Fatal Dog Attacks in Pennsylvania: Legal Rights and Remedies  Dog attacks are traumatic events, which can cause not only lasting physical and emotional scars, but also death, especially for those most vulnerable, including the very young and old.  When a fatal dog attack occurs in Western Pennsylvania, surviving family members…

Pennsylvania dog bite law has evolved significantly, and much of that evolution centers on how statutory violations translate into civil liability through negligence per se.        As we’ve discussed elsewhere on this site, Pennsylvania courts recognize negligence per se when a defendant violates a statute designed to protect a…

What happens if a dog owner destroys evidence you need to build a case against him for your injuries from an attack?  Can you file a separate lawsuit for the destruction of evidence in PA?   Let’s say, for example, you’re on a walking trail and you see a man walking…

We have written about how a dog bite victim’s own careless conduct (or comparative negligence) can jeopardize the value of her claim for injuries.  Here, we discuss the proof needed to show the Plaintiff had been “comparatively negligent” when attacked by a canine. In other words, what type of mistake on the part…

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…

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 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…

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…

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 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. …