Ohio man bitten by bat to be paid $1,500 by county under little-known state law
By APSunday, January 17, 2010
Ohio county pays man $1,500 for bat bite
DELAWARE, Ohio — An Ohio county has agreed to pay $1,500 to a man who was bitten by a rabid bat and turned to a little-known state law that allows for compensation. Commissioners in Delaware County, north of Columbus, voted Thursday to provide 61-year-old David Froehlich with the maximum reimbursement under the law, even though he put in his request for the money two days late.
The law allows a person hurt by a rabid animal to seek a county’s help with the medical bills. But the request must be made within four months of the bite, and Froehlich just missed the window.
A prosecutor who reviewed Froehlich’s claim said he was surprised to learn of the law.
Froehlich’s wife said her husband was bitten Aug. 22 and that insurance didn’t cover the $5,000 hospital bill.
Information from: The Columbus Dispatch, www.dispatch.com
