Photos help clinch $100,000 settlement in dog bite case
An attorney avoided a lawsuit when the dog owner's insurer agreed to settle with the bite victim, thanks to some photo evidence.
The use of photographic evidence in a dog attack was critical to Hartford, Conn., attorney Christopher Houlihan landing a $100,000 insurance settlement without even filing a lawsuit.
Working with a 7-year-old girl who had stitches from her lower lip to the bottom of her chin after a pit bull named Cali attacked her outside a Waterbury home, Houlihan knew visual evidence could cement his case.
Houlihan, an associate with RisCassi & Davis, showed several of the more striking photos of the girl to Andy Wan, the insurance adjuster for American Bankers Insurance Group. Kevin Garges, the dog’s owner, had a $100,000 renter’s insurance policy through the carrier.
“The injuries in this case were so shocking and evident that all we really needed were good photos,” Houlihan said. “The quality of those photos are paramount.”
The girl’s mother took photos of her daughter “almost every day to track her progress,” Houlihan said. “I encouraged her to keep taking those photos and to forward them to me on a regular basis.”
No lawsuit was filed since American Bankers agreed to settle for $100,000, Houlihan said. The probate court approved the structured settlement on March 12, 2020. The money will be invested, and the girl will be able to withdraw from it when she turns 18, Houlihan said.
Houlihan, though, said $100,000 is not enough to compensate the girl for her injuries. He also filed suit against Debbie and Michael Thill, owners of the home where the girl and her parents were attending an engagement party when the incident occurred. Houlihan is seeking their $300,000 homeowners insurance policy.
It’s not clear why the dog lunged at the girl in what was just a split-second attack on Aug. 10, 2019, Houlihan said. It’s also not clear whether the dog was quarantined or put down.
Houlihan said the girl, who lives in Wolcott, “will have significant lifelong scars and will likely be seen by a plastic surgeon for evaluation.”
“This is a bright sweet girl and this is an injury she will carry with her for her entire life,” Houlihan said. “People will see the scars immediately upon meeting her and she will have to walk around being aware of that. My hope is that she can be confident going forward and that the injury does heal, even if surgery is required.”
Wan could not be reached for comment.
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