On Nov. 25, 2008, a jury determined that dogs were not to blame for an accident that injured a motorcyclist.
In 2002, Ronald Ashley was riding his motorcycle in Midlothian when he claimed two dogs ran into his path and caused him to fall. He sustained five fractured ribs and a collapsed lung in the incident.
Seeking $50,000 in damages, Ashley sued the dogs’ owners, Cathy and C.L. Smith, alleging they violated the city’s leash law.
The Smiths denied negligence, contending that Ashley waited two years before notifying them of the alleged incident.
The defense also argued that there were inconsistencies between the medical records and Ashley’s testimony about how the accident happened, noting that there was no mention of the dogs in the records.
Ashley v. Smith, No. 67850
Court: 40th District Court, Ellis County