Pit bull owners are apt to be defensive about their choice of pet or watch dog. They usually talk about how well-trained and friendly their dog is. For their particular dog, that may well be true. However, pit bull owners have a far greater chance of ending up in court on the wrong side of a dog bite case than owners of other breeds.
Pit bulls were bred to fight. There is confusion over just how old the breed is; one theory dates the breed to ancient Greece, where they were known as the Molossus and became famous as war dogs. A different theory places the dogs in medieval England, being used to fight bulls in pits. People also differ about which breeds were mixed to create pit bulls. However, for many years there were few reports of attacks on humans by pit bulls.
That changed during the 1980s when illegal dog fights became much more common, and pit bulls were the dog of choice. Drug dealers (and those who wanted to look tough) also chose pit bulls, the more aggressive the better. Since then, it seems that the combination of dogs bred for aggression combined with poor training by owners has led to a rash of deaths and serious injuries.
Statistics are not on the side of pit bulls and their owners. Pit bulls were responsible for 62% of dog bite deaths between 2005 – 2013. Dog bite injuries are expensive, costing 50% more than the average accident injury. One reason for the costs associated with dog bites could be the age of the victim: 4 out of every 10 dog bites are to children under age 14. The number of people bitten by dogs is not insignificant: between 350,000 – 400,000 people each year.
There has been representing Michigan accident victims since 1999. The founder of the firm, Frederick W. Bleakley, has almost 30 years experience fighting to obtain just compensation for those injured because of another’s negligence. The firm’s team of experienced trial attorneys focus on cases involving Personal Injury, Workers’ Compensation, Auto Accidents, Social Security Disability and Dog Bites. Any person needing an and should contact the firm to schedule a free consultation to discuss the available options.
