Recently in Dog Bite / Animal Attacks Category

A killer bee death in Texas has left a man's family in mourning. It also raises a few potential legal issues regarding liability.

Larry Goodwin of Moody, Texas, who just celebrated his 62nd birthday on Friday, was driving his tractor when it hit a pile of wood -- which included an empty chicken coop that contained 22 honeycombs. An estimated 40,000 killer bees swarmed and stung him to death, KCEN-TV reports.

Goodwin had apparently been on his neighbor's property when he upset the hive. The neighbor's wife and daughter tried to help, and got stung approximately a hundred times between the two of them. One of these women also remain in critical condition.

A jogger was killed after being mauled by four pit bulls Thursday in Southern California. Law enforcement officers are now on the hunt for the animals.

The Los Angeles County Sherriff's Department issued a warning to stay away from the area in the town of Littlerock, near Palmdale, where the 63-year-old female victim was attacked, reports The Los Angeles Times.

It's not yet clear who owned the pit bulls involved in the jogger's mauling. But if an owner is identified, he or she could face serious charges, not to mention a potential lawsuit by the victim's relatives.

A dog is a man's best friend, and cats will keep you company. But that doesn't mean they don't misbehave sometimes. If your pet gets out of control and bites or attacks someone, there might be a lawsuit in your future.

But how can you tell if the incident is your fault or if it's something you couldn't control?

Lawmakers have mostly figured out the answer to that question. While it might be better for everyone if dogs didn't bite and cats didn't scratch, animal-related injuries do happen, so it pays to know how to deal with it.

A young girl on a visit to Sea World got a shocking reminder that dolphins are wild animals when she received some painful bites from one of the intelligent sea creatures, CNN reports.

Jillan Thomas, an 8-year-old girl on vacation with her family in Orlando, was participating in feeding the dolphins a few weeks ago. She and other park visitors were warned not to lift the trays that held the dolphins' food.

The reason for that rule became clear just seconds after Jillian held up one of the paper trays. A dolphin leaped out of the water to grab the tray -- and bit Jillian's hand too.

A 2-year-old boy was mauled by a pack of wild dogs at the Pittsburgh Zoo on Sunday.

The boy's mother reportedly wanted to give her child a better view of the zoo's wild African dogs enclosure, and placed her toddler atop a 4-foot railing that overlooked the enclosure.

Almost as soon as the boy was placed on the railing, he lost his balance and fell about 14 feet into the enclosure. A pack of 11 dogs then jumped on the toddler and mauled him, reports The Associated Press.

Personal injury lawsuits aren't just for when you get hurt; they can also cover accidents when your pet gets hurt.

The pet itself can't bring an injury claim, but most courts recognize the value that pets bring to our lives. Depending on the circumstances of the situation, the court may compensate you for the cost of treating the injury or the financial loss if your pet is killed.

In some circumstances judges will also provide damages for emotional pain, although they probably won't say that's what it's for.

A chimp attack four years ago cost Kristin Howard most of her left thumb but the Oregon Court of Appeals recently ruled that she has no right to sue.

Howard was less than two weeks into her internship at Chimps Inc. when she was attacked by a chimp named Kimie. Chimps Inc. is a private sanctuary for chimpanzees who previously worked in some form of entertainment.

Howard's injury is real but the court still said she can't file suit, even for her medical bills.

The reason? She signed a liability waiver.

CJ the chimp is leaving Las Vegas, a move that was expedited by the animal's escape on Saturday -- her second escape in a month.

CJ, a female chimpanzee, and her mate Buddy both escaped from their enclosure in a residential neighborhood in July. Police shot and killed Buddy when he got dangerously close to spectators, and took CJ down with a tranquilizer dart, the Las Vegas Sun reported.

Saturday's escape also ended with a tranquilizer dart. Though no humans were hurt, one of CJ's caretakers says a human may have helped the chimp escape.

Dogs can be man's best friends -- that is until they bite another man. Being attacked by an animal can lead to serious injuries. And knowing what to do after a dog bites you can sometimes be unclear, particularly in terms of your rights.

Who's responsible for your medical expenses? Can you sue? What will happen to the dog? These are all common questions that people have after an animal attack.

So if you (or a loved one) is bitten by a dog, here are three simple steps you should follow to ensure your health and rights are protected.

When Washington resident Mica Craig headed to the Clarkston Walmart on Friday, he was only looking to pick up some mulch for his medical marijuana growing business. Unfortunately, he also ended up leaving with a rattlesnake bite.

The 47-year-old was out in the parking lot garden center when he came upon the Walmart rattlesnake, according to KIRO radio. He bent down to pick up a stick, but when that stick bit his hand, he realized it was a snake. He then started "screaming bloody murder."