A former Winthrop Harbor woman has agreed to pay $210,000 to settle a lawsuit filed on behalf of a McHenry girl who was mauled by a dog in 1998 in a Kentucky hotel room.
Melissa Bausman and Elizabeth Falk had traveled to Louisville together to participate in a dog show. Falk’s daughter, Rachel, then 10, was mauled by Bausman’s 110-pound Bull Mastiff when she went to pet the uncaged animal in Bausman’s adjoining hotel room.
More Top Picks Best Migraine Glasses For Outdoor Use
The girl was bitten on the face, nose, mouth, ear and head before she was rescued by one of her mother’s friends, who had been standing outside the room. Rachel’s medical and dental expenses from the injuries exceeded $20,000, according to the family’s attorneys.
Attorneys said Bausman, who now lives in Florida, allegedly failed to inform Rachel’s mother that the dog had bitten two other people within the previous 18 months and was not fed a full meal for two days so that the dog would be more receptive to treats during the dog show events.
“At twice the weight of Rachel and with a previous attack history, that animal was a clear danger and should have been caged, and both Rachel and her mother should have been warned,” said attorney Louis Cairo.