Quebec woman mauled in dog attack wins $460K civil case against small town and owner
CBC
Five years after Dominique Alain was attacked by dogs in Potton, Que., the town and the dogs' owner must pay her nearly $460,000 in damages.
On March 28, 2019, Alain, an active 55-year-old who enjoyed playing tennis and mountain biking, was out jogging in the municipality in Quebec's Eastern Townships when three dogs belonging to Alan Barnes mauled her.
The attack left Alain critically injured.
She had to be resuscitated at the hospital — undergoing 13 operations, 12 months in rehabilitation and 22 months of psychological treatment.
"She suffered a tremendous ordeal, but she has done her best to move forward," said Jonathan Gottlieb, Alain's lawyer.
"The injuries were catastrophic. We're talking about someone who was attacked so severely that her life was at risk."
In 2021, she sued both Barnes and the town. Barnes had offered no defence in the civil case and previously admitted responsibility.
In the decision delivered on Wednesday, Quebec Superior Court Justice Sylvain Provencher said Barnes was clearly responsible for the damage caused by his dogs that day.
Provencher wrote that Alain is "no longer the same woman."
"She has had to redefine herself, live differently, even give up some of her passions and, for others, live them at a different pace," read the judgment.
The decision orders Barnes and the Town of Potton to pay Alain for damages and future loss of revenue from being unable to work. They also must pay $75,000 to Leo Joy, Alain's husband, for his time supporting his wife.
It's a conclusion the couple is happy with, says Gottlieb.
"It was a difficult process for her, for sure," he said. "She had to relive the experience."
He says the town was found responsible because it knew about previous incidents involving Barnes's dogs.
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