DISCLAIMER: Please note that every case is different and these verdicts and settlements, while accurate, do not represent what we may obtain for you in your case.

Dog Attack on Kindergartner Results in $1.9 Million Settlement

On May 17, 2004, 4 year-old Maika Thao was viciously attacked by a pit bull while walking home from school with her siblings. At the time of the attack, the dog was not leashed and was unattended. During the attack, the pit bull bit Maika in the arm, and then locked its jaws on the back of her skull, tearing her scalp off.

Following the attack, Maika was immediately airlifted to Children’s Hospital in Milwaukee, where she underwent the first of many surgeries to reattach her scalp. Maika’s doctors report that through her treatment she has been extremely brave. Although faced with more surgeries, Maika has made great progress, and has attempted to return to her normal life.

Following the attack, the Thaos contacted Michael F. Hupy & Associates upon the advice of their family lawyer. Attorneys Chad Kreblin and Jason Abraham immediately began investigating the attack, and collecting medical records. Due to their hard work, within only six months, they reached a settlement with the insurance company for the dog owner. However, after agreeing to a settlement amount, the owner’s insurance company demanded that the money be reinvested into their own company, and be paid out over Maika’s lifetime. Recognizing this as an attempt by the insurance company to profit off this tragic event, Attorneys Kreblin and Abraham went to court, and convinced a judge to force the insurance company to pay the money directly to our firm, where it was properly invested for the benefit of Maika. Where other attorneys may have caved into the insurance company, we went to court for our client and won.

Many lawyers advertise that they handle serious injury cases, however Michael F. Hupy & Associates has decades of experience handling these cases in a timely matter, without compromising quality service and aggressive representation of our clients.

Awarded: $1,900,000.00