When “Bite Me” Takes on New Meaning

It was an ugly instance where dog met man and ripped off his ear. The case took a long while to settle and even now, the plaintiff still suffers from post traumatic stress disorder.

When dog meets man under certain circumstances, the results are not always good. Take the case of Carson, a boat mechanic and Purvis the Pit Bull. Carson had just moved into a new apartment located at the back of a house. To get to his apartment, the quiet and hard working Carson had to pass the next door neighbor’s house that had a huge sign plastered in the window: “Beware of Dog.”

Initially living next to a barking dog didn’t really bother Carson, as he wasn’t home all that often. But, over a period of several months, each time he came home, the dog next door (Purvis the Pit Bull) went into a seething rage, growling and barking his “Keep away from my property,” warning. This went on for a few more months until one afternoon Carson finally met the dog’s owner, Mick. Carson was heading out for the day and saw Mick yanking on the leash of a huge and powerful Pit Bull.

Right across the street, there were small kids playing which set the dog into a frenzy of barking and yelping, something Mick thought was really funny. The kids’ mother didn’t think it was so hilarious; she shot Mick a dirty glance as she shooed her kids back indoors. Mick just laughed and went inside his house.

All was quiet for a few more weeks until Carson was walking down his driveway when Purvis the Pit Bull charged him. Thankfully, the leash was too short for the dog to actually connect with Carson. Carson was not amused and said something to the owner who immediately took his words as a personal insult.

A fight ensued and Carson had Mick in a headlock right in the middle of the street. Purvis the Pit Bull was hysterical and despite being chained, gave a mighty lunge and snapped the chain, making a deadly beeline for Carson. Purvis bit his arm, head, back, and ripped off Carson’s right ear.

Needless to say Carson sued Mick, the dog’s owner, but also Mick’s landlord for negligently allowing Mick to harbor a dog with vicious propensities and for not enforcing a lease clause that forbade pets. Although Carson was able to recover damages for his personal injuries inflicted by Purvis the Pit Bull, he still has ongoing post traumatic stress disorder and suffers from permanent damage to his right ear.

This particular case took over a year to finally make its way through the court system. During that period of time Carson was unable to work full-time due to post traumatic stress disorder, was forced to move because he could not stand living next door to Purvis any longer, and took a laundry list of medications for his damaged ear and his psychological condition. In addition to that, he also had to make ends meet and pay his regular bills.

During the course of a long court battle, the issue of financing your day-to-day living expenses may become a concern, one that could drastically affect how your case resolves. If you are worried about a settlement and are having trouble paying your bills, you may be forced to accept a smaller settlement to survive.

This doesn’t have to be the case. Help is just a phone call away. Do a little online research on a service called litigation funding. You may qualify for a cash advance against your personal injury case. Lawsuit funding can be used to pay important bills such as car payments, mortgage payments, tuition, food and medical bills.

Your online research should produce a reputable lawsuit funding company that will provide the financial assistance necessary to permit you to wait for a fair and equitable verdict in your personal injury case.

Daren Monroe writes for Litigation Funding Corp. To learn more about lawsuit funding and litigation funding, visit Litigationfundingcorp.com.

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