Our Case Results for Dog Bite Claims

Montgomery County – $220,000 verdict. A man visiting a body shop was attacked by a German Shepherd, suffering bites to his arms, legs, and buttocks. After the insurance company offered $75,000, the case went to trial and a jury awarded $220,000.

Erie County: $25,000.00 settlement. 35 year old female was out for a jog. As she passed one of the homes on her route, a Pit Bull broke through the fenced-in yard and chased her, nipping at her legs as she tried to get away. Luckily the dog owner was able to call the dog off, and the dog retreated. Unfortunately, when she looked down, the dog had lacerated her ankle. It was a minor injury, but was painful and swollen. She went to a local Urgent Care, where the wound was cleaned and debrided and she was released with antibiotics. I was able to get the homeowner’s insurance pretty quickly, and they settled 6 weeks later for this minor incident. In cases like this, settlement is always liely, as there is a clear violation of the PA Dog Law relating to confinement.

Philadelphia County: $500,000.00 settlement. 22 year old female was visiting her boyfriend’s grandmother’s house for the first time. As soon as she walked in, the Akita who lived there jumped up and bit my client in the face, causing laceration to the nose, eye and cheek. They immediately rushed her to UPenn, where she was treated. The wounds were somewhat complicated, so they called in a plastic surgeon who did a very good job treating the injuries. 1 year later, she still had eye issues (constant tears accompanied by numbness), and although the scars healed nicely, they were still somewhat visible. Insurance company tendered the entire policy. Incidents that happen inside the home are not as easy as outside, as there is rarely a Dog Law violation. But if the injury is severe enough, that’s all that matters for liability purposes.

Berks County: $85,000.00 settlement. Amazon delivery driver was taking a photo of the package he had just placed at the front door of the home. As he was walking back to his vehicle, he heard the dog running, turned around, and the dog latched onto his lower left leg. The owner came out and was able to get the dog off, but it was too late. The driver took himself to the closest ER, where they applied 25 sutures. It is pretty rare that they stitch a dog bite, as it needs to drain naturally to reduce the likelihood of infection. The bites were so deep in this case, they didn;t have a choice, but they did leave one end open for draining. Luckily it didn’t get infected, but there was a nasty scar. These situations that happen on the dog’s property are often fought hard by the insurance company–they try to argue that there was no Dog Law violation, and that the victim should be more aware of the surroundings. I always get around this weak argument, especially if the injury is serious. But even if the injury is not so serious, I can still get around it one way or another. For example, if we end up in a lawsuit, and I can prove that the dog is aggressive towards other dogs, or even has one bite in the past, that is good enough. But if the injury is serious, proving “vicious propensities” is pretty easy.

Allegheny County: $100,000.00 settlement. DoorDash delivery driver was walking to the front door to deliver a food order. The dog owner was sitting on the front porch with his German Shepherd. The dog suddenly broke-away from the owner, ran at my client, tackled him to the ground and bit him on the arm and leg. Police were called and the dog was later put down, as this was the 3rd such incident with this dog in 6 months. My client sustained 2 scars, and PTSD. Case settled in less than 6 months for the homeowner’s insurance policy limits. These cases that occur on the dog’s property (versus the neighborhood or sidewalk) are not slam dunks. There is no Dog Law violation, so I need to prove that the dog owner had a responsibility to keep the dog away from visitors. If it’s a significant injury, “vicious propensities” can be proven for this incident alone–even if the dog had never bitten anyone before. If it’s not a serious injury, then I need to prove vicious propensities another way. And I usually can find SOMETHING to help in that regard.

A 48-year-old woman was jogging through her neighborhood when two Pit Bulls escaped through a broken gate and violently attacked her. The insurance company initially denied responsibility, claiming the dogs had never attacked anyone before.

By proving the property owner negligently failed to repair the gate for months, the case was resolved for the full $500,000 policy limits.

A young child was playing in a yard when a dog suddenly attacked and bit off half of her ear without warning. Emergency treatment and reconstructive plastic surgery helped restore the injury over time.

The insurance company ultimately paid the full $100,000 policy limits.

An Uber Eats driver was approaching a customer’s front door when an Akita suddenly ran from behind the home and attacked him, causing a deep gash to his dominant arm.

Although the injury required only one medical visit, it left a permanent four-inch scar. The case resulted in a $70,000 verdict.

An Amazon driver was walking back to his vehicle after completing deliveries when a German Shepherd suddenly ran out of a home and severely bit his leg.

The insurance company initially offered just $25,000, later increasing the offer to $50,000 before trial. Both offers were rejected. After a three-day jury trial, the client was awarded $150,000 — three times the final settlement offer.

A woman visiting her boyfriend’s parents was attacked by their Pit Bull moments after entering the home. The attack caused severe facial injuries requiring emergency plastic surgery.

After quickly gathering evidence and contacting the insurance company directly, the case settled for the full $300,000 policy limits just four days after the attack.

