The U.S. Postal Service is reporting an increase in dog attacks on mail carriers all throughout Utah. A total of 41 mail carriers were bit last year, including one attack where the mailman said he feared for his life. A pitbull attacked Mr. Frye last year in a neighborhood in Cottonwood Heights. According to a report by KSL news, the dog came out of nowhere and knocked Mr. Frye to the ground, he didn’t have a chance to grab his pepper spray. Fortunately, Mr. Frye’s supervisor, Karl Lopez, was on the route with him that day and was able to get the dog off. This marked Frye’s third time being bit by a dog in his 15 years working at the USPS.

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

The postal service is not sure why attacks have increased but they say many of the 41 attacks could have been prevented. They offer these tips:

*Obedience training can teach dogs’ proper behavior and help owners control their dogs.
*When a carrier comes to your home, keep your dog inside, away from the door in another room.
*Don’t let your child take mail from the letter carrier in the presence of your dog. Your dog’s instinct is to protect the family.
*Spay or neuter your dog. Neutered dogs are less likely to bite. Humane Society statistics show that dogs that have not been spayed or neutered are up to three times more likely to bite.
*Dogs that receive little attention or handling, or are left tied up for long periods of time frequently turn into biters.

It Utah, dog owners are strictly liable for the injuries caused by their dog – it doesn’t matter if the bite is the dogs first offense. The problem with many dog bites is not the physical wound but the infection the may set in days after the bite. The dog bite clients I have represented often spend thousands of dollars going to a wound care facility to treat the infection.

Ron Kramer is a Salt Lake City dog bite attorney with offices in Bountiful, Draper and Provo, Utah.

A pit bull mauled Katie Weeks’ 5-year-old daughter, Saleena Wickward in Hurricane, Utah on Monday, April 19, 2010. This Utah dog bite happened at around 5:30 according to reports given by KSL news. Weeks says her daughter wandered to the next yard over to catch a caterpillar. The dog owner says that Saleena was throwing rocks at the dog when it lunged at her face. The dog was on a chain but it grabbed her and would not let go. The owner had to pry the jaws off of Saleena’s head while neighbors called 911. Saleena’s mom got a towel and pushed the skin against Saleena’s face until paramedics arrived.

Saleena was taken to Dixie Regional Medical Center where she needed nearly 900 stitches to close up major lacerations on her face. Stitches go from the middle of her lip, to her nose and cheek then around to her ear. The young girl is now recovering from six and a half hours of major reconstructive surgery. Two plastic surgeons helped to insert a plate and screw to stabilize her fractured cheek. Her once innocent five-year-old face is now covered with stitches and staples. “I was so afraid to walk into that room and see my little girl, because I just thought she would never look the same again,” Weeks says.

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

Now doctors wait to see if there’s any nerve damage and family members continue to pray and hope for the very best for young Saleena.

My heart goes out for Saleena and her family. I offer them my thoughts and my prayers and I wish her a speedy recovery. The picture on KSL shows the horrible damage this pit bull caused.

Utah law states that dog owners are “strictly liable” for the injuries caused by their dog. I suspect hospital bills for a surgery this extensive will be tens of thousands of dollars and future treatment and therapy will be expensive as well. An experienced Utah dog bite attorney will help this family receive fair compensation from the home owner’s insurance of the dog’s owner. I would suspect given the nature of this injury, that this claim will exhaust the policy limits on the home owner’s insurance. There may, however, be an “umbrella” policy that would provide additional information. Given the possible inadequacy of the policy, I would also recommend that reductions be worked out with the medical provides who treated her in light of future medical expenses that may be likely in this case.

The Kramer Law Group does not currently represent any of the parties referenced in the article at the time it was written. We have cited and linked to the source of our information. If you were involved in the above incident, or one like it, and have questions about your rights and possible remedies, you may call us or another reputable Hurricane ,Utah personal injury law firm. Do not act based on the above information without getting a consultation. The best personal injury attorneys will offer a free consultation. We offer a free and confidential consultation to those (and their family members) not substantially at fault in causing their accident. The information and opinions expressed above are provided as a public service and should not be used in place of legal advice from a qualified Utah personal injury attorney.

A 20-month boy from Florida is dead after a vicious dog bite attack by a Rottweiler dog. According to the AP, the toddler was at home during a party when the dog was somehow allowed into the house. The dog then proceeded to attack the boy, with family members trying to pry the dog off the child. He was taken to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead. The dog was seized by animal control .

It is unusual to see such a vicious dog attack. However, statistically, young children more often end up on the losing end of a dog bite because of their small size and the inability to fight off an attacking dog. My prayers go out to the family of this boy. This is a terrible tragedy.

Ron Kramer is a Salt Lake Utah dog bite lawyer-attorney who represents those bitten, attacked, or otherwise injured by dogs in Utah.