Serious Injuries After an Animal Attack Deserve Help From Our Dog Bite Lawyer in Norristown, PA
Animal attack and dog bite incidents are traumatic. Whether it is a quick bite or a devastating “bite and shake,” anytime an animal attacks, it can cause physical and emotional harm to a victim. It can cause significant financial damage too. This is particularly true when young children are attacked and need several procedures or where a family’s breadwinner is unable to work due to their injuries. Unfortunately, our dog bite attorneys in Norristown, PA, know that this is a big problem in the United States. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) reports that there are over 4.5 million dog bite cases in the United States each year, with one in five dog bites (800,000) requiring medical treatment at a hospital or urgent care. Many of these victims are innocent children.
Here at Silver & Silver, we know that not all dogs that bite are bad. Generally, dogs are called man’s best friend for a reason, and we do not advocate for dogs to be taken away from their owners or put down. But we do advocate that dog owners take responsibility for their pet’s attacks on innocent people by paying for pain and suffering, medical bills, and lost wages. While most dog owners and their insurance companies do that, unfortunately, some refuse. If you or a loved one have been seriously injured in an animal attack or dog bite in Pennsylvania, learn how our Dog Bite Lawyers in Norristown, PA, can help you recover the compensation that you deserve after an animal attack.
Liability in Dog Bite Cases
Dog bite cases are handled differently throughout the United States. Each state has a different statutory scheme regarding damages and liability. These are known as “one bite,” strict liability, negligence, or hybrid jurisdictions. Each type of jurisdiction has a different set of requirements and responsibilities for both owners and victims. Some base liability on knowledge of a dog’s predisposition to attack, some do not.
Medical Bills
Pennsylvania has “strict liability” for medical bills. This means that any time an animal attacks or a dog bites another person, the owner is automatically liable for the medical bills. It does not matter if the owner knew the dog would bite or could attack. This means an owner must pay for medical bills even if the calmest, friendliest, and good-natured dog bites a victim. This is a “no-fault” approach and has limited exceptions to the rule.
Pain and Suffering
A victim may be entitled to pain and suffering, lost wages, and other damages where a dog causes a “severe injury.” A severe injury is known as broken bones, disfiguring lacerations requiring sutures, the need for cosmetic surgery, and other damages that are significant and devastating. In order to recover these types of damages, a victim must prove that the dog owner was negligent in handling the dog. This requires some prior knowledge that the dog could bite or attack and is a “fault” based approach.
Call Silver & Silver for Help After an Animal Attack
With over 40 years of experience representing individuals and families after personal injury accidents, the bodily injury law firm of Silver & Silver has a proven track record of success handling nearly any type of personal injury case. This includes dog and animal attack cases which can be very difficult to prove liability in without an experienced dog bite lawyer. Injuries in these cases are often significant, especially when children are attacked, which usually triggers insurance adjusters to fight harder to minimize compensation.
If you or a loved one were seriously injured in an animal attack, call our dog bite lawyers in Norristown, PA, to learn how we can help you today. We offer FREE consultations and have a no-win, no-fee guarantee. Learn more by calling 610-638-7255 or by sending us a message through our “contact us” box available here. Together we can help get through this, one step at a time.