Monroeville Dog Bite Lawyer

If you or a loved one suffered dog bite injuries in Monroeville, our legal team can help you fight for the financial compensation you deserve. Let a Monroeville dog bite lawyer from our law firm investigate what happened and build a case to hold the dog’s owner legally responsible. We will seek damages for medical care, lost income, and other losses you suffered.

A personal injury lawyer at Berger and Green Attorneys has the resources and experience of our firm’s 40+ years representing injured clients. You can learn more during a free initial consultation with our team. Contact us today.

How Our Monroeville Dog Bite Lawyers Can Help Your Case

Our law firm is dedicated to helping our clients recover compensation based on their injuries, expenses, and losses. We fight for maximum compensation, negotiating settlements or pursuing verdicts that reflect the damages they suffered.

When you trust us with your case, we will fight to get justice for you. Steps we take to build a case against a dog’s owner after an attack include:

Investigate what happened and determine if there was any provocation for the animal attack
Collect relevant medical treatment records and documentation of injuries
Obtain eyewitness statements
Obtain official reports from police and animal control
Review the dog owner’s liability insurance coverage
Analyze photos or videos of the injury or attack

At Berger and Green, we provide free case evaluations and represent clients with no upfront lawyer’s fees. Contact us today to learn more.

Understanding State and Local Dog Bite Laws and Owner Liability

Our attorneys know how state and local laws work in dog bite cases. Generally, we can hold dog owners accountable for their dogs’ actions under the dog laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Unlike in some states where proving an owner’s awareness of a dog’s aggressive tendencies is required, Pennsylvania law does not mandate this.

Local laws require dog owners to control their dogs’ behavior, helping to prevent bite incidents. The animal control policy for the Municipality of Monroeville mandates dogs be on a leash anytime they are off the owner’s property. Violating this law could be considered negligence. Showing the animal owner acted negligently could bolster your dog bite claim.

Common Defenses in Dog Bite Cases and How to Counter Them

It is important to note that a common defense dog owners use in bite cases is provocation. This may exempt the animal’s owner from strict liability under Pennsylvania law. If they can show you provoked their dog to attack, it may be difficult or impossible to hold them legally accountable and recover fair compensation.

Our Monroeville dog bite attorneys know how to counter these allegations and can help you fight for the financial compensation you need and deserve.

Key Evidence Needed to Prove Liability in a Dog Bite Injury Claim

While Pennsylvania holds dog owners and handlers strictly liable for injuries and damages their animals cause, we still need strong evidence to show what happened and why the dog’s owner is liable. Key evidence in these cases includes:

Witness Statements: We take statements from eyewitnesses who saw the attack and can report their accounts of what happened.
Police or Animal Control Reports: These agencies, including the Monroeville Animal Control, document these incidents and provide an impartial account of what occurred.
Medical Records: We gather records documenting bite-related injuries, including doctor’s notes and expert opinions when needed.
Photos or Videos: We seek photo or video evidence of the attack, attack scene, and physical injuries.
Physical Evidence: This often includes the torn clothing worn during the incident.
Records of Ownership: We obtain records to show the dog belongs to the accused party or they were in charge of the dog at the time the attack occurred.

The Physical, Emotional, and Financial Impact of Dog Bite Injuries for Victims

Dog bite injuries vary widely. Some victims may have relatively minor lacerations or puncture wounds, while others have significant, life-altering injuries. Some common dog bite injuries include:

Deep puncture wounds
Serious lacerations and tears
Broken bones
Increased risk of infections and abscesses
Scarring and disfigurement
Nerve damage and loss of use injuries
Soft tissue damage to muscles and tendons
Injuries to the face, neck, and hands
Emotional trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

These attacks often leave lasting physical scars, mental anguish, and disabilities. A Monroeville dog bite attorney from our law firm will work to identify and document all the economic and non-economic damages you incurred because of the incident and recover appropriate compensation for these costs. Some common types of damages we recover for clients include:

Medical expenses, including treatment, plastic surgery, and rehabilitation
Future care costs as estimated by experts
Treatment for trauma and PTSD
Lost income due to recovery time or permanent disability
Related expenses
Pain and suffering
Emotional distress
Permanent scarring or disfigurement

Act Quickly to Meet Pennsylvania’s Deadline to File a Dog Bite Lawsuit

We recommend calling our team as soon as possible after a dog bite injury. We need to preserve evidence quickly and protect your rights before the pet owner’s insurance company can begin working to reduce or deny your claim.

Building these cases and negotiating a fair settlement takes time. We will wait until you reach maximum medical improvement, or we fully understand your prognosis before we begin negotiations. This ensures we know the full range of expenses and losses you endured.

Many cases settle, but lawsuits are sometimes necessary to hold the dog’s owner accountable. When this occurs, we only have a limited time to take legal action. Under Pa. C.S.A. § 5524, this is generally two years from the date of the bite. Missing this deadline could jeopardize your right to financial recovery.

Let Our Monroeville Dog Bite Attorneys Fight for the Compensation You Deserve

Berger and Green provides a free, no-obligation consultation for bite victims and their families. We will assess your rights and options for you during this consultation. You can learn how our Monroeville dog bite lawyers will fight for the compensation you deserve. Contact us today to get started.