A shocking incident involving a dog attack has led to a lawsuit seeking over $50,000 in damages. On August 15, 2024, Deianira Minton filed a complaint in the Sixth Judicial Circuit in and for Pinellas County, Florida, against Matthew Crews and TA Four Lakes Fee Owner LLC, doing business as Four Lakes at Clearwater.
According to the complaint, on April 21, 2024, Minton was walking her dog within the apartment complex managed by Four Lakes at Clearwater when she was attacked by a loose golden retriever owned by Matthew Crews. The attack resulted in severe injuries to both Minton and her dog. Minton alleges that she had previously seen the dog running loose around the premises. During this particular incident, as she attempted to protect her small dog by picking it up, Crews' dog bit her on the ear and back of her head and scratched her scalp, causing significant injuries.
The complaint details that Crews was either concealing his whereabouts or had become a non-resident of Florida after the incident. Minton asserts that Crews is strictly liable under Florida Statute § 764.04, which holds dog owners responsible for any bites inflicted by their dogs in public places regardless of prior knowledge of the dog's viciousness. She further accuses Crews of negligence for failing to restrain his aggressive dog and allowing it to roam freely.
Minton's legal action also targets Four Lakes at Clearwater for negligence. She claims that the apartment complex management failed in their duty to ensure residents' safety by not containing or warning about the dangerous animal on their property. The suit argues that both defendants should have known about the dog's vicious nature and taken steps to prevent such an attack.
As a result of this incident, Minton suffered from puncture wounds and lacerations behind her right ear and on top of her head, pain in her right leg, bruising, headaches, and mental anguish. She is seeking compensation for these injuries along with associated medical expenses, loss of earnings, and other damages resulting from the attack.
The plaintiff demands a jury trial and seeks damages exceeding $50,000 from both defendants for bodily injury, pain and suffering, disability, disfigurement, mental anguish, loss of capacity for enjoyment of life, medical expenses including hospitalization and nursing care costs as well as loss of earnings.
Representing Deianira Minton is Justin W. Pimenta from Abrahamson & Uiterwyk Car Accident & Injury Lawyers based in Tampa.
The Case Number is: 24-003662-CI.