After an Attack

Pennsylvania state law has in place rules that handle dog bites and how the law is interpreted depends on each situation:

What is absolutely certain is that a dog owner is always held liable for any damage his or her dog may inflict on an unsuspecting victim if it has a known history of vicious and dangerous behavior. The clearest situation is when in a dog’s history the dog has bitten a person before. In Pennsylvania this is called the “one-bite” rule. Liability applies too in situations where severe injury has taken place whether the dog has any history of dog attack or dog bite as the seriousness of the injury takes precedence.

If you have been bitten by a dog and the bite was serious you are entitled to compensation. However, to ensure you get the full amount and there is no dispute over the situation, a PA dog bite attorney should be hired to assess and compile a case for your compensation payment.

When injuries have taken place in a dog attack that are not considered to fall into the severe category then suing is only possible for the  price of the medical treatment.

A serious injury is considered to be

• Broken limbs
• Disfigurement
• Injury that needs reconstructive surgery

Gathering Information

Your attorney will need to collect as much proof as possible. Proof  may include:

• Photographs of your injuries, recorded after the attack
• Medical records indicating the nature of your of your injuries and completed or ongoing treatment
• Medical bills
• Damaged to clothing or shoes
• Payroll records, if lost wages need to be reclaimed

Sworn Statement Needed

You have to provide a sworn statement concerning the dog attack under oath. This gives you the opportunity to explain the circumstances around the dog bite attack.

Making your Claim

For PA dog bite injury claims that exceed $8,000, the lawsuit is filed in the assigned Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas. For amounts that are no more than $8,000 ($10,000 in the case of the Philadelphia municipal court), the personal injury lawsuit would be filed in the Justice Court or Pennsylvania District Court.

Your selected dog bite attorney will arrange the correct court for resolving and finalizing your dog bite case. You can be rest assured that if you have chosen the right experienced dog bite attorney, your case will be heard in the right court and you will receive the compensation you are legally entitled to. Most claims include an amount for the pain and suffering you have endured, any amount of cash you have lost from wages while taking time off to recover and the  EMBED Word.Document.8 s cost of medical bills now and into the future. The whole compensation fee package is dependant on how well your chosen attorney will fight on your behalf.

If you or a member of your family have been bitten by a dog and it was not your fault you should contact an attorney for a consultation and you should not think that you were in the wrong place at the wrong time. You should fight for compensation that you justly deserve.