A jury recently awarded a total of $1 million to a woman and her family after she was attacked and mauled by a 90-pound bulldog.  The woman was walking her own dog to meet her children at their bus stop when she was attacked.  The dog bit the woman's nose off, requiring extensive surgery, and the owner of the bulldog was sentenced to 4 months in prison and 100 hours of community service.  The dog was put down.

This horror story serves to underscore the emotional and financial costs involved in dog bites.  According to the Insurance Information Institute, about one third of annual insurance liability claims involve dog bites, and it costs insurance companies around $350 million per year.  The average cost of a dog-bite claim in 2007 was almost $25,000, an amount significantly inflated from just a few years previously.  Because of the cost, insurance companies are refusing to ensure breeds perceived as more likely to attack people, such as pit bulls, Akitas, Dobermans, and Rottweilers, meaning that owners without insurance could be personally liable to large amounts of money should they be found guilty.

Dog attacks aren't good for anyone.  They're painful and costly to both the victim and the owner.  If you're interested in learning more about dog bites, contact the Chicago dog bite attorneys of Friedman & Bonebrake, P.C., by calling 312-466-8200.

One man was killed and another injured in a traffic accidentin rural Makanda. The accident occurred around 4:30 Monday afternoon on GiantCity Road a few miles south of Touch of Nature Road.

Jackson County police said that 22 year-old Matthew Knipe,of Carbondale, was approaching a construction zone where a motorcycle wasstopped. Knipe failed to slow down and collided with the motorcycle.

28 year-old Omar Wilson, the driver of the motorcycle, wastransported to Memorial Hospital of Carbondale where he later died from hisinjuries.  A construction workerwas also injured in the accident. He was treated at the scene.  

Knipe has been issued a citation for failure to reduce speedto avoid an accident. The Jackson County Sheriff’s Department continues toinvestigate the accident.

If you or someone you know has been injured in an accident,please contact the Chicago Personal Injury Attorneys of Friedman &Bonebrake, P.C. by calling 312-466-8200.

The widow of a Euclid police officer who died in a caraccident while on duty in 2007 is suing Ford Motor Co and an Ohio distributor.The lawsuit, filed Monday in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court, claims thatthe 2007 Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor’s fuel tank is so vulnerable topuncture that it exploded when Patrolman George Brentar lost control of hisvehicle and crashed into a pole.

The 22-year veteran of the police force was watching forspeeders on Lakeland Boulevard in 2007 when he veered off road and slammed intoa pole. The car ignited on impact.

The lawsuit claims that the vehicle had two problems. First,the car did not come equipped with an electronic stability control feature. Andsecond, and most directly linked to Brentar’s death was the positioning of thegas tank.

The fuel tank was behind the rear axle of the car, making itextremely easy to puncture.

Ford has released a statement expressing sympathy forBrentar’s family but denying any blame for his death.

If you or someone you know has been injured in a caraccident, it is important to speak to a lawyer you can trust, an attorneywith experience. Please contact the Chicago Personal Injury Lawyers of Friedman& Bonebrake, P.C. by calling 312-466-8200.

Two people were killed and two were critically injured whena car crashed into a pole in the West Side neighborhood of Austin on Fridaynight.  According to police NewsAffairs Officer Ron Gaines, the accident occurred around 10 p.m. on the 5400block of West Chicago Avenue.

David Brooks, the 29 year-old driver of the vehicle, andanother man, believed to be in his twenties, were pronounced dead at StrogerHospital at 11:30 p.m. The two other passengers are both listed in criticalcondition according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office.

The police Major Accident Investigation Unit is stillinvestigating the cause of the crash, but authorities say they are certain onlyone car was involved. The Chicago Fire Department called an EMS Plan I, whichsends five ambulances to the scene, in response to the crash.

If you or someone you know has been injured in an accident,please contact the Chicago Personal Injury Lawyers of Friedman & Bonebreak,P.C. by calling 312-466-8200.