Sacramento Injury Lawyer Blog

An unidentified man in the Citrus Heights area, a suburb east of Sacramento, CA, is being heralded as a "Good Samaritan" by Michael and Joanne Golden, a couple who lives in the area.
He earned the title one Sunday afternoon this January when he saved Joanne and attempted to save her dog, Cody, from a vicious and unidentified pit bull.

"I don't know what would have happened," Michael Golden said. "We want to thank him and have him help us positively identify the dog."

The attack occurred around 3:15 p.m. on January 6. Joanne was walking in their neighborhood near Birdcage Center with her father, Angelo Romano, 84, and her dog, Cody, a Chihuahua-Jack Russell Terrier mix, when she saw the pit bull for the first time: The Sacramento Bee reported:

It grabbed Cody, and when Joanne Golden tried to intervene, it attacked her, knocking her on her back and biting her on both hands.

The pit bull continued to attack Joanne and she began to lose her strength. Just when things looked dismal, a man, our Good Samaritan, pulled up in a black SUV. He fought the vicious dog off of Joanne and then packed everyone into his vehicle. With Joanne's directions, the Good Samaritan drove to her home and ran to the door to alert her husband, Michael, of what had happened.

"All I heard was 'wife … pit bull attack,' " Golden said. "My dog was bleeding on this man's car seat. My wife was bleeding."

Michael rushed his wife to the Mercy Hospital in Folsom where she was treated for her bites and bruises. Cody died a few hours later.

In all the excitement, Michael never thought to ask the Good Samaritan his name, something he now regrets. He wishes very much to find this man so he may thank him and also receive help in indentifying the dog who attacked his wife.

To read the full story, click here.

If you or loved one has been injured in a dog attack, you have rights. By California law, the owner of the animal that attacks another person is always liable (at fault) for the attack. That means that they are responsible for any economical damages you incur because of the attack, i.e, medical bills, lost wages, etc.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a dog attack, I can help you. Please contact me and my staff at the Law Offices of Moseley Collins. You contact us by visiting our website by the clicking on the link above or by calling us at 916.444.4444.

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I read an incredible story in the news today about a high school boy and his road of recovery since a severe dog attack. The young man’s name is Shawn Jones. When Shawn was 10-years old, he saw his whole life change. One afternoon, Shawn was riding his bike, when a pack of three pit bulls attacked him. It was a brutal attack. They say that one pit bull’s jaw can exert as much pressure as 1,000 pounds per square inch, can you imagine the detrimental effects three of those jaw can bring?

The attacks left Shawn in the hospital with chunks of muscle torn out of his arm, nerves and muscles destroyed on both sides of his face, and both of his ears ripped off. The first several days were very uncertain, with Shawn hanging between life and death. In addition to his horrendous injuries directly from the dog attack, Shawn began having blood and other fluids leak into his lungs. The doctors were constantly in a battle to fight off bacteria and infection.

Luckily, after some time, Shawn began to show signs of improvement. He began to undergo reconstructive surgeries to repair the extensive damage done to his face and body. Shawn spent eleven months recovering in the hospital from his injuries.

Today, Shawn is a junior at high school. He plays football, wrestles and runs track. He is doing well in school, achieving a 3.5 grade point average. He has definitely had his struggles since his near-death incidence. But his determination and God’s hand has prevailed, bringing him through discouragement, bouts of depression and uncertainty. Shawn now speaks to victims of animal attacks at Children’s Hospital. He shares with them that there is hope and to pass along the understanding he has gained from his own six year recovery.

Shawn’s attack from those three pit bulls is one of the worst I have heard. But through it all, there is hope and there is life. Never let go of this, no matter what your situation may be. If you have ever suffered from a serious dog attack, please call me at the Law Offices of Moseley Collins. I am here to listen and to help.

To read the article on Shawn Jones, please click here.

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Many times when a dog attacks, a serious injury can occur in the victim. At our Law Firm in Sacramento, our clients that have experienced a dog attack have suffered both physically and emotionally. As I was reading an article in the news today, I came across a woman who was attacked by a dog during her job. I can only imagine the stress that will bring. The attack occurred west of our Sacramento home, in Hayward, California. The woman was a postal worker and she was attached by a pit bull on her mail run.

The news reports state that the woman, Virginia Joaquin, received injuries that required four-hours worth of surgery on her right hand. Luckily, when attacked, Virginia (undoubtedly), began to scream and neighbors rushed to her rescue, beating the pit bull away with a piece of wood.

If you have been attacked by a dog, you should seek medical and legal help. In California, State law places a person responsible for a dog attack if a person’s negligence causes the attack to happen, a person keeps a dog knowing that it has been known to attack others, or if a person is violating a leash law.

If you have been attacked or bitten by a dog and would like to receive more information, please contact the Law Offices of Moseley Collins.

Until next time…

For the full article on Virginia’s attack, please click here.

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Dog bites and attacks are a common thing in our home of Sacramento, California. Just see the blog I wrote on the staggering statistics of dog bites and you will understand what I mean. Dog attacks are dangerous and can cause serious injuries that need immediate medial attention and at times, can even be fatal.

An actor named Ving Rhames, (starred in Pulp Fiction), recently traveled out the country to film a movie, leaving his caretaker of two years to watch his house… and his dogs. The caretaker was found dead at the actor’s house with dog bites covering his body. The actor’s four dogs (reports state that they were either bullmastiffs, Brazilian mastiffs, or English mastiffs) were found roaming the yard.

As I stated in my previous blog, make sure to protect other people by training your dogs, neutering them, and so forth. Although dogs can be amazing pets to have, we must be aware that there are dangers associated with having them.

If you or anyone you know have ever suffered from a dog attack, please call our Law Office for advice.

Until next time….

For the full article, please click here.

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It is amazing to see how many people are victims of dog bites nowadays. This threat is especially high throughout California and even more specifically, in the Sacramento area.

Reading through the internet, I was shocked to see how many people have suffered from dog bites and dog attacks in just the past week. Even more interesting was the statistic I found on the California State Assembly Democratic Caucus website. Research now shows that "California suffers the nation’s highest occurrences of dog bites, animal attacks and attack-related fatalities in the nation and children are the most common victims".

Not only that, but Sacramento is one of the highest ranking cities for dog bites. A study done by the United States Postal Service shows Sacramento as coming in third place for the largest amount of postal workers bitten or attacked by dogs (I always knew that had to happen a lot...). Only Long Beach and Houston rank higher than Sacramento.

So what is a person to do? First of all, if you are a dog owner, it is advised to spray or neuter your dog. Unaltered animals are three times as likely to attack humans or other animals. Secondly, if you are attacked by a dog, seek medical help and notify the authorities to prevent an attack from happening again. Finally, with serious injuries, seek legal advice and assistance.

Please do not hesitate to call us at the Law Offices of Moseley Collins if you have been suffered injuries in a dog attack or bite, we are here to help.

Until next time...

For further information on prevention and treatment to dog bites please click here.

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Posted In: Dog Bite

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