An Illinois woman was sentenced to jail on June 6 after pleading guilty to one count of reckless conduct after her pit bull mix dogs attacked a 5-year-old boy. She will be required to spend the next 30 weekends in jail.

According to the report, the attack took place in 2010. The authorities stated that the 49-year-old woman allegedly let her two pit mixes run free. They attacked the 5-year-old boy as he was playing outside with his brother. The boy suffered bites to his face and body, resulting in severe injury. When police arrived at the scene, an officer shot one of the dogs in order to rescue the boy. The second dog was later euthanized.

Dog bites involving children can cause severe physical and emotional damage. In addition to potential exposure to rabies or other infectious diseases, a dog bite can leave a person with serious scarring or disfigurement that may require surgery or reconstruction later. In most cases, the owner of the dog is liable for any injuries that they cause regardless of where the attack actually occurred.

An attorney may be able to help their client with the process of filing a personal injury lawsuit against either the owner of the animal or the owner’s insurance company by putting together a strong case based upon the available evidence. By filing this type of the lawsuit, the parent or parents of the injured child may be able to seek compensation for any medical bills that resulted from the attack.

Source: Quad-City Times, “Ill. woman gets jail time for dog attack on boy”, June 07, 2014