Probation Officer Sues for Dog Bite Injury in Ohio
Posted on Dec 12, 2008 3:16pm PST
In Elyria, Ohio, a probation officer working for Lorain County recently filed a lawsuit against Lorain Police Department K-9 officer, Erick Gonzalez, and also the city of Lorain. The victim, Bobbi Debruler, alleges that she was bitten by a police dog named Rex while she visited Gonzalez's home in 2006.
In her lawsuit, Debruler states that she is seeking more than $50,000 in compensatory damages because she was bitten in the face by Gonzalez's dog. Her attorney, Terrence Kenneally, said that Debruler's injuries were "fairly significant." The lawsuit reports that the dog bit Debuler below her right eye and that the dog also damaged one of her teeth.
Kenneally said that his client initially did not want to sue Gonzalez and would have preffered to negotiate a settlement instead of letting the case progress to trial. However, attempts to negotiate had not been successful, and the state's statute of limitations is quickly approaching.
"We got nowhere, and a couple weeks ago we got a call that they lost the file," Kenneally said. "We held off as long as we could."
According to Ohio law, dog owners are liable for any injuries or death that is caused by their dogs, unless the loss was caused to the person or property of an individual who attempted to trespass, commit another type of criminal offense, teased the dog or abused the dog on the owner's property.
In Debruler's case, the dog was not provoked, so there was no reason for the attack.
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