$1.125 million dog bite settlement

A $1.125 million settlement, said to be the largest for a dog bite in Illinois history, was obtained Monday for a 17-year-old Zion boy who was attacked by a dog while riding his bike, according to the Chicago law firm Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C.

Patrick A. Salvi and Jeffrey J. Kroll of the firm represented the boy, who was 15 when a 120-pound Bullmastiff escaped from a fenced-in-yard in Zion. The dog pulled the teen off his bike and onto the street, continuing to attack until a neighbor removed the dog by burning a lit cigarette on the dog’s nose, according to the firm.

The teen spent a week in the hospital with cuts and puncture wounds and needed surgery for his injuries, according to the firm. According to a news release, the dog had bitten another person and another dog before this attack occurred, and there had been eight 911 calls made for animal complaints involving the dog owner. The dog was euthanized following the attack.