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Dr Phil Involved in Los Angeles Dog Bite Lawsuit

Dr Phil McGraw of the hit TV show Dr Phil has been named in a dog bite lawsuit featuring a skin care specialist, who claims that McGraw’s dog bit her, leaving her with serious injuries.

According to media reports, the victim, Janet Harris was attacked at McGraw’s Beverly Hills home.  The dog bite occurred in late 2009.  Harris was a close confidant of the McGraw and his wife Robin.  On the day of the attack, according to Harris’ lawsuit, she was bitten by their Korean Jindo named Maggie.  The lawsuit claims that the attack was completely unwarranted and unprovoked.

Harris claims that there was no warning, and the bite left her bleeding.  Robin MacGraw offered to take Harris to the hospital, but Doctor Phil wanted to deal with the matter privately, because it would create a lot of bad press for him.  Ultimately, Harris ended up taking an antibiotic course by a physician, and did not seek treatment for injuries in the hospital.  The very next day, she found that her right arm had swollen.  She then rushed to the hospital, where she was first given a tetanus shot and then a course of IV antibiotics.  But when the swelling did not subside, she had to see an infectious disease specialist, who informed her that she had contracted pastuerella multocida.  This is an infectious disease that is typically caused by an animal bite.

According to Harris’ lawsuit, the infection was caused by the dog bite, and it was so serious that she would probably have died if she had not been put on an antibiotic course within 72 hours.  Harris claims that the injury caused her grave injuries, which interfered with her ability to work and earn a living.  She says that she was subsequently evicted from her home.  She used to have a successful practice, but had to ultimately close down her Beverly Hills clinic.

There has been little comment from Doctor Phil McGraw‘s team about the lawsuit.

Los Angeles residents, who have been injured in a dog bite, may be eligible for compensation for their injuries.  Typically, the person who owns the dog may be named in a dog bite claim in Los Angeles.  However, there may be other people who may also be named in a claim.  For instance, the owner of the property where the attack took place may also be named by a Los Angeles dog bite attorney.

A dog bite attack can leave victims injured with the kind of debilitating injuries that require extensive and long-term medical care.  It’s very common to find puncture wounds, lacerations, crushing injuries and even amputations in a Los Angeles dog bite.  A ferocious dog bite attack involving a Rottweiler or a pit bull can lead to severe blood loss, complicating the patient’s medical condition.  The patient may not only need immediate medical care, but also long-term hospitalization and cosmetic surgeries to restore his appearance.  All of these expenses must be factored into the Los Angeles dog bite claim.

The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims, including victims of dog bites in Los Angeles. Please visit our website at trlglaw.com. If you desire to discuss a personal injury matter,  you can reach us at (800) 644-8000 or email us.

The Reeves Law Group is not representing any party in the matters discussed in this posting.

 

 

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