Let’s say you have a good case for compensation for your injuries from someone else’s animal; you’re entitled to money, possibly six figures: does the canine owner also owe you prejudgment interest on the money, going back to the date of the bite? After all, cases in litigation can take…
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Evidence (Not Allegations) Wins Canine Bite Cases
Evidence is Needed to Prove a Dangerous Dog Claim or Defense “Talk is cheap,” as we know. In truth, anyone can point the finger and say anything — at any time — about anyone. It’s “free,” as in “free speech.” In fact, it’s (practically) free to make your allegations in…
Psychological Effect on a Parent and Their Options
Psychological Impact on Parents Having helped child victims of dog bites for nearly 30 years, we decided to write about the emotional impact on parents when their child is involved in a dog attack, because attacks on young ones are so common in Pennsylvania. Let’s first talk about a parent’s…
Rural PA’s “Medical Desert” To Treat Canine-Caused Injuries
A Challenge Getting Medical Care in Rural PA The City of Pittsburgh is abound with hospitals and urgent care facilities to treat injuries caused by canines. However, residents of rural Pennsylvania fare less well. For example, victims living in Beaver, Butler, Washington, Greene, Westmoreland and Mercer Counties often face a…
Young People: Psychological Issues From a Bite
The Invisible Damage: Mental Harm to a Child Any time you hear of a dog bite to a person under age of 18, you probably think of blood and physical disfigurement. But the victim’s long term emotional distress can amount to the biggest issue for the child. The attacking pet’s…
Using DNA to Identify a Canine That Attacked
🧬 Using Doggie DNA to Identify the Animal Post-Attack Most often, identifying the aggressive pet is easy, especially if the pet’s owner is present for and acknowledges the dog bite. Or, there may be other corroborating evidence to identify the canine, short of obtaining the animal’s DNA for comparison testing. …
Finally! Strict Liability (Sort of) For Pet Aggression in PA
Most states have adopted a strict liability standard for injuries from a canine bite, meaning, the victim need not prove “negligence” to obtain a recovery. But Pennsylvania historically has refused, finding “strict liability” only for the payment of medical bills, but not “pain and suffering, disfigurement, or loss of wages….
USPS Rankings For Canine Incidents (Data Released 2025)
Pennsylvania Mail Carriers Bit Over 300 Times in 2024 In 2024, Pennsylvania postal workers were involved in 316 dog-related incidents, ranking PA 6th nationally, according to the U.S. Postal Service. And, Pennsylvania is the 6th most populous state in the US, so the number of incidents is proportionate to PA’s…
When Filing Suit is Not Enough
So let’s say you found a legal representative to bring suit in Pennsylvania state court for your animal attack related injuries. And, you file suit within the two year statute of limitations. All you need is evidence in court, right? Wrong. In Pennsylvania state court, a plaintiff must make a…
Definitions in Animal Injury Cases
A “dog attack” typically describes an unprovoked incident where a dog bites, attacks, or causes harm to a person or another animal. This can involve anything from a single bite to multiple bites, scratches, or aggressive behaviors such as lunging or chasing absent any contact with the dog whatsoever. …
