permanent nerve damage to his right arm and hand.
Personal injury lawyer, Jim Parrish was hired to represent the injured veteran and discovered that this pit bull had a history of aggressive behavior before the attack that forever changed the victim’s life.
Representatives of the insurance company for the dog owner’s homeowner’s liability insurance policy had the gall to try to point the finger at our client and say that he was at fault for the unsolicited attack.
However, the insurance company’s position quickly crumbled under Mr. Parrish’s pressure and it accepted liability for our client’s injuries.
As a result of Mr. Parrish’s skills and efforts, a $300,000 settlement, which was the maximum recoverable under the homeowner’s insurance policy (or “policy limit”), was reached without having to file a lawsuit.