Earle Bartholomew in Lexington, MA

Joachim Nettelbeck asked a question

Jane Aibel recommended me to contact you.

My wife, Annie Bessert-NETTELBECK has been bitten by a dog on October 6, was treated in mount Auburn Hospital and is now back in France. I have a short term Kennedy fellowship at the Center for European Studies, Harvard. The wound is rather serious, still open and will have maybe long lasting consequences. She is 72 and French citizen, living mainly in CHAMONIX, France. Our health insurance works for the treatment in France. She had a special German health insurance for our trip to the United States. So, she will be reimbursed for her health treatments.

The owner of the dog is professor here in Harvard and masteresse of Krikland House. She has a liability insurance. I suppose that the German insurance will make her insurance reimburse the costs of the hospital. I will write her a letter claiming the direct costs we had as a consequence of the accident, mainly transportation costs. She assured me that she will reimburse us, covered herself by her insurance. We wouldn't like to do something unusal, already because of the social situation within Harvard, but according to German law, my wife would be entitled to "Schmerzensgeld", immaterial damage? The insurance would have to reimburse it.

Their for my question: Is there a similar jurisdiction in the United States? And what is the procedure? The police said they would send me a protocol; we didn't receive one. The hospital told us they would send us the diagnosis with the bill. They made me pay 750€, but didn't send a bill up to now.

I'll leave Cambridge on Wednesday and would have liked to clarify the further procedure before leaving. If you want to call me, I have only a German iPhone with me: +49 177 89 00 160. Apparently I tried to phone too early.

Joachim Nettelbeck