Results depend on the specific circumstances of your dog attack case
David J. Cowhey, Certified Civil Trial Attorney, secured a $100,000 settlement for a 9-year-old Mercer County child who was attacked by a dog in 2025 while visiting a family friend’s home. The child suffered multiple facial and body wounds that needed emergency trauma care, infection management, and plastic surgery to minimize scarring. The claim was paid by the dog owner’s homeowners insurance under New Jersey’s strict liability dog bite law.
Case Details
- Settlement: $100,000
- Victim: 9-year-old child
- County: Mercer County, New Jersey
- Year of attack: 2025
- Where it happened: a family friend’s home
- Dog: breed: German Shepherd
- Injuries: 4cm wound on the child’s cheek requiring 19 stitches
- Treatment: emergency trauma care, infectious disease management, reconstructive or plastic surgery to minimize facial scarring, and psychological support
- Paid by: the dog owner’s homeowners insurance
- Court approval: approved at a friendly hearing under New Jersey Court Rule 4:44
- Funds held: in an interest-bearing Surrogate’s account until the child turns 18
- Attorney: David J. Cowhey, Certified Civil Trial Attorney
Why This Case Was Worth $100,000
Three things drove the value of this claim.
1. The wounds were on the child’s face, where scars stay visible for life.
2. The child needed plastic surgery and may need further scar revision as they grow.
3. The attack caused emotional trauma that needed professional psychological support.
Because the bite happened while the child was lawfully visiting a family friend’s home, New Jersey’s strict liability law made the dog’s owner responsible, whether or not the dog had bitten anyone before.
Many parents worry about bringing a claim against a friend. In cases like this one, the owner’s homeowners insurance pays, not the family friend personally. Read more about child dog bite claims involving friends or family.
More Child and Facial Dog Bite Results
This is one of more than ten child dog bite settlements our firm has secured across New Jersey, ranging from $100,000 to $1,000,000.
- See all child dog bite settlements in New Jersey
- Learn how facial dog bite injuries are valued in New Jersey
- Find out what compensation your child can recover
Was Your Child Bitten by a Dog in Mercer County?
David Cowhey and Rob Morello at the New Jersey Dog Bite Lawyer firm represent families in Trenton, Hamilton, Ewing, Lawrence, and throughout Mercer County. Learn more about our Trenton dog bite lawyer services, or call (609) 513-0627 for a free case review, 24/7. You pay no fee unless we win.
Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Every case is different and depends on its own facts.
