For centuries, dogs have played an integral role in people’s lives. Today, they help find missing children, guide the blind, support people with PTSD/autism, and even apprehend suspects. And, for millions of Americans, they’re beloved family pets.
Most dogs aren’t aggressive toward people. But unfortunately, dog bites can and do happen. In these instances, it is almost always the fault of the dog’s owner for failing to control, restrain, or supervise their pet. As a result, about 4.5 million Americans are bitten by dogs every year. Some of those bites are minor, but others can cause permanent disability, scarring, and even death.
If you are the victim of a dog attack, you’ve likely already discovered that they can result in permanent injuries, extensive medical bills, missed work, and considerable physical and emotional pain.
At DelVecchio & Miller, LLC, we believe that when dog owners fail in their responsibility, they need to be held accountable for the resulting damage. If you’ve suffered a recent dog bite or attack, call us to set up a free consultation.
Determining what damages you may be able to recover can be difficult, but a dog bite attorney can review your case and give you an idea of what compensation you may be entitled to.
If you file a claim against the owner of a dog who attacked you, your legal team will need to prove that the owner was negligent in some way and that their negligence led to the bite and subsequent injuries.
Each dog bite case is different, and there are many ways for an owner to be negligent. However, common types of owner negligence can include:
Many regions in Pennsylvania have leash laws that require owners to keep their pets restrained. If they don’t, and an unleashed dog attacks you, the fact that the owner violated a leash law is strong evidence of negligence.
Pennsylvania law also states that dogs are not permitted to run at large. So, if you’re walking in Schenley Park in Pittsburgh and a loose dog bites you, the owner may be negligent.
In some cases, a dog owner has the responsibility to restrain their dog even when leash laws do not apply.
For example, if you are a delivery person, customers are responsible for preventing their dogs from attacking you. A dog in the owner’s home doesn’t have to be leashed. However, if the owner opens the door and the dog lunges and bites you, the owner may be negligent for failing to control the animal.
In Pennsylvania, owners of dogs that have been declared dangerous must register their pet with the Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement (headquartered in Harrisburg) and make sure that it’s kept in a proper enclosure and muzzled in public.
Dangerous dogs are those that have a recorded history of attacking people or animals (incidents that have been documented by local or state officials). If a dog that attacked you has been previously declared dangerous, there’s a very good chance that the owner has failed in their duty to protect you.
Even if a dog hasn’t been legally declared dangerous, the owner may know that the animal has aggressive tendencies. If so, they have a responsibility to warn you. They also should keep their dog away from stressful or volatile situations that may lead to an attack.
In this case, owner negligence may be hard to prove — but it isn’t impossible. For example, suppose a neighbor’s dog bites you at a barbecue. The owner doesn’t say anything about the dog’s past behavior, but your lawyer’s office finds an old social media post where the owner mentions the dog attacking the mailman. That post could be used as evidence that the owner was negligent.
Establishing that a dog owner has knowledge of prior aggressive behavior or dangerous tendencies can be much more challenging in practice than it is in theory. If you hire us to take on your dog bite case, our attorneys will thoroughly investigate and determine whether the owner acted negligently. All you need to do is contact us, and we’ll do the rest!
For many people, it’s difficult to know what to do after a dog bite. Some people are afraid to report it because they fear retaliation from the dog’s owner or they’re worried that the dog will be put down.
However, after you’ve received medical attention, the best course of action is to speak to a Pennsylvania dog bite attorney immediately. An attorney can discuss your case with you and help you understand your options going forward.
The personal injury attorneys at DelVecchio & Miller, LLC have decades of experience helping injured people recover the compensation they deserve. If a dog has bitten you, please contact us to schedule your free consultation!
