My 10 year old son was invited over by his friend (who lives a couple of houses away from us) over to play. Since the boys parents often leave him home alone I asked if his parents were home and was told they were. My son went over to play but was told to stay out front where I could see him. I checked on him often. About a hour after going over there he came home screaming saying that his friends dog bit his hand. I asked his friend what happened and they said they were petting the dog through the fence and he bit my son. I knew they had a dog but had not seen it. My son had played with the dog before. Turns out the dog was a Pitt bull. My son had to be taken to the hospital and has injuries to his right hand. Now he is afraid of dogs. He has had nightmares about things biting him. I contacted a dog bite lawyer in our state and they said it would cost more to sue than we would get. My son will have to live with the physical and emotional scars the rest of his life. I am a single mother and thankfully had medical insurance that took care of the medical bills but I would like to get something for my sons pain. Is there anything I can do?

Didn't the dog owners' homeowner insurance kick in to cover the medical bills along with pain and suffering?

Their insurance agent should be informed about this.

It is common for 10 year olds to be left alone for a hour or two at a time. So I don't see issues in that.

And who told you that the parents were home ? If the kids, of course kids lie, so unless you actully talked to the parents, you never know for sure.

Why did you tell him to "stay out front" where you could see him, was there something about their home, or the family that you were scared of ? Was there a reason he could not go in back yard that you knew at that time.

Did you get a real good story as to what happened ?

What did the dog owners say about the accident ? Have you contacted their home owners insurance about filing a claim.

Who is more scared of the accident, you or the child.
? Dog bite attorney?
Yes the child is likely to be scared for a while, and even a night mare for a bit, but as a good parents you can work with him, get hiim around nice dogs and get rid of that fear normally failrly easy.

Dog was petted before, dog was behind a fence. What happened this time to make him bite ?

Was the bite reported to animal control, all animal bites are suppose to be reported to be investigated.

Did you get copy of the dogs medical records ?

This post is just my opinion...
If your son is going to be going to places where you know there are dogs, he needs to be taught how to properly behave around them and learn a bit about dog behavior.

Sticking hand through a fence, whether you know the dog or not is a big no-no. Any dog (regardless of breed) can be territorial in their own yard. Many dogs will accept a newcomer in their territory if they know that person is allowed to be there, ie: being led into the house or yard by the dogs owner.
If the dogs owner is not present and the person tries to enter the house or yard (or stick their hand through the fence) the dog sees this as encroaching on his territory and will defend it.

It is a terrible thing to have happen, but the blame can't squarely be placed on the dog.

I totally agree with Shazzy's post. Excellent point about petting through the fence. No dog, no matter what breed, can see this as an invitation to bite, they are defending their territory. Dogs don’t think like humans, so we can’t expect them to behave like them either. Your son was not bit because the dog was a pit bull, your son was bit because he was not being supervised while around a caged dog.

Your son will get over the bite. Kids get bit, especially when they are not taught proper etiquette around animals. Take this time to take your son to the SPCA and have him taught the proper way to socialize and play with animals. I am really sorry that your son had to go through this, it’s a terrible and terrifying experience. I too believe that the blame should not be squarely placed on the dog.

How do you know it was a Pit Bull?

I do not intend to offend you but I feel you are over reacting and that emotion will be picked up by your son. One dog bite will not cause permanent damage but he has learned to not stick his hand inside a fence/cage. If the owners insurance does not pay then the owner should pick up the bill out of pocket, lack of insurance coverage does not absolve him of responsibility. You could always sue but not for pain and suffering. If you live in state that has contributory negligence, and you sue on behalf of your child, you may be in for a big surprise. Your child and you will be held as being contributorily negligent.

One way to teach your child about this situation is to ask him if he ever had a fight with a friend. By 10 Im sure he has. And Im also sure that he is still friends with that person. Treating this situation is no different. Do not feed your child's fear. You will turn it into a phobia for sure. You should encourage your son to meet with the dog again. With the owners around and in a non threatening manner. A few licks on the face later and your son will feel much better.

There is a good reason the lawyer didn't want to take the case. The dog wasn't in the wrong nor was the dog loose and roaming around. If you want your child to grow up as a friend of animals you will need to teach him about them otherwise he won't know what to do. Even the dog whisperer gets bit every once in awhile. And he has had years of training. Treat this as a lesson learned. And allow him to move past it. That's what parents do.