Maroc - NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - Hier 06:16

Woman wins lawsuit after dog attack at Charlieville businessplace

A woman who was mauled by three dogs outside a Charlieville business has won her lawsuit against the owner. Lesley-Ann MacIntosh Andrews will receive $33,732.10, plus 2.5 per cent interest from September 20, 2021, to February 4, 2025, when Justice Margaret Mohammed gave her ruling. Mohammed found Surish Ramlogan, the operator of Surisa’s Marketing, liable for injuries sustained by Andrews when she was bitten by three unleashed dogs in December 2018. Mohammed rejected Ramlogan’s claims that he did not own or keep the dogs and ruled that his failure to control them made him responsible for the attack. Andrews had visited Surisa’s Marketing to return a toilet seat when she was ambushed by three aggressive dogs as she was leaving the premises. She described hearing barking and footsteps before being knocked down and bitten multiple times. A passerby and her husband intervened, kicking the dogs away, while Ramlogan was seen calling one of the dogs by name. Andrews later learned from neighbours that this was not the first attack involving the same dogs. In her negligence lawsuit, Andrews contended Ramlogan failed to secure the dogs on his property; did not warn visitors of the danger; and knew the dogs had a history of aggression but failed to take action. In his defence, Ramlogan denied responsibility, claiming the business was closed when Andrews arrived and she was attacked on the road, not his property. He also maintained the dogs were strays, not his pets. However, Mohammed did not believe his version of events. Her findings were that Andrews was attacked by multiple dogs, despite Ramlogan claiming only one was involved; the attack occurred on Ramlogan’s premises, not the roadway; the dogs came from his property, and he was the only one calling them by name. She also pointed out that Ramlogan promised to cover her medical costs, proving he acknowledged responsibility at the time. “The claimant’s unshaken evidence was corroborated by the evidence of Andrews whose evidence was that the defendant had offered to pay the claimant’s medical bills as he was the owner of the dogs which bit her.” She ordered Ramlogan to pay $3,732.18 in special damages for medical bills; $30,000 in general damages for pain and suffering and $9,933.05 in legal costs. Andrews was represented by Lemuel Murphy, Lloyd Robinson and Stacey Murphy while Kristen Bansraj and Richard Sirjoo represented Ramlogan. The post Woman wins lawsuit after dog attack at Charlieville businessplace appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.