Postal Worker Attacked By Dog in Orange County, Virginia

"The health of the people shall be the supreme law." This Latin phrase, from Norman Landau's International Academy of Trial Lawyers seal, underscores the important of safety of the people in the eyes of the law.
“The health of the people shall be the supreme law.” This Latin phrase, from Norman Landau’s International Academy of Trial Lawyers seal, underscores the important of safety of the people in the eyes of the law.

A part-time postal delivery worker and full-time bartender was attacked by a dog when delivering the U.S. Mail in March of 2014.

Plaintiff, in her capacity as a U.S. Postal Carrier, was delivering a package to the Defendant’s home. The package would not fit in the mail box by the side of the road, so the young woman drove up the dirt road to the house about 100 yards from the paved road.

As the postal worker attempted to place the package on the Defendant’s front porch, she was attacked and bitten twice in her legs by the property owner’s dog.

No signs were posted at the time of the attack warning of a dangerous dog.

However, the dog had attacked others previously, and the business property owner had told the Post Office Manager not to leave packages at the house, but to keep them at the branch. However, as the Plaintiff was only a part-time postal worker, she did not get any warnings.

In an unusual twist, there was an eyewitness to the attack. Because of vehicle problems with the jeep she used to deliver the mail in this rural Virginia county, this ABRAMS LANDAU client brought the mechanic along so that he could hear the noises the jeep engine was making. He was able to corroborate her story as to how the unprovoked attack occurred, the severity of the dog bite, and that there were no signs or warnings on the property.

As a result of the dog bite, the Plaintiff suffered a life threatening bacterial infection which later resulted in a diagnosis of “Complex Regional Pain Syndrome.”

She has been treated by doctors at the University of Virginia, and uses a walker to get around. Due to continued significant pain, swelling, and fevers, the Plaintiff was unable to return to work since the date of the attack.

Dog bite injury lawyer Doug Landau has known this woman and three generations of her family since representing her father-in-law 20 years ago.  She is hard-working, a good mother, and she has endured several traumatic episodes as the result of the unsafe actions of other drivers, affecting her son, her husband, and her brother. Now she has been disabled as the result of an on-the-job animal attack, and she may have to apply for Social Security Disability.

This unprovoked dog attack caused the postal worker to incur over $20,000 in past medical bills, as well as past wage loss.

Even though the Post Office’s workers compensation system paid much of her medial bills and some of her postal wage loss, it did not cover her lost pay from the bar where she worked AND the law requires that she pay back the Federal Government’s “IOU.”

Due to the severity of the Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, it is highly unlikely that the Plaintiff will be able to return to gainful work due to pain management and mobility issues.  The Herndon law firm ABRAMS LANDAU, Ltd. was able to get the case settled for $272,500.00 (there was limited insurance coverage), pay back the Postal Service’s workers compensation IOU, and keep her comp claim open to help pay for future medical care.

If you or someone you know has been injured in an on-the-job accident and there are questions as to what laws apply, email or call Abrams Landau, Ltd. at once (703-796-9555).