Rated 5 stars by 300+ Clients
Serving Philadelphia & Surrounding PA Counties
Rated 5 stars by 300+ Clients
Serving Philadelphia & Surrounding PA Counties
A dog bite can cause significant damage to skin and injure the soft tissue underneath. The power of a dog’s jaw can break bones and cause lasting scars.
If you believe that your dog bite injuries were caused by someone else’s negligence, contact an experienced Pennsylvania dog bite lawyer as soon as possible – after all, your choice of lawyer might turn out to be the most important decision you make in the entire case.
Every day, over 1,000 Americans end up in the emergency room over dog bite injuries. Moreover, nearly 90 percent of these injuries are caused by about nine percent of all dogs – a family of aggressive dog breeds that includes the notorious Pitbull and Rottweiler breeds. In addition to physical injuries, you may also suffer hidden psychological wounds that might turn out to be far more painful than your physical wounds..
Since a dog bite can occur anywhere on the body, injuries take many forms. Some of the most common types include:
Understanding the Dunbar Dog Bite scale can help you determine the level of the bite damage.
Move immediately after an attack to have your injury treated — for both medical and legal reasons. Medical treatment helps prove the exact extent of your injuries, which is critical when determining how much to seek from the insurance company or in court.
After cleaning and possibly suturing the wound, the doctor may ask about a tetanus shot within the past 10 years and administer an X-ray to check for hidden bone or joint damage.
More serious dog bite injuries require extensive treatment: fractured bones must be set and nerve damage repaired where possible. Facial scarring and disfigurement may require reconstructive surgery, including skin grafts.
Beyond physical injury, you may suffer psychological harm resulting in significant or debilitating anxiety — which can require long-term counseling.
Serving Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Montgomery, Delaware, and all other counties in the Commonwealth.
The after-effects of a dog attack can be long-term or even permanent, and they are not necessarily limit to physical problems:
Children are particularly likely to become victims of dog attacks, because they often fail to recognize danger and because they are more likely to accidentally provoke a dog. Ironically, the younger the child is, the more likely he or she is to become a dog bite victim – and the more likely the child is to become permanently traumatized by the attack, as well.
Naturally, this sort of traumatization will figure heavily into the value of a claim – yet what price can you put on a paralyzing fear that causes the child to suffer panic attacks in the presence of any dog?
A general summary of how Pennsylvania law applies to dog bite injuries.
Negligence in dog bite claims
As your attorney, Jeffrey Penneys investigates carefully, collecting key evidence and speaking with witnesses. Dog owners are generally liable for the behavior of their dogs and the injuries they cause.
Provocation and PA dog bite law
If you provoked the dog, negligence can be impossible to prove. The law grants leeway to young children. If you were at fault but under 50%, a court deducts an amount proportionate to your fault and makes the owner pay the rest.
Dog bite case damages
Pennsylvania law allows recovery for medical expenses (including future care and counseling), lost earnings, incidental expenses, pain and suffering, mental anguish, other intangible losses, and — in unusual cases — punitive damages.
Settlement or mediation vs. trial
You can pursue dog bite settlement and litigation together. Most PA cases settle without trial, but if litigation is needed you may choose a lawsuit or binding arbitration. Jeffrey is an experienced negotiator and trial lawyer.
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