A dog attack can be one of the most terrifying experiences for a Wisconsin resident to go through. Dog attacks can result in trauma and permanent scarring and some dog attacks end in a victim's death.

One 75-year-old woman died recently after she was attacked by her neighbors' pit bulls. Authorities say that the dogs ripped through a metal gate that divided the properties and mauled the woman in her yard as she went out to grab a newspaper one morning. She languished in a hospital for six months before she died.

It is unclear whether a wrongful death lawsuit will be brought against the dog owners. The funds from a wrongful death suit are often used to pay for medical expenses associated with a dog attack. In this case it appears that the elderly woman sustained serious medical bills because both of her legs and her arm were amputated before she died.

The trauma of seeing a loved one so badly injured from a preventable dog attack can also create a strong case for the family of the elderly woman to recover for their emotional pain and suffering.

Criminal charges are also pending against the dog owners. Authorities say that the 39-year-old dog owner and her 20-year-old daughter were aware that their animals were vicious. The women face charges of failing to protect the public from a dog, owning a dangerous dog, and involuntary manslaughter, among other things.

The women allegedly knew that the dogs were vicious because the dogs escaped their yard once before and attacked a man who was walking his puppy. The puppy suffered a broken jaw in the attack and the man reported being bit.

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