Hazleton Dog Bite Lawyer
When you encounter someone walking their dog on the street or in the yard at a friend’s house, you don’t assume that the dog is anything other than a domesticated family pet. However, dogs are still animals. That means that they can be prone to exhibit unpredictable behavior and attack. Sometimes it’s due to provocation, but there are instances where a dog attacks someone without any provocation at all. If you or a loved one were bitten by a dog, it’s important to reach out to a skilled Hazleton dog bite lawyer right away.
Dog bite claims can be very complex and often involve high damage claims due to future medical treatment, like scar revision, and there may be considerable time off work. You shouldn’t attempt to pursue a dog bite claim on your own. Let the team at O’Donnell Law Offices help. Our lawyers have been assisting Pennsylvania clients with all sorts of personal injury and premises liability matters for years.
Even small dogs have pointed teeth in their mouths with powerful jaw muscles, which means they can still inflict a lot of damage. Don’t assume that just because a dog is tiny, it won’t do much damage if it bites you. Of course, larger dogs are that much stronger, which means getting bit by a large dog could be catastrophic, or even fatal in some cases.
What are the Dog Bite Laws in Pennsylvania?
Not surprisingly, dog owners will try to say they aren’t at fault if their dog bites someone, regardless of whether it was unprovoked or not. Depending on the circumstances of the dog bite, the owner could be liable to you for your damages.
The law in Pennsylvania says that dog owners are negligent if they had knowledge that their dog had vicious tendencies and failed to control the dog properly. This means owners will try to prove they aren’t negligent by showing they have additional fencing on the property and properly restrain their animals in public. If the dog was previously declared to be dangerous and the owner doesn’t meet Pennsylvania’s requirements to keep the dog, it could be considered negligence as well.
Determining the Severity of Your Injuries
Your ability to recover compensation is based on a two-tiered system that relates to the severity of your injuries. Under severe injuries, the law looks at people who suffer broken bones, need cosmetic surgery, are disfigured, etc. to make sure they can recover for all their expenses related to the accident. This includes future surgeries and treatment for your injuries. The other is non-severe injuries, which means injuries that were not severe in nature. In this case, you can still bring a claim for damages, which would be limited to your medical expenses.
Contact a Hazleton Dog Bite Lawyer Today
Determining liability for a dog bite in Pennsylvania can be rather complex. The dog owner’s insurance company will be fast to claim their insured is not at fault, or worse, claim there is no coverage for the accident at all. This is why you need a Hazleton dog bite lawyer fighting for you. Contact O’Donnell Law Offices today to schedule an initial consultation.