Amazon driver just handed a package to the customer. As he was walking back to his vehicle, a Pit Bull came from behind the house and chased the driver all the way to his car. Unfortunately, the driver could not get away from the dog, who bit him on the buttocks very badly. The dog owner had to get the dog away with a baseball bat. The wounds were so deep that the ER had to place stitches (which is very rare for a dog bite because they want it to drain so it doesn’t get infected). Several months later, the wounds had healed nicely, but there was still scarring. Good settlement for the injury–and it’s not what the injury was at the moment of the attack–it’s all about what the healed injury looks like. And usually those 2 pictures are very different.

Female neighbor went next-door to hand-over a mis-delivered package. As soon as the neighbor opened the front door, a German Shepherd lunged and bit my client in the face. She was immediately taken by her husband to the ER, but the injury was too complex for them to handle. So they had to go to another hospital with a plastic surgeon on staff, and she was taken right into surgery where they stitched the wound. This dog had had other incidents and because this was incident #3, the judge ordered the dog to be put down. The homeowner’s carrier was not making fair offers, so I filed a lawsuit. Once defense counsel got involved, he was able to convince the carrier to pay way more than they were thinking. An amount that was fair under the circumstances. Often a defense lawyer is able to get things done that an adjuster cannot. And this was one of those times. Very pleasing result.

Tenant owned a dog that escaped through a hole in the fenced-in yard. I sent a letter to the tenant asking for her renter’s insurance information, and she told me she didn’t have that. I decided to then put the landlord on notice of the incident, arguing that even though it wasn’t his dog, the incident would not have occurred had he kept the fence in good repair. The tenant told me that she had complained to her landlord about the problem with the fence, and he did nothing to correct it. The landlord’s insurance company denied the claim, arguing it was not their insured’s dog. I sued the landlord under a simple negligence theory arguing that had the fence been fixed properly, the dog could not have escaped. After a 3 day jury trial, the jury agreed and returned a very favorable verdict for my client.

Settlement in Philadelphia County. Neighbor went to next door neighbor’s house. After ringing the bell, she waited for the door to be opened when 2 dogs ran from behind the house and attacked her, biting her legs. The dog owner ran out and got the dogs off, but sustained significant injuries to her arms. 8 months later everything had healed nicely, but there was visible residual scarring and PTSD. Case settled before trial.

Verdict in Delaware County. 6 year old child was playing with a few other kids in the yard where the dog lived. The dog was outside with them chasing the kids around. My client tackled another kid and the dog, trying to protect the child (son of parents who own the dog) attacked my client, biting him on the arms and legs. The injuries were moderate, and required cleaning and debridement at the ER. A year later, there were scars left behind, both physical and psychological. The insurance company denied the claim saying (1) it happened on the dog’s own property; (2) the dog was provoked and (3) no prior incidents. During litigation, I was able to get the dog owners to admit that the dog barked a lot, and jumped on guests (playfully, according to them). This fact was enough to argue to the jury that they should have known that the dog should have been kept away from others due to his “aggressive propensities.” The jury agreed and flu found against the dog owner.

Settlement in Allegheny County: Uber Eats driver arrived at customer’s home to deliver food. When she got to the front door, the owner opened it and the German Shepherd ran past the owner and bit the Uber driver on her hand. The injury required 5 stitches and a Rabies series. 6 months after the attack the case settled.

$500,000.00 dog bite settlement. A realtor was meeting a homeowner to discuss a potential listing when their German Shepherd entered the kitchen and suddenly bit her in the face. She was taken by ambulance to the ER for stitches and later underwent three plastic surgeries. A small scar remained on her cheek. The case settled for full policy limits.

$100,000.00 settlement. Tenant entered an elevator where another resident’s dog bit her dominant hand and would not release until the owner intervened. She went to the ER, where the wound was cleaned but didn’t need stitches. A visible 3″ scar remained. Laser resurfacing was recommended to improve its appearance.

$300,000.00 verdict. Young lady was walking her dog past a neighbor’s house which had a fenced-in yard with a Pit Bull. As she was walking by, the Pit Bull slammed his body against the fence and escaped, attacking the young lady’s dog. While the dog was being attacked, the young lady tried to save her dog and in the process, got badly bitten on her arm and back. The dog owner got the dog away and drive the victim to the hospital, where she was stitched and given antibiotics. Unfortunately the dog died. The victim had permanent scarring. The insurance company offered $100,000.00 which was rejected and a lawsuit was filed. Before trial, the offer increased to $200,000.00, which was also rejected. The lawyer said “take it or leave it.” Luckily she didn’t take it because the jury awarded her $300,000.00.

United States Postal Service mailman was attacked as she was delivering a package. After handing the package to the homeowner, her dog which was on a leash, broke-free and bit the driver on her left arm. The scar was about 6” long, and was clearly visible. Dog owner’s insurance company settled for $100,000.00.

