Family Files Suit After Man Dies From Infection From Dog Bite

A family is filing suit after a man died from an infection he contracted when a dog bit him, causing personal injuries.

The attorney for the family of Kenneth Bock said that Bock was an employee at Chain Lake Mini-Storage and had gone out to talk to Konrad Haskins, who was sitting in his car with his dog, after the dog had allegedly bitten another customer at the facility.

The attorney said that Haskins had brought the dog to the storage facility, where he rents a unit, and was allowing it to wander around on its own. Another customer came to the office to complain of being bitten by the animal and Haskins took it and sat in his truck.

Haskins claims that Bock approached his vehicle on the passenger side, where the dog was seated, and was bitten when he reached in the window. The attorney argues that Bock approached on the driver side and the dog, which was sitting on Haskins’ lap, reached outside the vehicle and bit him.

Bock treated the wound as a minor injury, cleaning it and wrapping it. By the time he went to the doctor the following day, his left leg was already numb from a blood clot. He died seven days later from a bacterial infection he contracted from the dog bite, despite doctors identifying the cause the day after the incident.

According to the attorney, Bock was susceptible to the bacteria due to having his spleen removed several years prior.

Common law on dog ownership says that dog owners are responsible for keeping their animal away from humans if signs of aggressive behavior are apparent. Owners are also liable for dog bites on public property or the owner’s property, if the person bitten has been invited onto the property.

Haskins had the dog euthanized two days before Bock’s death.