Protect Your Rights After an Animal Attack in Pennsylvania: Call Our Dog Bite Lawyers in Philadelphia, PA for Help Today
A dog bite or animal attack is one of the most traumatizing types of personal injury cases. This is particularly true for young children who may have long-lasting physical and emotional effects. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), there are more than 4.5 million dog bite cases each year in the United States. Approximately one in five of the dog bites need medical treatment at a hospital or urgent care (800,000 cases). The AVMA also reports that children are the most common victim. This has only increased during the pandemic, as according to the Journal of Pediatrics, children were three-times more likely to be bitten by a dog in the last year than in prior years. Unfortunately, our dog bite lawyers in Philadelphia, PA, know that this does not mean that insurance carriers will play fair.
Instead, far too many insurance carriers will blame children or the victim bitten by a dog rather than the dog owner like Pennsylvania law prescribes. This is because insurance carriers know that a dog bite case can result in significant medical bills and permanent injuries, especially for young children. That is why insurance carriers even train their adjusters at programs with defense lawyers—often taught by lawyers—to learn how to minimize, undervalue, and deny otherwise proper dog bite claims. This can leave victims with horrific injuries and significant out-of-pocket losses.
How We Can Help Dog Bite Victims in Pennsylvania
Here at Silver & Silver, we will not let an insurance adjuster, insurance carrier, or defense lawyer take advantage of you and your family. We have over 40 years of experience protecting the rights of victims of personal injury cases in Pennsylvania. If you have been bitten by a dog or attacked by any other animal, learn how our dog bite lawyers in Philadelphia, PA, can help recover compensation for the following:
– Medical bills, including emergency treatment, surgery, follow-ups, therapy, medications, and future medical needs
– Lost wages from being out of work due to the attack, disability from injuries or surgery, or due to doctor’s appointments
– Future lost earnings if you are unable to return to the same type of work and have to take a lower-paying job due to your injuries (i.e., amputation )
– Past pain and suffering from the date of the attack to the date of the payment from a settlement, verdict, or award
– Future pain and suffering damages measured from the date of payment for the rest of your life expectancy
– Loss of consortium or relations with a spouse, but also loss of familial guidance, protection, society, and interaction with children, parents, and other family members
– Punitive damages in exceedingly rare but exceptional cases of gross misconduct that shocks the conscious or is morally depraved
– Wrongful death damages including burial costs and funeral expenses, and
– Other damages related to your dog bite or animal attack in Pennsylvania.
Liability in Dog Bite Cases
Under Pennsylvania law, owners of dogs are responsible for the medical bills of dog bite victims. It does not matter if the owner knew or did not know that the dog was potentially aggressive or would bite. Pennsylvania law holds all owners strictly liable for medical bills.
However, if the animal attack results in “severe injury” such as broken bones, disfiguring lacerations requiring multiple sutures or cosmetic surgery, a victim may be entitled to commence an action for full compensation for pain and suffering.
Ask Silver & Silver to Recover Compensation for Your Dog Bite Injuries
If you or a loved one were seriously injured in an animal attack or dog bite, call the dog bite lawyers in Philadelphia, PA, at Silver & Silver for a FREE consultation to learn how we can help protect your rights to compensation under Pennsylvania law. Call 610-638-7255 to schedule your free consultation, or send us a private and confidential message by using our “contact us” box available here. We are ready and standing by to help you and your family.