Katt Williams Fined $575K in Dog-Bites-Dog Case
Here's a lesson in how not to handle a bill dispute. Comedian Katt Williams owed music producer Merion Joseph Powers $28,000 for his use of Power's studio to record some of his comedy routines. Rather than pay or dispute the bill, Williams showed up at the studio with an attack dog. But the attack was not on Powers but on Power's dog.
After giving his dog what Power's believes was a "verbal attack sign" Williams dog did just that, ultimately inflicting "substantial and nearly life-threatening injuries" on the dog, TMZ reports. If Williams had trouble paying the $28,000 studio fees, he is really going to struggle with the $575,000 personal injury award he has been hit with.
This is not your typical dog bite case. Not only was the attack somewhat premeditated but there was also an identifiable motive behind the almost deadly encounter between the two dogs. Whatever merit Williams may have had in his initial dispute with Powers is paltry compared to the sizeable judgment against him for his inability to handle the issue legally.
Dog owners consider their precious pooch as part of the family. Sometimes owners even go so far as to include an animal in their will. In the end, though, dogs are property. In this case, Powers initially sought $1 million in damages from the comedian. In the end, the $575,000 award is still a very generous sum for what essentially boils down to a personal injury case between two dogs.
When determining damages in a dog/pet injury case courts look at such factors as: purchase price of a similar pet, registration of a purebred animal, and additional money spent on the pet. In certain instances an owner may also recover compensatory damages from the mental anguish relating to the loss of injury of his or her pet.
Related Resources:
- Katt Williams Dog Attack Case(411)
- Personal Injury (FindLaw)
- That Bites: Dog Sentenced for Attacking Police Cars (FindLaw's Legally Weird)