Source: https://www.alvafirm.com/personal-injury/dog-bite/
Timestamp: 2019-04-20 10:33:36+00:00

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If you or a loved one was bitten or attacked by a dog and seriously injured as a result, then contact a personal injury attorney at Alva & Shuttleworth, LLC to discuss your case. Our attorneys are experienced in filing and litigating negligence claims against the dog's owners or others that were negligent. We help our clients recover financial compensation for their injuries and suffering.
In certain cases, claims can also be brought against other negligent owners such as the owner of the business where the attack took place or the landlord of the premises. In addition to statutory violations, the dog bite victim may also rely on common-law principles to establish liability. Many of these cases also involve actions against the dog owner for harboring a dangerous dog under 3 P.S. § 459–503–A.
Generally, in negligence actions arising from the conduct of dogs, the animal's owner is the person responsible for injuries to others caused by his or her dog. Under Pennsylvania law, however, the law does not impose absolute liability upon dog owners for injuries caused by the dog. Instead, some proof of the owner's negligence is required.
The Court has held that a dangerous propensity includes “a propensity or tendency of an animal to do any act that might endanger the safety of the person and property of others in a given situation.” Groner v. Hedrick, 403 Pa. 148, 169 A.2d 302, 303 (1961); see also Restatement (Second) of Torts § 518(1)).
The courts in Pennsylvania have recognized that a large overly-friendly dog that jumps onto people may be as dangerous as a vicious one because the "law makes no distinction between an animal dangerous from viciousness and one merely mischievous or dangerous from playfulness.” Id. Instead, the animal's motivation or “the mood in which it inflicts harm is immaterial.” Id.
Section 102 of the Dog Law defines “attack” as the “deliberate action of a dog, whether or not in response to a command by its owner, to bite, to seize with its teeth or to pursue any human or domestic animal.” 3 P.S. § 459–102.
Pennsylvania Dog Laws dealing with dog bites is found in Section 502, entitled "Offenses of Dogs." Under Section 502, if a dog bites or attacks a human being then the dog is "to be confined in quarters approved by a designated employee of the Department of Health, a State dog warden or employee of the Department of Agriculture, an animal control officer or a police officer . . . for a minimum of ten days.” 3 Pa. Stat. Ann. § 459-502 (2009).
Additionally, "the investigating officer is responsible for notifying the bite victim of the medical results of the offending dog’s confinement such as whether the dog is under quarantine and whether it shows signs of an infection with the rabies virus. The cost of medical treatment for the bite or attack must be paid by the owner or keeper of the dog.
If the landlord is out of possession of the property, then he or she is not liable for attacks by animals kept by the tenant on leased premises where the tenant has exclusive control over the premises. Instead, the landlord has a duty to use reasonable care which will attach to prevent such injuries if the landlord has knowledge of a dangerous animal on the rented premises and if the landlord enjoyed the right to control or remove the animal by retaking the premises. Palermo v. Nails, 334 Pa.Super. 544, 483 A.2d 871 (1984) (the court found a duty on the part of the landlord arising from her actual knowledge of the dog's vicious propensities and her almost exclusive control over the premises).
Actual knowledge of a dog's dangerous propensities is required before a duty is imposed upon a landlord to protect against or remove an animal housed on rental property. See Underwood ex rel. Underwood v. Wind, 954 A.2d 1199 (Pa.Super.2008) (the court notes that the landlord's actual knowledge of the dog's dangerous propensities was a prerequisite to imposition of a duty).
If the magisterial judge finds the person guilty of harboring a dangerous dog, then the dog is thereby classified as a dangerous dog for the purpose of the statute. As a practical matter, however, a finding that the dog is a "dangerous dog" is essentially a death sentence for the dog because the requirements are cost prohibitive for most owners.
Pennsylvania law also provides for penalties for the failure to comply with the requirements in Section 504-A of the Pennsylvania Dangerous Dog Act.
Section 505-A provides for criminal penalties for not complying with the requirements of the of the Dangerous Dog Act or for a subsequent attack by the dangerous dog.
the dog is outside the dwelling of the owner or a proper enclosure without a muzzle and unsupervised, regardless of whether the dog is physically restrained by a leash.
Also, upon the second or subsequent violation, the dog is forfeited immediately to be placed in a kennel or quarantined. After 10 days, if no appeal has been filed and the necessary quarantine period has elapsed, the dangerous dog shall be destroyed humanely in an expeditious manner.
If a dangerous dog attacks a person or a domestic animal, dog or cat, the dog owner or keeper can be charged with a misdemeanor of the second degree. If the attack causes severe injury or death the owner or keeper can be charged with a misdemeanor of the first degree.
A single incident can establish a dog's propensity to attack human beings as deduced from the nature of the attack. It is not necessary to show a history of attack. There is no requirement that the injury from the single incident be severe in order to show a propensity of the dog to attack human beings, even if it is only the first attack.
The term “service dog” is defined in Section 102 as a dog trained or in the process of being trained “as a guide dog, signal dog” or “to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability.” 3 P.S. § 459–102.
who has a disability certificate issued by the United States Veterans' Administration; or who has a special registration plate under 75 Pa.C.S. § 1338 (relating to person with disability plate and placard).?
A service dog can include a guide dog for the blind, a hearing dog for the deaf, or an aid dog for the handicapped. In order to qualify as a "service dog" the dog must be trained and/or certified by a recognized authority. See 3 P.S. § 459–102; 3 P.S. § 459.502–A(c).
under the reasonable control of some person.
See 3 P.S. §459-305(a). This section of what is known as the “Dog Law” was enacted to protect against “personal injury, property damage and other hazards created by roving dogs.” Miller v. Hurst, 302 Pa. Super. 235, 243, 448 A.2d 614, 618 (1982) (overruled on other grounds).
An unexcused violation of section 459-305 constitutes negligence per se, but absolute liability is not imposed on a dog owner for damages caused by a roving dog. Id. at 245, 448 A.2d at 618-19. Liability will only attach where the violation of the Dog Law is a substantial factor in bringing about the injuries sustained. Id. at 245, 448 A.2d at 619. Normally, the trier of fact will determine whether the violation is a substantial factor in causing the injury. Id.
“A dog owner may always show that his or her dog escaped despite the exercise of due care. In such cases, the roving of the dog would not constitute negligence.” Id. at 244 n.8, 448 A.2d at 619 n.8.
Whether an owner exercised due care despite the dog's escape is also a question for the trier of fact in certain circumstances. Villaume v. Kaufman, 379 Pa. Super. 561, 550 A.2d 793 (1988) (the court found that a jury may consider whether the precautions taken by a dog owner sufficiently confine or secure the dog so as to constitute the exercise of due care, provided there is prima facie evidence that the dog owner's precautions were insufficient).
Commonwealth v. Seyler, 929 A.2d 262, 266 (Pa. Commw. 2007).
If you or a loved one was bitten by a dog and seriously injured from the dog bite, then contact a personal injury attorney in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. We represent clients throughout the entire state of Pennsylvania including Philadelpia and the surrounding areas of Bucks County, Chester County, Montgomery County and Delaware County, PA.

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