FARMINGTON – An 11-year-old boy who was bitten several times by a dog in Wilton last October received a $6,000 settlement in Franklin County Superior Court earlier this month.
Christopher Sonia of Wilton received puncture wounds and abrasions to his left arm and both his legs when he was attacked by a Labrador retriever/pit bull mix belonging to Melinda and Paul Dehetre of Village View Street in Wilton.
The youth was riding along Village View Street the afternoon of Oct. 7, 2004, when he had to dump his bicycle, hitting his helmeted head in the process. He then attempted to run from the animal but it “caught him,” according to a report filed by Wilton police officer Edward Leahy. The dog bit the boy several times on the ankles and left arm. He did not sustain a head injury. His mother took him to Franklin Memorial Hospital, where he was treated and released.
At the time, police said there had been no previous complaints about the dog, which was up to date on his shots and was quarantined for 10 days after the incident. The dog had escaped its run by snapping its collar. The Dehetres were summoned for allowing a dog to run at large.
In a settlement with State Farm Insurance Co., the Dehetres’ homeowners insurance carrier, the court awarded the boy $6,000, but because his medical bills were paid by MaineCare, $407 of the total will reimburse the state’s health care program. He will not be permitted access to the remaining $5,593 until his 18th birthday in 2012.
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