Dog bite victim sues brick-making company over savage attack

A ZIMBABWEAN man is suing a brick manufacturing company for more than US$15 000 in damages after he sustained severe injuries when he was brutally mauled by some vicious dogs owned by the Harare-based enterprise.

Paul Kudimba, who resides in Harare, was attacked by a pack of vicious dogs numbering about six on 14 October 2022, as he was walking past Obrim Bricks premises along Old Mazowe Road in Mt Hampden on his way home from Scantide Enterprises, his workplace.

The 55-year-old Kudimba was attacked by the vicious dogs, which belong to Obrim Bricks, which had escaped from a perimeter fence at the brick-making company's premises.

The pack of dogs felled Kudimba on the ground and savaged him all over his body.

He was only rescued by Obrim Bricks employees after he screamed for help with the assistance of a Zimbabwe Republic Police officer, who was manning a nearby police post, who also yelled for assistance for which alerted the brick maker's workers to attend to the dire situation.

According to summons filed at Harare Magistrates Court by Kudimba's lawyer Tinashe Chinopfukutwa of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, a Chinese national from Obrim Bricks, attended at the scene and finally managed to restrain the vicious dogs and led them into the brick maker's premises.

Chinopfukutwa told the court that Kudimba's clothes were left torn from the vicious dog attack such that he was rendered naked and had to be draped in a blanket in order to cover him.

The human rights lawyer said Kudimba sustained injuries all over his body including on his legs, neck and upper limbs and had to seek medical attention.

He stated that doctors who examined Kudimba had concluded that there is a possibility that he will suffer permanent injuries and would live with a disability as a result of the dog attack.

Chinopfukutwa said up to now, Kudimba still feels excruciating pain on his legs, which usually swell whenever he walks for some distance. Chinopfukutwa said Kudimba, who was an avid social soccer player, is no longer able to continue playing for Haydon Soccer Club and had lost his social amenities as a result of the injuries sustained from the dog attack.

According to Chinopfukutwa, Kudimba, who was employed on a short term contract by Scantide Enterprises from 1 October 2022 to 31 December 2022, could not complete the tenure of his contracted period of employment as he was rendered bed-ridden owing to the dog bite injuries.

In the summons, Kudimba, who is demanding payment from Obrim Bricks amounting to US$15 536 as compensation for damages suffered from the dog attack incident, accused Obrim Bricks of unlawful and negligent conduct when it failed to properly secure its perimeter fence in order to prevent its dogs from escaping and attacking him.

The Harare man argued that Obrim Bricks failed to take reasonable steps to secure its vicious dogs in order to prevent them from escaping from its premises into the road and also failed to guard against harm to members of the public, when the company was aware that it kept vicious dogs.

Out of US$15 536, which Kudimba is demanding as compensation, US$5 000 is for damages for pain and suffering, US$5 000 to cover damages for loss of social amenities of life, US$5 000 for future medical expenses, US$507 being special damages for loss of income and US$29 and ZWL30 741 to cover medical expenses, which were incurred when he sought treatment for injuries following the dog attack incident.