A Dog Bite in Irwin County Turned into a Fight for Justice

Caged Pitbull standing up against fence, biting through the fence

A dog with a history of violence attacked a man in Irwin County. Chad Ethridge of Buzzell, Welsh & Hill fought hard to get him the coverage he deserved.

A Dog Attack in His Own Backyard

An Irwin County sheriff’s deputy was enjoying the day in his backyard when a neighbor’s pit bull broke free from its restraint, jumped a fence, charged at the deputy, and latched onto his hand and arm. Once the dog finally let go, the deputy needed immediate medical attention, requiring multiple stitches, a hospital stay, and a lengthy recovery. Plus, without knowing whether the dog was up to date on its shots, the deputy also needed a series of rabies shots to ensure he did not become infected.

Seeking Legal Help in Irwin Co. Led the Victim to BWH in Macon

The deputy contacted a local attorney for legal help and was referred to Chad at Buzzell, Welsh & Hill.

Chad and His Team Launched a Months-Long Investigation

This was a tricky case to tackle, especially since it was not clear if insurance coverage was available for the deputy’s medical bills. Thankfully, Chad was up for the challenge!

Chad first contacted the owner of the dog and the owner of the property where the pit bull was kept. He also contacted insurance companies to find out which carrier would cover the deputy’s injuries. After many unreturned phone calls and runarounds, Chad finally found the right insurance company.

Insurance company representatives claimed that they did not have to provide coverage for the incident, since the homeowner did not own the dog and that the dog did not reside on the property.

Chad and his team discovered that there had been several prior incidents involving the same dog attacking others at the same property. Additionally, on the day of this incident, the responding officer’s body cam footage captured the dog owner admitting that she and her dog had been living at the property for a while.

Insurance Refused to Budge Until Chad Forced Its Hand

Even after Chad presented his evidence to the insurance company, it maintained that it did not have to pay anything. The deputy had around $70,000 total in medical expenses from the dog bite, but the insurance company offered less than $10,000.

The deputy initially wanted to accept the offer, but Chad knew a little more work would likely lead to a better outcome. On behalf of his client, Chad sued the insurance company, the dog owner, and the property owner. Shortly after the suit was filed, the insurance company contacted Chad immediately to make a new offer.

The Settlement

The insurance company offered the policy limit of $100,000, a huge increase over the original $10,000 offer. The deputy accepted.

Chad’s Hard Fight Led to Optimal Outcomes

It took months of digging and investigation to discover the dog’s history of violent attacks. Through his investigation, Chad was able to press the insurance company to pay his client the money he needed to cover injuries, pain, and suffering.

Fighting for our clients is the BWH way. Chad and all the attorneys at Buzzell, Welsh & Hill work hard to uncover the facts regarding our clients’ cases and navigate toward the best outcomes.

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