Daily News headlines are so good I’ve gotten pretty lazy in making up my own. Here’s today’s story:
A West Side garment executive is suing a fellow tenant in a luxury condominium after the neighbor’s pit bull “ripped off” part of the man’s mouth in the building elevator.
Alan Johnson, 47, claims his neighbor, Narayan Raj, 37, knew the dog could be violent but encouraged him to pet the animal in the elevator of 555 West 59th St. in May 2011, according to Manhattan Supreme Court papers.
Johnson’s lawyer, Howard Strongin, said his client still has “an impaired ability to smile.” — Barbara Ross.
One or two fairly unsympathetic comments. First, what kind of schmuck pets a pit bull, even at or especially at the invitation of the owner? You just don’t do it.
Second, isn’t this lawsuit filed past the statute of limitations? I sigh, because now I’ll have to do a bit of research to learn if my question is valid. Hang on a minute ….
Question is not valid. Statute of limitations for personal injury in New York State is three years, i.e., May 2014, in this case.
Since I bombed out on the PI statute of limitations, may I issue a warning? If you live at 555 West 59th Street, do NOT pet any pit bulls you meet up with in the elevator, no matter how encouraged you may be by the dog’s owner.