Law Office of Kenneth A Wilhelm Obtains Highest New York Verdict in 2010 for Dog Bites

The New York personal injury law firm of Kenneth A. Wilhelm has been named in the New York Law Journal for obtaining $750,000 for a young dog bite victim – the highest settlement/verdict awarded to an animal bite victim in New York State in 2010. The law firm that was mentioned second under the animal bite category obtained $440,000 for their client.
Our client’s serious injuries occurred on May 4, 2008 when the 15-year-old girl was visiting a residence in Middle Island. The girl was bitten in the face by the family’s pit bull. The girl’s mother sued the dog owner on her daughter’s behalf. We helped file the lawsuit, which alleged that the dog should have been leashed, muzzled or better controlled. The attack occurred when the teenager was petting the dog in a friendly manner. There was absolutely no provocation.
The victim sustained facial lacerations and disfigurement and was faced with the possibility of having to undergo surgery. Her mother sought damages for all medical expenses, pain and suffering, and emotional distress. We negotiated a $750,000 pretrial settlement, which was paid by the defendant’s insurer.
New York dog bite victims must prove two things in order to receive compensation – that the dog was dangerous and that the dog owner knew that the dog was dangerous. These points must be proved regardless of the dog’s breed. In this particular case, we were able to obtain information that the same pit bull had attacked another girl in exactly the same manner and bit her on the face. We were able to show that the dog owner failed to restrain or muzzle the dog when he had visitors over to the house. The dog owner even had a dog run in the backyard where he could have put the dog. But he did nothing to keep the dog away from the child.
We feel proud and honored to have helped protect the rights of this young victim. Our experienced New York personal injury attorneys work tirelessly to uphold the rights of injured victims just like this young girl and help them obtain just compensation for all their injuries, damages and losses. If you or a loved one has been injured in a New York dog attack, please contact us at 1-800-WORK-4-YOU (1-800-967-5496). Let us help you understand your legal rights and options. We can also help you with personal injury cases in New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Florida. If you have been seriously injured in any of the 50 U.S. states, please call us and we will try to help you with your case.
Other phone numbers for us are:
1-800-RADIO-LAW, 1-888-WYPADEK, OR 1-800-LAS-LEYES
Please visit our website: www.work4youlaw.com