While visiting with a long-time high school friend in Jackson NJ during winter break from his sophomore year of college, Nicholas Robertson was attacked by the friend’s family Labrador mix dog. The dog pinned Nicholas to the floor, bit, and severed his left ear. Immediate medical attention brought Nicholas to the hospital for emergency surgery of the severely lacerated and severed ear. This first operation was followed by two additional surgeries over the course of the following year. The last surgery attempted to symmetrically match the deformed ear with the other ear by raising it. At the time of the settlement on June 22, 2022, Nicholas was scheduled for a fourth surgery for ear reconstruction, as the deformed ear is now smaller than the right ear.
The Dec. 15, 2019 dog bite attack left Nicholas both physically and emotionally injured. To ameliorate the resulting post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and fear of dogs, Nicholas required psychotherapy for help. He continues to be self-conscious about the size difference in his ears, and frequently wears hats to hide the deformed ear.
New Jersey has a strict dog bite statute. Animal owners are held liable for any pet that bites someone – no matter how docile the animal may present prior to a bite. Dog owners are held responsible for their dog’s actions and any injuries they inflict. Even if the dog has not shown any aggressive behavior previously, the dog owner is responsible for any and all injuries caused by the dog’s bite – whether the injured person was on public property or legally on private property when the attack occurred. No amount of an owner’s attempts to restrain the dog or warn others can diminish their liability. The owner is simply responsible for any and all injuries caused by his or her pet.
If injured by a dog bite, victims have up to two years to file a lawsuit to recover damages. In this case, Nicholas engaged Howard P. Lesnik, Esq. of Mountainside NJ to represent his personal injury case, which involved review of extensive medical records and costs, expert analysis, and negotiation with the homeowner’s insurance company. Lesnik provided the best possible representation, working diligently to get Nicholas the best result possible.
According to the Insurance Information Institute, dog-related injuries cost $881 million in homeowners liability claim, representing more than a third of all homeowners claims. (https://www.iii.org/press-release/triple-i-us-home-insurers-paid-out-nearly-900m-in-dog-related-claims-in-2021-041222 ). New Jersey is ranked ninth in the nation for dog bite claims. In 2021 alone there were 611 NJ dog bite claims that added up to a whopping $30.5 millions of claims.
When attacked or bitten by a dog in New Jersey, Lesnik recommends contacting an attorney experienced with dog bite claims. Contact NJ Injury Lawyer Howard Lesnik, Esq., immediately if attacked by a dog by email, by phoning 908.264.7701, or contact him through his website at https://mynjinjurylawyer.com/ .
About Howard P. Lesnik, NJ Personal Injury Attorney
Howard P. Lesnik, Esq. handles all types of personal injury cases and criminal defense cases throughout New Jersey. He is a certified trial attorney by the Supreme Court of NJ. More information on Howard P. Lesnik is available at https://mynjinjurylawyer.com/
