When Famous Athletes are Sued
The widely reported lawsuit against Hall of Famer Joe Namath in which a delivery driver alleges that the former quarterback’s dog bit him, has garnered substantial attention and is sure to snowball among the sports world.
The facts are straightforward. The driver alleges that he was attacked while making a deliver. As a result of the attack, the driver alleges substantial medical damages and in inability to work.
Just last month, his yellow Labrador retriever Leo was declared to be dangerous:
As a dangerous dog, Leo must now be muzzled and leashed even on Namath's property. It must have a microchip implanted and carry a special "dangerous" dog designation tag. Namath must also now post signs on his property warning of the dog's presence.
The alleged incident raised this week happened two years ago, before Leo was declared dangerous. In other words, the dog was not legally dangerous at the time of the bite, but was subsequently adjudicated dangerous. It remains to be seen how the later-designation as dangerous will impact this case moving forward.
