7 years ago my dog bit a meter reader. We are now going to court, she submitted the lawsuit within the 3 year allowable time. She claims from the dog bite that she became an alcoholic and wants half million dollars for her pain and suffering and alcoholism.
Its a jury trial, I have a lawyer whom I have spoke with only twice insurance co. provided him can't get much information from him.
My question is has anyone ever heard of being awarded half million dollars for a dog bite that caused alcoholism and what do you think would be an appropriate amount should be awarded in this case.
Thank you.
Mr. Taradji's answer is excellent. Let me add to it that, in negligence cases, the defendant usually cannot be held liable for injuries that aren't natural and foreseeable at the time of the incident. If you don't control a dog it is natural and foreseeable that it will bite someone and that she will need medical treatment. It is even foreseeable that she might need a *lot* of medical treatment, depending upon the circumstances. But it's hard to say that becoming an alcoholic is a natural and foreseeable consequence of the bite.
There are exceptions to this rule. Among them, if the plaintiff is particularly susceptible to a particular type of injury, she may be able to recover for that injury under circumstances where others wouldn't. For example, if you punch someone with brittle bones and injure him more severely than you had any reason to expect, you would probably be liable for the full extent of the injuries you caused. The plaintiff may be relying on this type of argument. That doesn't mean she will win, but it might explain why that part of her case hasn't been thrown out.
Mr. Taradji's answer is excellent. Let me add to it that, in negligence cases, the defendant usually cannot be held liable for injuries that aren't natural and foreseeable at the time of the incident. If you don't control a dog it is natural and foreseeable that it will bite someone and that she will need medical treatment. It is even foreseeable that she might need a *lot* of medical treatment, depending upon the circumstances. But it's hard to say that becoming an alcoholic is a natural and foreseeable consequence of the bite.
There are exceptions to this rule. Among them, if the plaintiff is particularly susceptible to a particular type of injury, she may be able to recover for that injury under circumstances where others wouldn't. For example, if you punch someone with brittle bones and injure him more severely than you had any reason to expect, you would probably be liable for the full extent of the injuries you caused. The plaintiff may be relying on this type of argument. That doesn't mean she will win, but it might explain why that part of her case hasn't been thrown out.
