UNITED KINGDOM -- A postman who was viciously attacked by a dog from a house he was delivering letters to has been awarded €55,000 ($75,000 USD) by the High Court.
Joseph Dunne was delivering letters to a mail box outside a house in Kilbeggan, Co Westmeath, when he was knocked over with great force and bitten about the face.
Mr Justice Michael Moriarty said Mr Dunne had returned to work at a commendable early stage after what was a particularly frightening incident. The dog, which the judge described as a white husky type, was put down the day after the attack.
Mr Dunne(63), of St Mary's Avenue, Kilbeggan, had sued the owners of the house, Olive Dalton and Martin Maher of Dublin Road, Kilbeggan, as a result of the incident.
It was claimed that on October 8, 2008, while Mr Dunne was delivering to a mailbox outside the gate of the house, he was suddenly and without warning attacked, knocked to the ground and viciously bitten and scratched by the dog owned by either Ms Dalton or Mr Maher.
It was claimed Ms Dalton and Mr Maher were negligent in permitting the dog to escape through a hedge on to the road outside their front gate and failed to properly fence their property.
It was claimed Ms Dalton and Mr Maher also failed to warn the postman of the dangers of attempting to deliver post at their property.
The court had previously Mr Dunne was rescued from the attack by two passersby, one of whom struck the dog on the back with a stick.
Mr Dunne received extensive lacerations on the right side of his face and needed 22 stitches. A nerve was also damaged so for a time he could not wrinkle the right side of his forehead. He also had scarring and attended a plastic surgeon after the attack.
(Irish Independent - Oct 23, 2013)
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