Stroudsburg Dog Bite Lawyer
Dogs can be dangerous. Even well-mannered, friendly dogs can bite victims when they are provoked, frightened, or suffering from a neurological condition. A dog bite can cause the victim to suffer severe injuries, sometimes severe enough to necessitate extensive medical treatment or even to disable the victim temporarily or permanently. When this is the case, a victim may pursue monetary compensation for his or her financial damages related to the injury through a dog bite claim.Our experienced Stroudsburg dog bite lawyers have handled numerous cases like yours. Call us today and we will be glad to assist you with yours.
Injuries you Can Suffer from a Dog Bite
A dog’s bite can cause a victim to suffer in a variety of ways. How a victim is injured and the severity of his or her injury depend on a variety of factors, including the victim’s age and fitness level, where on his or her body the bite occurs, how deep the dog bites the victim, and the dog’s size and strength.
A dog bite is a laceration that puts the victim at risk of suffering from blood loss and permanent scarring. Other injuries that can result from a dog bite include:
- Broken bones;
- Torn muscles, ligaments, or tendons;
- Nerve damage;
- Loss of a limb or extremity; and
- Hemorrhaging from the blood loss.
Long-term repercussions of a dog bite include permanent disfigurement and anxiety around dogs or situations similar to the one that led to the bite.
Who is Liable for Dog Bite Damages in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania has a limited version of the strict liability law that typically governs dog bites. When a dog bites a victim, regardless of whether the dog has a history of aggression, the dog’s owner is liable for the victim’s related medical expenses. However, he or she is not liable for the victim’s other personal injury damages, like lost wages and pain and suffering, unless the victim can prove that the dog had a propensity for aggression and the owner did not properly confine it.
A dog’s owner is not liable for the victim’s damages when he or she can prove that the victim provoked the dog into attacking. Other potential defenses to a dog bite claim include the dog owner did contain the dog, but the dog somehow escaped or that the victim was trespassing on the owner’s property when the bite occurred. A successful dog bite claim that results in compensation for all of the victim’s damages must demonstrate that the bite occurred when the victim was lawfully on the owner’s property or in a public place, that the victim did not provoke the dog into attacking, and that the bite occurred because of negligence on the owner’s part.
Work with an Experienced Stroudsburg Personal Injury Lawyer
If you were bitten by a dog and suffered an injury and financial damages as a result, you can pursue monetary compensation for these damages through a personal injury claim. After you have received appropriate medical attention for your injury, contact our team of experienced personal injury lawyers at Needle Law Firm today to set up your initial consultation in our office. We are here to answer all of your questions and help you get started on your claim.
