Property Owner's Liability (Slip & Fall)

• Series of dog attacks in Minneapolis area

  Barry Doyle | April 22, 2007 4:20 PM | 0 CommentsCook County, IL

  There have been a series of three violent dog attacks in the Minneapolis area in recent weeks. In one a girl was attacked by a pit bull, in another, a boy was attacked by an akita, and in other a woman was nearly killed by a pit bull.In the most recent attack, the 4-year old girl suffered severe lacerations to her scalp which required 13 staples to close.The common thread running through these...

• Child drowns in pool

  Barry Doyle | April 20, 2007 10:00 AM | 0 CommentsCook County, IL

  A California child is dead and his brother hangs for life after the two boys were discovered in a pool owned by a neighbor. The dirty condition of the water in the pool delayed finding the boys.The cause of death for the younger boy wasd drowning.One of the criticisms of trial lawyers is that accidents such as this one have the potential for bankrupting pool owners, leading to people not...

• Missouri town regulating pit bulls

  Barry Doyle | April 16, 2007 7:30 AM | 0 CommentsCook County, IL

  The Missouri town of Sikeston recently enacted a dangerous dog ordinance which requires owners of dangerous dogs to follow certain regulations, including keeping the dog in a secure enclosure and having liability insurance.The ordinance defines a dangerous dog by the type of breed of dog, including pit bulls, and dogs having a history of biting hard enough to break the skin.This kind of...

• Stoves pose tipping hazard

  Barry Doyle | April 09, 2007 9:00 PM | 0 CommentsCook County, IL

  Many American homes are equipped with stoves which can tip over when weight is applied to the oven door. Retailers and manfacturers have long been aware of the hazard and have developed voluntary standards for design and installation of anti-tipping devices. However because the standards are voluntary, they are often not implemented.Many injuries have been reported with tiping stoves,...

• Pack of dogs mauls boy

  Barry Doyle | April 05, 2007 9:16 AM | 0 CommentsCook County, IL

  A Central Florida boy is recovering after he was mauled by a pack of three dogs, including a boxer, a rottweiler, and a pit bull. Neighbors pulled the dogs away from the boy. The owners of the dogs have turned them over to authorities.The boy sustained numerous bite wounds that may have proved fatal but for the intervention of the neighbors.This story highlights the dangers of dog packs. One...

• Residents in group home suffer carbon monoxide poisoning

  Barry Doyle | March 30, 2007 1:00 PM | 0 CommentsCook County, IL

  Residents and rescuers alike were suffering from the effects of carbon monoxide poisoning after the gas entered a group home due to a faulty flue on a hot water heater. The levels of carbon monoxide were 100 times that normally considered safe.One person died from carbon monoxide poisoning and six others had to be hospitalized.Operators of group home such as this have an obligation to keep the...

• Girl mauled by golden retriever

  Barry Doyle | March 27, 2007 8:21 AM | 0 CommentsCook County, IL

  A three-year old girl remains hospitalized after being attacked and severely bitten by a golden retriever belonging to her neighbor. The dog's owner admitted that the dog had bitten children before and claims that she told people to stay awat from the dog because he bites.The girl received many puncture wounds and tears, including one that removed most of her upper lip.While most serious animal...

• Doctor killed by malfunctioning elevator

  Barry Doyle | March 26, 2007 11:08 AM | 0 CommentsCook County, IL

  While boarding a hospital elevator, a Houston doctor was caught in between the doors when doors shut. Instead of automatically opening, the doors remained shut and the elevator began to rise even as a nurse inside the elevator car pushed the "door open" button.The doctor was decapitated by the http://www.houstonpress.com/2003-10-09/news/catching-elevators. Sadly, this was not the first serious...

• Insurers target dangerous dog breeds

  Barry Doyle | March 17, 2007 6:30 PM | 0 CommentsCook County, IL

  A recent news story brought to light the insurance industry's practice of denying coverage to or increasing premiums for homeowners with certain breeds of dogs. The practice is based on the notion that some breeds of dogs are more likley to bite, resulting in higher claims costs.Breeds targeted by insurers include pit bulls, German sheperds, rottweilers, and even chihuahuas.Interestingly, an...

• Boy attacked by neighbor's pit bull

  Barry Doyle | March 13, 2007 1:00 PM | 0 CommentsCook County, IL

  A 13 year-old Louisiana boy was mauled by a neighbor's pit bull. The attack, lasting approximately 20 minutes, occurred after the dog got loose from the yard.The boy's calf was stripped away down to the bone and multiple stitches and staples were required to close other lacerations and puncture wounds.This type of attack is unfortunately all too common with pit bulls. In Illinois, the family...