$100,000.00 settlement. Client was considering fostering a dog because the dog owner worked too much to be able to care for the dog appropriately. At least that was what the dog owner said. Within 4 hours of the dog being taken to his new home, he attacked the 15 year old daughter, biting her on the face and left breast. They got the dog into a closet until the original owner arrived to take back the dog. The insurance company denied the claim so a lawsuit was filed. It was revealed that the real reason the dog was being re-homed was because the children in that house were scared of it. Once the lawyer for the insurance company heard this (that the dog owner lied about why she was giving-up the dog), the case settled for the policy limits.

Uber Eats driver was directed to go to the home of the customer, who was at work (she put in the wrong address). When the driver arrived, she wasn’t expected, so the dogs were not put away. As the driver approached the front door, 2 dogs ran out from behind the house and knocked her to the ground, biting her on the arms and legs causing lacerations and scarring. Case settled for $150,000.00 due to the injuries and diagnosed PTSD.

$215,000.00 verdict in Philadelphia County. FedEx driver rang doorbell and as soon as the door opened (by a child who lived in the house) a German Shepherd ran out, jumped-up and bit the victim on the face. The injury required 15 stitches and plastic surgery which was successful — the scar had healed well — by the time of trial it was a crooked line on the cheek. The jury was horrified by the initial photographs which motivated them to award such a large amount.

$100,000.00 settlement. DoorDasher delivers food to homeowner. As she was walking back to her vehicle, dog comes from behind her and latches onto her leg and starts shaking her leg back and forth taking a chunk out of her leg which required plastic surgery. Settled for full policy limits within 3 weeks of the incident.

Verdict against a landlord, which is not an easy thing to accomplish. A girl was badly attacked by an uninsured tenant’s dog. We went after the landlord since there was no other insurance to go after. In order to find a landlord responsible for a tenant’s dog causing injury (and the tenant has no renter’s insurance), we must prove that the landlord (1) knew the dog was on the property; (2) knew the dog was dangerous, and (3) failed to do anything about it, such as ordering the tenant to remove the dog OR evicting the tenant. The landlord tried to say that he had no idea that the dog was vicious, but testimony from a maintenance man who no longer worked for the landlord testified that the dog had attacked the landlord and the maintenance man himself. Finding this witness wasn’t easy, and it was solely his testimony that helped the jury find against the landlord.

Great Bucks County jury verdict. A Bucks County woman went to a party with a friend. There was a dog at the house that was normally kept isolated from guests, but for some reason was not on this night. Shortly after arriving at the house, she encountered the dog and went to pet it. The dog jumped up and bit her on the lip. Everyone at the party saw what happened but instead of doing the right thing, they all testified that the plaintiff provoked the dog after being told to stay away. The jury did not believe this story, and awarded her accordingly.

A Philadelphia dog sitter was hired to watch a customer’s dogs for the weekend. Upon arrival to the customer’s home to start the job, one of the 2 dogs jumped up on her, pushed her down to the ground, and started attacking her. She was able to get away, but not after the dog had bitten a hole through her right leg. She called 911 and the emergency services immediately sent an ambulance which transported her to the nearest ER. Unfortunately, the dog was not current with its rabies vaccinations, and she contracted rabies. After antibiotics, 5 months of physical therapy and a permanently scarred leg, the insurance company settled for $275,000.

A teenage girl went to her boyfriend’s house and while there, a dog that was normally kept in the basement due to aggression issues was allowed upstairs. Immediately after seeing the girl, the dog lunged at her, biting her upper lip. Blood was everywhere, and she was immediately taken to the emergency room, where a plastic surgeon was called in to perform a procedure. The lip healed well, but she continued to have nerve issues in the area of the bite.

A UPS driver approached the front door of a home to deliver a package. As soon as the door opened, an Akita ran out and bit the driver on his right leg and would not let go. The dog owner had to hit his dog with a golf club to get him to release. Once the dog released the person’s leg, the driver was rushed to hospital because the leg was so damaged. After surgery, the driver had 6 months of physical therapy. Unfortunately, the dog attack left the driver with a sizable scar on the leg, as well as a ton of medical bills. The case was settled shortly after a lawsuit was filed.

A Montgomery County child was riding his bicycle through the neighborhood when a neighbor’s dog broke through the fence on the property, and grabbed a hold of the child’s leg, causing him to fall from his bicycle. The dog then proceeded to bite the child on multiple parts of the body, causing significant blood loss. The child was rushed to the emergency room, where he was treated and released. The insurance company quickly settled without the need for a lawsuit.

A Philadelphia minor child was playing in her yard when the neighbor’s German Shepherd came onto her property and attacked her, causing severe injuries/scarring to her face. The dog owners tried to blame the child, saying that she wandered onto their property. However, the owners’ claim was not believed by anyone, including their own insurance company, which settled just before a lawsuit was about to be filed.

This case was settled in 9 days for the entire policy limits. The client had the tip of her finger bitten off by a Pit Bull. Mr. Penneys sent the injury photographs to the insurance company, and insisted that they tender the entire policy, which they quickly did.