Stacy Finelli walked March 24, 2022, over to her neighbors, the Steusloffs, on Hawthorne Lane in Gainesville to give them mail that was misdelivered. Her attorneys wrote in the original complaint that the dog, a labrador/pit bull mix, “clamped its teeth into and violently shook” Stacy Finelli’s body.
“Judging by the photos, to us it looked more like a shark attack than a dog attack,” attorney Rustin Smith previously told The Times.
The $5.6 million verdict was awarded late Friday, May 19, with 75% of the damages apportioned to Thomas Steusloff and 25% to Jean Steusloff.
The jury also awarded $50,000 in attorney’s fees for the Finellis.
The attorneys for the Finellis were not immediately available to discuss the case with The Times.
In the Steusloffs’ motion for summary judgment, the Steusloffs’ son came to live with his parents and brought his dog Bronson, a lab/pit bull mix.
The Steusloffs’ attorneys wrote that the dog had never been aggressive or attacked anybody.
“Bronson was a playful dog who would sometimes jump on people, but without biting them,” the defense wrote while mentioning two instances where the dog jumped on older women.
Tom Steusloff and his son were not at home March 24, 2022 when Finelli knocked on the door to hand her neighbor a large stack of mail misdelivered to the Finellis’ home, according to the defense’s motion.
After talking for 20-40 minutes on the porch, Jean Steusloff invited Stacy Finelli to see the renovated master bedroom.
“Jean heard Bronson run down the hall, and Jean ‘tried to protect Stacy,’” according to the defense’s motion. “The next thing Jean remembers is Stacy and herself laying on the floor next to each other, and Stacy telling her to call 911. Jean put Bronson in the garage and then called 911.”
The dog was put down by the Steusloffs.
The defense argued the Steusloffs were not liable because they did not know the dog had the propensity to attack others.
Tom Steusloff, who died last year, also was not the owner or keeper of the dog, the attorneys wrote.
The Times reached out to two members of the defense team for comment, but those requests were not returned.
The Finellis were represented by Matt Cook, Ronny Hulsey, Nathan Nicholson and Josh Bearden.
