Cape Cod Injury Lawyer Blog
Unfortunately, there has been another vicious dog bite attack in Massachusetts. The latest incident occurred at a construction demolition yard in Revere. A 14-year-old boy suffered severe dog bite injuries, and when a hero cop showed up to help, the boy was unresponsive. Rushed to the hospital, the boy suffered open wounds to his skull, has undergone surgery, and is facing multiple plastic surgery operations down the road.
The report of the attack is terrifying. A 12-year-old friend of the victim called 9-1-1 while the two Rottweilers, both guard dogs, were mauling the victim. The two boys had been visiting the dogs for months and petting them through the fence without incident. On the day of the attack, the older boy climbed over the fence, and the animals set upon him after he fiddled with his cell phone.
The police officer who saved the boy acted courageously, and the boy’s mother credits the officer with saving her son’s life. Ironically, he was previously the target of an investigation concerning his work ethic, and it appears that whatever issue existed has now fallen firmly by the wayside. While these guard dogs were contained on their property when the attack occurred, they were both euthanized voluntarily after the horrific tragedy.
Massachusetts authorities have indicated the dog owner apparently did not comply with a state law requiring that guard dogs be registered with the local fire department. Further, there were suggestions that the boys had previously scaled the fence to visit the dogs without incident, though that was not independently confirmed. It was not reported whether there were any warning signs concerning the guard dogs.
Massachusetts is what is known as a strict liability state when it comes to dog bite injuries. Nevertheless, legal issues of trespass may come into play if the parents of the boy intend to pursue a personal injury claim for reimbursement of monetary damages sustained as a result of the animal attack. When an individual suffers serious injury from a dog bite, it may make good sense to gain an understanding of their legal rights under the law, based upon a careful review of all of the facts and circumstances surrounding the incident.
Source: Revere Journal, “Boy, 14, Mauled by Two Guard Dogs,” Seth Daniel, March 28, 2013