Recovery: $1,750,000

A City of Hendersonville police officer allowed his department-issued, Belgian Malinois K-9 to run loose, without being under any restraint, outside the officer’s home. The at-large, unrestrained K-9 left the officer’s property, entered the next-door neighbors’ property, went up to their house, and, without provocation, attacked Kevin O’Neill as he was walking out of his house to get in his car.

The dog jumped on Kevin, knocked him down, and attacked him inside his home for almost ten minutes, inflicting extensive puncture wounds from head-to-toe. In addition to Kevin’s physical injuries, the attack caused his wife and him to suffer severe emotional distress.

Following the attack, the City publicly claimed that it was accepting “full responsibility” for the attack. Despite this public representation and despite being provided with photographs of Kevin’s injuries and his medical bills, the City of Hendersonville and its insurance company then refused to make any settlement offers whatsoever, which forced the O’Neills to file a lawsuit.

The lawsuit contained detailed factual descriptions and photographs of the attack. After the suit was filed, the City and its insurance company requested an early mediation, which led to the settlement of the case.