Girl Who Lost Arm in Pit Bull Attack Awarded $72 Million

A jury has decided a DeKalb County family whose daughter lost an arm in a pit bull attack should receive $72 million.

Erin Ingram was 8 years old when two pit bulls mauled her in her Lithonia neighborhood in March 2010, Patch previously reported. Her left arm was so severely damaged that surgeons had to amputate it. Use of Erin’s right arm is limited because of injuries from the attack.

The dogs’ owner, Twyann Vaughn, told the jury the animals broke out of their kennel when she was away from home. But, Vaughn was found guilty on six misdemeanor counts, including reckless conduct and owning a vicious dog, WSB reports.

She was sentenced to spend 16 months in prison, AJC.com says.

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During Vaughn’s 2012 trial, neighbors testified that they tried to run over the dogs with their cars to save Erin, but the dogs wouldn’t stop their attack.

When DeKalb Police Sgt. R. Peeler arrived on the scene, he said he used his baton to try to stop the dogs. While the dogs backed away, they were still aggressive, he said in testimony reported by WGCL TV, and he shot the more aggressive dog in the head, killing it. That scared away the second dog, which was later caught and euthanized.

Erin’s attorneys said the jury’s award is one of the largest in a dog attack case. But, it’s not clear what assets or insurance policies Vaughn had, the lawyers said, so the amount the Ingram family will collect is no known.

The family has incurred steep medical bills over the years as Erin recovered from the vicious attack. She spent two months in the hospital then went through ongoing physical therapy and counseling, reports the newspaper.

»Screenshot from WSB TV of Erin Ingram

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