Legal Question in Civil Litigation in Minnesota

Veterinarian mistake caused death of pet

I have 3 questions:

We brought our kitten in to a national pet hospital to get a routine declaw and neuter. Veterinarian caused death of (she admitted in conversation it was her fault specifically) causing cat to die.

Question #1 Because the chain is company owned, and based out of oregon but has these branch offices all over the country, can I take the local office to small claims court in my state? if so, read on:

question #2, can I recover the costs of the $160 paid to them so far for the ''wellness plan''? The plan was to cover the cost of this operation, and routine shots for the cats first year. because the cat was only a few months old, and the cat died prior to them actually doing what the majority of the plan was for, I paid in full for something I did not recieve in full. (the cat did get 2 shots from prior visits)

question #3 Can I recover the inital $100.00 cost of the animals adoption fee I paid to own the cat in the first place? After all, had the vet not killed the cat, I would not have to adopt another cat again, and spend another $100 for a kitten.


Asked on 2/16/02, 12:44 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys

Vincent W. King Vincent W. King, PA

Re: Veterinarian mistake caused death of pet

Question 1: Yes, in MN you can.

Questions 2 & 3: These would seem to be reasonable items of damages to include in your claim.

Sad story; I'm sorry for you loss.

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Answered on 2/16/02, 1:14 pm


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