How to Pursue a Dog Bite Claim in Pennsylvania

The Federal CDC (Center for Disease Control) recently reported that nearly 4.5 million individuals suffer a dog bite or dog attack in the USA each year.  Around 20 percent of these individuals will be in need of medical treatment to heal their injuries after a dog attack. Medical treatment often includes the treatment of severe lacerations to the face, broken bones, scratches and bruises and emotional distress. More than 31,000 victims were in need of surgery to repair the damage caused a dog bite injury.

Pennsylvania law takes into consideration dog bite injuries and allows those victims of dog bites to claim money damages from the at-fault dog’s owner. It is not necessary to file a lawsuit in all cases of dog bites as sufficient compensation can be recovered from the dog’s owner by negotiation based on criteria used for the various components of the compensation package.

Dog bite compensation claim

If you, or a member of your family, have been injured by a dog in Pennsylvania then you should follow certain steps so that your rights to financial recovery are guaranteed. You should:

File a report of the incident to the Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement at the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.

Contact the police as a dog attack may mean criminal charges lodged against the dog owner in specific circumstances.

Write your report of the dog bite incident. Record the breed of dog; write down a detailed description of the dog, the exact place the attack occurred, and the owner’s name.

Once the preliminary steps have been followed, then contact an experienced and reputable PA dog bite attorney. Experience is important in PA dog bite law, because the lawyer will know exactly the dog bite victims entitlements and will ensure every cent is recovered for the cost of the injuries and the pain and suffering that results.

Dog bite attorney 

Once you have chosen your attorney, then you should provide as much information as possible to him or her. This must include the injuries received at the dog attack incident as well as hospital and medical reports which are related to your dog bite injury.

A fair settlement will be negotiated

Once you have provided as much information as possible your PA dog bite lawyer will assess the incident. The case will then be compiled and presented to the at-fault dog owner. You shouldn’t hesitate when seeking damages as the dog bite is not your fault and you are not expected to take on the financial burden of an injury that was not of your making. Most cases of dog bite compensation do not take place in court but are settled between the dog bite lawyer and the dog owner

Whether you’ve been bitten by a stranger’s dog, a neighbor’s dog, a friend’s dog or a relative’s dog, it is usually the insurance company of the dog owner who ends up paying your damages.  If the insurance company fails to provide a fair settlement, your lawyer can negotiate through arbitration or mediation. These are both very effective ways of resolving cases without having to file a lawsuit.