Community Corner
Report: Manalapan Man Awarded $650K in Dog Bite Lawsuit
New Jersey's strict "Dog Bite" statute imposes strict liability on the owner of a dog who bites another person.
A Manalapan man has been awarded $650,000 after being bitten by a neighbor’s Rottweiler, according to the Asbury Park Press. The settlement was compensation for the bite and the two surgeries that the victim, Jeffrey O’Leary, endured.
New Jersey’s “Dog Bite” statute enforces stringent accountability on the owner of the dog who has bitten someone, according to the report. O’Leary was attacked by his neighbor’s dog when he was helping him unload some wire mesh. O’Leary pet the dog and when he turned away the dog the assaulted him by biting his face and forearm, the report stated. This incident took place in July 2011.
O’Leary needed surgery as he suffered tissue loss around his lips and had cuts on his forehead and left arm. Over time, he experience numbness around his lips and had trouble fully opening his mouth, according to the APP. He underwent a second surgery a year after the first surgery.
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The lawsuit case was settled on Oct. 24 and was mediated by retired Superior Court Judge James Clyne, the report stated.
Tell us: How do you feel about New Jersey’s “Dog Bite” statute? Do you think it is fair or unfair?
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