Find out how you can maximize your compensation after a dog attack!
After a dog bite or a dog attack, and it was unprovoked, then you will want to be compensated in order to pay medical bills, lost wages, out-of-pocket expenses, and of course pain and suffering.
The absolute best way for you to be able to do this is to make sure that you educate yourself on your state’s dog laws. These laws will help you build the best claim to make sure you are compensated for the injury. Of course, the states vary in their laws, so for this, we will be focused strictly on Philadelphia and Pennsylvania as a state. 
PA Dog Laws to Know
If you’ve been injured by a dog bite in Philadelphia, there are a few laws that will definitely affect your case.
Owners in Philadelphia must keep their dogs leashed or confined.
Pennsylvania has an animal confinement law. In the absolute simplest of terms, an owner must always be able to keep their dog on their property if they aren’t with the animal. That means that if they let their dog outside with the intention of staying inside, their yard must be fenced to keep the dog on the property, whether that fence be electrical or physical.
Philadelphia also has strict leash laws. These leash laws state that if an owner takes a dog outside away from their property, the dog must be on a leash that is strong enough to keep them secure. It is against the law to allow your dog to roam the streets freely.
Now you might ask why that’s important? Well here’s the deal, if you were bit by a dog who wasn’t properly secured by a fence or on a leash with the owner, then the owner more than likely violated one or both of these laws. This means that the owner was negligent per se in the incident. Negligence per se means that the owner is liable completely for the damage caused by their animal because they chose to not follow the laws in place to keep the public safe. If this can be proven, then the compensation path becomes much easier to go down.
PA does not have a “One Bite Law”
Some states, take Nevada for example, have a “one bite” law. Essentially, this type of law is designed to protect the owner from liability unless the dog has a history of violence and aggressive behavior. In other words, the first offence is free and then any offence after that is when the owner is held liable for their dog’s actions. PA does not have this type of law though, so therefore the owner is held liable on the first offence.
Now, following a bite, an owner can definitely be held liable for compensation of medical bills as a result from the incident. However, any additional compensation needs evidence to show that the owner was negligent in the first place. If the dog though has a recorded history of violent behavior towards people or other animals, then the entire dynamic of the case can change drastically.
An Owner can be Liable for a Dog that’s Aggressive
If a dog has attacked someone or something in Pennsylvania before, they will be labeled as a “dangerous dog”. Under Pennsylvania law, a dangerous dog is one that:
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Attacked or caused a serious injury to a person with no instigation on public or private property
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Attacked or caused a serious or fatal injury to a domestic animal while not on the owner’s property
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The animal was used to commit a crime
Now owners do have the ability to take precautions against being held liable for their dog if they take the right precautions and satisfy legal requirements like having special liability insurance. But that sometimes doesn’t provide full protection and the owner can still be held liable for their dog’s behavior.
Do you have a claim?
What are you waiting for? Contact Our Personal Injury Attorney Today!
If you have a claim or believe you have a claim, then you could be entitled to compensation for your injury. And that’s where I come in. For over 30 years, I have worked hard to get the people of Philadelphia the compensation they deserve for their personal injury claims. Schedule a dog bite consultation now, it’s free!