JENKINTOWN PERSONAL INJURY ATTORNEYS

At Mednick, Mezyk & Kredo, we take your dog bite case personally!

If you have been injured, or a loved one has been injured or killed as a result of a dog bite – you may be entitled to compensation for your pain and suffering, past and future wage losses, emotional trauma, as well as payment of your accident-related medical bills. We regularly represent people who have been injured by dog bites.

How Common Are Dog Bites?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 1994, the most recent year for which published data are available, approximately 4.7 million dog bites occurred in the United States, and approximately 799,700 people required medical care. In addition, approximately 6,000 of the estimated 333,700 patients treated for dog bites in emergency departments were hospitalized. The CDC estimates that, in 2001, 368,245 persons were treated in U.S. hospital emergency rooms for nonfatal dog bite-related injuries, with injury rates highest among 5 to 9 year old children.

Can I Really Make a Claim As the Result of a Dog Attack?

Yes. You have a right to be compensated for your injuries by the owner of the dog that bit or attacked you. In Pennsylvania, there is no “One Bite” Rule. This means that, even if a dog has never bitten anyone before, you have the right to seek a recovery from the dog’s owner. Instead, Pennsylvania’s “Dog Law” or “Dangerous Dog Statute” creates categories of victims and treats them differently. Severely injured and non-severely injured victims can base their claims for compensation on the doctrines of negligence and negligence per se.

If the dog has never bitten before, Pennsylvania law offers two different remedies, which depend upon whether the injuries are classified as severe or non-severe. A “severe injury” is “any physical injury that results in broken bones or disfiguring lacerations requiring multiple sutures or cosmetic surgery.” A severely injured victim can make a Dog Law claim against the dog owner for medical expenses and all other losses and legal damages. The victim is required to prove that the dog inflicted severe injury without provocation regardless whether or not the dog had previously bitten a person. A “non-severely injured” victim can make a claim against the dog owner, but only for medical expenses.

What Type of Compensation Am I Entitled To?

If you were injured, or a family member or friend was injured or killed by a vicious dog, you are entitled to compensation for all of your pain and suffering, medical expenses, lost wages, and any future earnings loss you might have.

Your damages will depend upon many factors, including the severity of the injuries, and whether the dog has bitten in the past. The injuries from dog attacks can be painful and life-altering, including:

• Bite and puncture wounds
• Blood loss
• Crushing Injuries
• Death
• Disfigurement
• Emotional trauma
• Fractures
• Head or brain trauma and injuries
• Rabies
• Scarring

At Mednick, Mezyk & Kredo, we have represented dog bite and dog attack victims for many years, and we understand how these accidents affect our clients and their families. We know what to do to get you all the compensation you are entitled to, and will make sure that everything is done to protect your rights, and to assure that you get results as quickly as possible.

If you have been injured in any type of dog attack, contact the lawyers at Mednick, Mezyk and Kredo, who will fight to assure that you receive all of the compensation you are entitled to. We welcome the opportunity to meet with you to discuss your dog bite case. Please give us a call at 215-545-1870 or fill out the Contact Us form on this page for a free consultation.

We promise to take your case personally!