Dog attack leads to civil suit

HUNTINGTON - A Kanawha County man filed a suit against a St. Albans landowner after he was attacked by a dog on the man's property.

Elliott T. Blake filed a suit May 23 in Kanawha Circuit Court against Patrick and Evette Lafayette of Randolph County.

Blake claims he was on property owned by Patrick Lafayette on June 2, 2006. At the time, he was the employee of a tenant who had a business on the property. While there, a dog attacked Blake and bit his arm and hand.

The attack injured Blake and caused him to undergo rabies vaccinations, the suit says.

According to the suit, Lafayette knew of "a vicious animal being housed upon his property and was further made aware of that animal's propensity to bite or injure people."

As a result of the attack, Blake incurred medical expenses, lost wages and pain and suffering.

Blake, through attorney J. Robert Leslie, seeks compensatory damages.

The case has been assigned to Judge Charlie King.

Kanawha Circuit Court case number 07-C-1012