Legal Updates & Judgments

Stephanie Holt on behalf of Dakota Holt, a minor v. Chaye Hawkins a.k.a. Charvis Hawkins

CAFN: 09-SV-00958
State Court of Douglas County, State of Georgia

We represented the plaintiffs, an 8 year old boy and his mother, after he was bitten in the face by a neighbor’s Pit Bull while on the neighbor’s property playing with the neighbor’s child. This brave young man underwent extensive facial surgery to repair his eye, nose and both cheeks.

At trial, a Douglas County Animal Control officer testified about the dog’s violent past and history of leash law violations. The Court awarded us $700,000.00 which included the Georgia statutory maximum amount of punitive damages, $250,000.00.

To date, this was one of the highest awards to come out of the Douglas County State Court since its creation in 2001.

Andrene Wright-Howard v. Lotus F. Perkins, et al.

Civil Action File No.: 2009SV-1201
State Court of Fayette County, State of Georgia

Our office represented the plaintiff who was injured in her own home after being chased by a neighbors' Rottweiler. She was raking leaves in her yard, with her 8 year old daughter, when the unrestrained Rottweiler chased her into her own house where the dog proceeded to tear her buttock apart. The police later described the scene in her house as having a bloody "trail of fatty human tissue leading from the kitchen into the dining room." After the attack, she had multiple surgeries with permanent scarring. Her medical expenses were only $20,000.00.

The lawsuit was filed in the historically conservative Fayette County venue against the dog's owners and we received Judgment in favor of the plaintiff in the amount of $60,000.00.

Terry Holmes v. Drederick Flood

Civil Action File No.:    10EV-010442A
State Court of Fulton County, State of Georgia

Our office represented the Plaintiff who was injured in an Atlanta auto accident.  The Defendant who caused the accident was being chased by police and hit our client head on.  Amazingly, our client survived the accident but had substantial injuries and medical treatment for the years following.  We filed a lawsuit in Fulton County against the at-fault driver and received Judgment in favor of the Plaintiff in the amount of $200,652.60.

Shon Nabers v. Three Friends, Inc. d/b/a B52’s, et al

Civil Action File No.:    2006-CV-116530
Superior Court of Fulton County, State of Georgia

My client, the Plaintiff, was a patron at an Atlanta area bar where he was stabbed in the chest by a bouncer.  A lawsuit was filed in Fulton County against both the bar and the bouncer.  After a bench trial, the Court awarded Judgment in favor of the Plaintiff in the amount of $2,772,532.10.