PREMISES LIABILITY: Jury returns defense verdict in dog bite case where plaintiff sought $1.5 million in damages where credibility was the key issue

The plaintiff brought a negligence suit against the owner of the property and her son, the dog owner, for negligence after the plaintiff was bit in the upper left calf.  The case came down to whether the dog had previously bitten a person, and was a case of credibility for the jury.

The plaintiff testified that the owner had told him to be careful of the dog because the dog had bitten two people in the past, and the owner denied ever stating that.  The dog owner told a different story about how the two prior incidents involved the dog growling and jumping on people in a playful manner.

In the end, the jury believed the owner and found for the defense.

Anders Helm v. Scott Hanson, Et al, Superior Court, judicial district of Middletown, Docket No. CV 176018334S (August 9, 2019)