[10-03-2021] Summit County, TX – Toddler Dies After Being Mauled By Dog In Akron

A 16-month-old girl was attacked by a pit bull at a relative’s home Sunday morning, October 3.

According to the initial reports from local authorities, the mauling happened soon after 10 a.m. Sunday in Akron.

The toddler was mauled by her family’s pitbull while her parents got into a heated argument in their home. The two dogs became aggressive as the argument went on which may have triggered the pitbull to maul the toddler.

The toddler was immediately taken to an area hospital with life-threatening injuries, unfortunately, she was unable to survive her injuries and was pronounced dead.

Information about the accident is limited at the moment. The identities of the involved parties have not been disclosed. Authorities confirmed that the toddler was not a resident in the house.

No other injuries were reported. Local authorities are further investigating the accident. They will attempt to determine the factors surrounding the incident.

Dog Mauled Accident Statistics

In 2020, 54% of dog bite fatalities occurred in states with a preemption law barring breed-specific laws; pit bulls carried out 80% of these attacks. 54% of fatalities occurred in the Southern United States; pit bulls accounted for 76%.

In the same year, an underreporting of fatal dog bites was observed in California and Texas. From 2015 to 2019, the two states combined averaged 8.8 dog bite fatalities per year. This fell to 5 deaths in 2020; of those deaths, 2 were uncovered by FOIAs.

There are 4.7 million dog bites in the U.S. every year. Data from 2020 shows that 33% (15) of dog bite fatality victims were children ages 9-years and younger. The report also discusses two new tracking categories. Multi-victim fatal dog attacks, when the dog(s) injure multiple victims at the scene, comprised 15% (7) of fatal dog attacks in 2020.

Pit bulls carried out all 7 of these attacks. 20% (9 of 46) of all dog bite fatalities fell into the new deviant/habitual behaviors category, which includes, repeated animal control violations, aggressive crimes, drugs, alcohol, domestic violence, crimes involving children and firearms, and when an “argument” preceded a fatal attack.

Summit County Wrongful Death Lawyer From Dog Injury

A dog bite can be exceedingly upsetting for the victim, particularly if the attack results in wrongful death. Children have been the most critically injured victims of dog attacks throughout history. A dog bite might leave emotional scars or conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder in these vulnerable people.

Speak with our attorneys from Arash Law for legal advice if you or a loved one has suffered a wrongful death and emotional trauma, as a result of a dog bite. We are familiar with California’s dog bite laws and can assist you in filing a claim against the dog’s owner. Call us anytime at (888) 398-4017 for a completely free and confidential case evaluation.