Homeowner Ruled Liable for Dog Attack

Our client, a 23-year-old male, was pushing a lawnmower in someone's yard when the homeowner's dog ran at him. Our client lost control of the lawnmower, which then ran over his foot. Several serious fractures and significant scarring resulted from the accident. We had a prominent plastic surgeon examine our client. The plastic surgeon worked up a thorough scar revision analysis, which — among other conclusions — estimated the cost of surgery. He also concluded that surgery would not entirely conceal our client's scars. The homeowner's insurance company tendered the entire $100,000 policy limit to our client. Before accepting this amount on our client's behalf, however, we performed an asset search and determined that he was not likely to obtain greater remuneration by suing and trying to execute on the homeowner's assets.