Why are some people sue-happy?

Question

Our neighbor is suing us and I'm not going to say who she is because I think she posts here. Our 2 yr old lab bit her leg or so she says while she was out walking late at night with her baby. She let me come over and take a picture right after it happened. I did not see any visible signs of teeth marks but I took the picture anyway and out of my own stupidity offered to pay a medical bill if she saw a doctor. I wish I would not have now because she went to the ER complaining of pain, but no physical sign of injury. Would it be okay to send her a certified letter saying that we will pay for the emergency room visit IF the doctor's exam concluded that she was injured and it was an emergency situation? The thing is nobody can prove that our family dog laid a mark on her. We were in bed at night when she says it happened. She says the dog got out of our yard. Is there anything we can do to save ourselves from the thousands she is suing for?

We can and do understand if she was bleeding and hurt that way that she would need emergency room care, but this was not the case. Our dog is normally confined to the back yard either on a chain or cable lead. This is the first time he had been loose in a week.

Answer 1

Not to feed into the nature of your question, but you should consult an attorney on this. I work in the legal field, and if you don't address this issue in court, it could really come back and haunt you in the future.

Assuming you've already been served the papers, bring them to an attorney for consultation. My gut feeling (and completely "lay" opinion) is, with a competent defense and assuming the facts you have stated are true and complete, you should come through this relatively unscathed.

Secure your dog better, so you don't become vulnerable like this in the future.

Answer 2

I totally agree with getting legal advice. I'm an accountant and by no means a legal expert even though I have dealt with legal issues. She shoulders the burden of proof, her trip to the emergency room will be her biggest piece of evidence (which it isn't much). Its good that you took pictures as soon as she informed you. Legal counseling will take the stress out of the unknown. Some lawyers will talk to you for free the first consultation. Hope everything works for the best. Your neighbor should realize that sometimes relationships are worth more than a couple grand. I mean especially if no real damage occurred.