Rebenack Settles Hip Fracture Litigation for $125,000

RAM Law’s 84 year old client, a resident of Colts Neck, was injured during her daily neighborhood walking routine. As she approached the house of another Colts Neck resident, the homeowner’s Daschund entered the street and started barking at the client. The dog startled the client causing her to fall to the street resulting in a hip fracture and shoulder injury. An orthopedic surgeon used medical hardware to stabilize the hip fracture. The injury required an inpatient stay at the hospital and subsequent rehabilitation center. The dog owner’s insurance company failed to make a voluntary settlement offer. Instead, the insurance company blamed the client for her fall. They also suggested that she may have suffered a stroke based upon the initial medical records. As a result, RAM Law filed a lawsuit. After taking depositions of the dog owners, RAM Law established that the dog had a history of getting out of the backyard fence and a propensity to bark at strangers. Not long after the depositions, the insurance company agreed to pay $125,000 to avoid trial.