Dog Attack Lawsuit Filed Against Louisiana Sheriff’s Office

A Louisiana dog attack lawsuit has been filed against the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office. The complaint alleges that local authorities failed to impound a loose pit bull, even though they had received several complaints involving the dog.

According to local news reports, Brian Millet was attacked by an uncontrolled pit bull while delivering a package in December 2007.

Millet filed his lawsuit against Livingston Parish Sheriff’s office on grounds that the department did not take any action to safeguard the public from the pit bull. The lawsuit alleges that the Sheriff’s Office ignored multiple complaints involving the stray dog.

Though Millet was not bitten by the dog, he claims that he suffered severe back injuries while attempting to defend himself from the animal attack.

Plaintiffs typically file dog attack lawsuits against the owner of the animal that caused the injuries or against property owners where an animal with a known vicious propensity was kept. Most states have dog bite laws which provide that owners or maintainers of known vicious animals are strictly liable for injures caused by an attack.

The Louisiana lawsuit alleges that the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s office was aware of the danger the pit bull posed, and failed to take actions to protect the public.

WBRZ News 2 Louisiana reports that Livingston Parish has a nearly complete animal shelter which is not in use due to a lack of funds to make it fully functional.

 
Approximately 4.5 million dog attacks occur annually in the United States, but the majority of these incidents are not reported to local authorities. Mail carriers and delivery people are at a particular risk for animal attacks, with the U.S. Postal Service reporting that employees were injured in 3,423 dog attacks and bites in 2003.