Missouri Injury Attorney Blog

Dog bites and vicious dog attacks are getting noticed in the courts as evidenced by the HUGE ruling in a Jackson County Missouri court. On Tuesday, Alan L. Hill, who suffered severe injuries when viciously attacked by a group of pit bulls, was awarded $7.25 million by Circuit Judge Vernon E. Scoville of Jackson County, Missouri. This is proof positive of the benefits of hiring an attorney after an injury. The May 4, 2006, attacks against Hill and two other men sparked an outcry for tougher laws on dangerous dogs in Independence. The plaintiff's attorney was also successful in obtaining a consortium claim award for $300,000 to Hill’s wife, Connie Hill.

I would say that the plaintiffs are pleased so far with the efforts of their attorney, Paul L. Redfearn, III.

Circuit Judge Scoville ruled that several defendants should have known of the dogs’ “vicious propensities and tendency to injure persons. …,” and therefore found them liable for the damages sustained by the Plaintiff.

Defendants were Brittnee Ann Wisdom and James K. Knowles — owners of the property the pit bulls escaped from — and Wisdom’s mother, Nancy J. Wisdom. Also added to the lawsuit as third-party defendants were Paul Piper, owner of the dogs, and Bryan Smith, a handyman previously convicted of criminal charges in the case.

The facts of the case are pretty nasty. Hill nearly died. He remained hospitalized on a feeding tube for more than a month.

The judge found the attack caused permanent disfigurement and disabling injuries to Hill which included complex facial lacerations, extensive lacerations to his upper and lower extremities, and multi-system organ failure. Hill’s medical bills were greater than $500,000, and his loss of direct and future income was estimated at more than $1 million.

As could be expected, the civil case brought new light on the attacks, including the fact that the Wisdoms and Knowles all tried to contact animal control to have the dogs removed in the days before the dogs’ rampage. Interestingly enough, Brittnee Wisdom even left more than one note for Piper, telling him that he needed to have the dogs fenced in or restrained in a cage.

“I just rented the place out and the people have small children,” Wisdom wrote.

Earlier on the day of the attacks, the Wisdoms drove to the house to meet animal-control officers and have the dogs removed. However, the officers already had left by the time the Wisdoms arrived. The mother later called Smith to ask him to unlock the dogs for animal control. Which apparently happened, but he also left a window open, and the dogs escaped. Police eventually were able to locate the dogs and had the dogs killed.

On the criminal court side, Smith was sentenced to a year in jail for misdemeanor assault and was to serve 100 days in jail as shock time. Piper also was convicted by the municipal criminal court.

This is another horrifying case were the reckless behavior of dog owners led to serious and life-altering injuries. If you believe you might have a case worth pursuing, call or contact an experienced personal injury attorney in your area for a meeting to discuss your options.