Ohio county pays man $1,500 for bat bite

[February 04, 2010]  DELAWARE, Ohio (AP) -- 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.

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Information from: The Columbus Dispatch, http://www.dispatch.com/

[Associated Press]

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