A 39-year-old woman and her 20-year-old daughter may face a wrongful death lawsuit after their two pit bulls mauled their elderly neighbor to death. Authorities say that the 75-year-old neighbor was mauled when she went into her backyard to pick up the morning paper. The pit bulls broke through a metal gate enclosing the woman's back yard and then viciously attacked her. The elderly woman suffered severe personal injuries which she died from six months later.

In addition to facing criminal manslaughter charges, the dog owners will also likely face a wrongful death lawsuit brought by the husband of the dog attack victim. A wrongful death lawsuit is a type of legal action brought by the surviving family of a dog attack victim against the dog owner whose negligence caused the deadly attack.

Funds from a successful wrongful death lawsuit can be used to compensate a family for the emotional pain and suffering that the death caused. A wrongful death action is also a way to pay for the enormous medical bills often associated with an attack such as this. In this case the elderly woman was hospitalized for six months before she died. The woman suffered severe bites to her limbs and had both legs amputated before she died. Doctors also removed her left arm below the elbow.

The husband of the deceased woman is bereft and disputes claims that the dog owners were unaware of the viciousness of their dogs. He also disputes the claims of the women's lawyer that they were horrified by the death of their neighbor.

"They never came and said, 'Sorry,'" the upset widower said. "The only time she came around was crying for me not to press charges against her."

Source: 10News, "More Charges For Dog Owners In Fatal Mauling Of Elderly Woman," Jan. 18, 2012