For the second time in as many months a Mauriello Law case has made it to the North Carolina Lawyers Weekly.

This time our claim against both a dog owner and dog keeper received print in the statewide paper that receives much peer review.

Mauriello law has handled over the last few years a large number of dog bite and dog attack cases in Mooresville, Huntersville, Cornelius and Charlotte, North Carolina. This particular case came from Dare County.

Our client, a New York resident was attacked by a Border Collie while visiting her friend’s home. The dog was actually owned by a boyfriend of the homeowner. A primary issue in the case was whether a person other than the actual owner of the animal who keeps or harbors a dog can be held liable if the dog bites or attacks another. North Carolina law answers the question in the affirmative, although, certain factors relating to the non-owner’s familiarity with the dog including how often the dog is kept on the property, knowledge of its propensities to bite or attack, etc., must be met.

In this case the claim was settled before suit was filed against the parties for $130,000.00 in part because the victim had to undergo surgery to repair facial damage. According to insurance industry reports dog bite claims make up a good percentage of reported claims made against homeowners. In addition to the Border Collie at issue we have recently represented both adults and minors bitten or attacked by Boxers, Pit Bulls, German Shepherds, and other breeds.

Remember contributory negligence and other defenses which could result in no recovery are available in such cases so contact us if you, a friend or loved one suffers from a dog bite or attack.