INJURY LAW: Teen Awarded $137,000 in Dog Bite

A 13 year old girl who was badly injured by a pit bull has been awarded more than $137,000 for her injuries but now must fight to recover any of the money from the defaulting defendants.

On February 8, 2010, Stefini Senquiz went to visit her friend, Ebonee Tomas, in a three family house in West Haven.  Thomas lived in an apartment in the house with her father, Daniel.

Both defendants defaulted after no-showing in court in 2011.  At a hearing on damages earlier this year before Judge Trial Referee David W. Skolnick, Senquiz testified that she experienced discomfort in her arm for an extended period after the biting incident.  She also showed the scar to Skolnick; it measured 15 centimeters long and six centimeters wide.  Photos of the bite area after surgery were also presented to the judge.  In a written decision this spring, Skolnick, who described Brees as a dog coming from “a breed known for its pugnacious disposition when confronting strangers,” awarded $2,430 for economic damages and $135,000 for non-economic damages, totaling $137,430.