Philadelphia Dog Bite lawyer

Have you or your child been bitten by a dog in Philadelphia, PA? You may have the right to seek compensation from the dog’s owner or another negligent third party. The Philadelphia dog bite lawyers at Zavodnick & Lasky Personal Injury Lawyers can help you fight to secure a substantial monetary award. Call (215) 875-7030 today to set up a free initial consultation and learn more.

Our Philadelphia dog bite lawyers have more than 80 years of combined legal experience. When you call us for help after a dog bite, you can rest assured that your case is in good hands.

How Will Zavodnick & Lasky Personal Injury Lawyers Help Me With My Dog Bite Injury Case?

How Will Zavodnick, Zavodnick & Lasky, LLC Help Me With My Dog Bite Injury Case?

Dog bites happen more frequently than you might think. Even a friendly dog can get scared and attack. Dogs are incredibly powerful animals and can cause some pretty serious injuries. Those injuries can affect you and your loved ones for years to come.

Dog owners in Philadelphia have to be held accountable for their pets’ actions. You can accomplish this by filing an injury claim or lawsuit. However, don’t expect owners, their insurance companies, or negligent parties to happily hand you a check. Prepare for a fight. If you want to win, your first call should be to Zavodnick & Lasky Personal Injury Lawyers.

For decades, our Philadelphia personal injury lawyers have been fighting on behalf of dog bite victims. We’re tenacious and work tirelessly on our clients’ behalves. That hard work pays off – we’ve recovered millions of dollars in financial settlements and jury awards.

We know that you’ll need a solid case in order to maximize your financial recovery for physical and emotional damages. That’s why we will:

  • Identify and analyze all evidence related to your case
  • Determine if the dog has a history of aggressive or vicious behavior
  • Determine if the owner violated Philadelphia’s leash laws
  • Establish liability and seek compensation from all responsible parties
  • Protect you if the owner attempts to blame you by saying you provoked the dog, and
  • Consult with injury experts to ensure that we know what your dog bite case is worth.

Our goal is to help you in any way that we can after you’ve been bitten by a dog in Philadelphia. We want you to get better, so we’ll handle your personal injury case while you focus on that. Give us a call today to learn more.

Pennsylvania Dog Laws You Need to Know

If you’ve been injured because of a dog bite in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, there are a few laws that might affect your case. Here’s what you need to know.

Dogs in Philadelphia Must Be Confined or Leashed

The state of Pennsylvania has an animal confinement law. Simply put, if you own a dog, you can’t allow the animal to roam freely. The dog must remain confined on your property unless you’re with it. So, dogs must be secured by a fence or a restraint of some sort that prevents them from leaving your property.

Philadelphia goes a step further. The city has really strict leash laws. Anytime a dog is away from their home, the animal must be secured on a leash. It’s against the law to allow your dog to run free outside of your own property.

Why are these laws important? If you were bitten by a dog who wasn’t secured on their property or on a leash, the owner might have violated one or both of these laws. You could raise an argument that the owner was negligent per se. Negligence per se means that the owner is liable because your injury occurred because they violated a law that was intended to protect you. The road to recovering the compensation you deserve can sometimes be easier when this happens.

Pennsylvania Is Not a “One Bite” State

Some states have “one bite” rules that essentially protect dog owners from liability unless their dog has a history of vicious behavior. In other words, the first bite is free. Pennsylvania does not have a “one bite” law. Instead, dog owners can be liable for injuries caused by their dog, regardless of whether that dog has attacked anyone in the past or displayed vicious behaviors.

Following a dog bite in Philadelphia, owners can be strictly liable for resulting medical bills. However, additional compensation might not be available, unless you can prove that the owner’s negligence caused you to get hurt. However, things change if the dog has bitten someone else before.

Owners Can Be Strictly Liable For Dangerous Dogs

If a dog in Philadelphia has attacked someone before, the animal might be classified as a “dangerous dog.” Under Pennsylvania state law, a dangerous dog is one that has:

  • Attacked or inflicted severe injury on a person without provocation on public or private property
  • Inflicted severe injury or killed a domestic animal while off the owner’s property, or
  • Been used to commit a crime.

A dog must also have a history of attacking humans or domestic animals or a demonstrated propensity for doing so. The law explains that one single attack can satisfy this requirement.

Owners have to take certain precautions and satisfy certain legal requirements – such as carrying special liability insurance – if they have a dangerous dog. If that dog attacks or injures someone, the owner can be strictly liable for resulting injuries.

Getting Compensation For Your Dog Bite Injuries in Philadelphia

If you’ve been attacked by a dog in Philadelphia, the owner can be strictly liable for your medical expenses. Strict liability means that you don’t have to establish that the owner was negligent. All you have to prove is that the owner was responsible for the dog at the time of the attack.

If you were attacked by a dangerous dog, or if the owner was negligent, you may also be entitled to additional damages for:

  • Disfigurement and scarring
  • Emotional distress
  • Pain and suffering
  • Disability and lost wages
  • Loss of consortium
  • Loss of enjoyment of life, and more.

It’s important to make sure that all of your damages are identified and valued properly. At Zavodnick & Lasky Personal Injury Lawyers, we’ll work hard to make sure that this happens. As we build your case, we’ll consult with leading accident, injury, and medical professionals. They can help us truly appreciate the extent of your injuries and how they may ultimately affect your life.

We Handle All Dog Bite Injury Cases in Philadelphia

Dog bites can cause lasting damage. If you’ve been bitten by a dog in Philadelphia, our personal injury lawyers will help you demand the money you need and deserve. We represent dog bite victims who have sustained injuries including:

Sadly, some dog bites are fatal. More often than not, it’s children who suffer fatal dog bite injuries. If you’ve lost a loved one because of a dog bite or attack, we can help you fight to hold the owner accountable. Give our compassionate team a call today to learn more.

There’s a Limited Time to File a Dog Bite Injury Lawsuit

You may be entitled to damages after a dog attack in Philadelphia. However, the right to ask for compensation won’t last forever. The statute of limitations for dog bite lawsuits in Pennsylvania is two years. That means that you’ll have two years from the date you were attacked to file a lawsuit against the owner or another negligent third party – such as business or landlord.

Since there’s a short window of time in which to file an dog bite claim, it’s important to assert your rights immediately. Our Philadelphia dog bite lawyers can begin to work on your case as soon as you ask for our help.

Call Our Philadelphia Dog Bite Attorneys Today

If you have suffered a dog bite in Philadelphia, you might be entitled to compensation. Zavodnick & Lasky Personal Injury Lawyers will work tirelessly to help you maximize your financial recovery. Give our Philadelphia law offices a call today to set up a free consultation and learn more.

Our Philadelphia, PA personal injury law firm also provides: