Determining the Cause of Dog Bites and How to Prevent Them

March 28, 2019

When someone is bitten or attacked by a dog, this can result in serious injuries such as lacerations, deep cuts, internal bleeding, etc. Liability must be on the dog owner, however, causation is an important factor in dog bite cases and are often preventable. Taking precautionary steps and understanding what classifies as provocation can help avoid dog bite scenarios. Dog bites don’t hurt just you, but can also hurt the quality of life for the dog after it is classified as dangerous under Pennsylvania law.

Common Causes of Dog Bites

There are many situations in which a dog may feel the need to snap or bite or another person or another person’s pet. It may have been from an abused home, sick in some way, felt provoked or afraid, etc.

The following are the most common causes of dog bites:

• Fear – This can stem from previous physical abuse, someone trespassing they are unfamiliar with, provocation or harassment, extremely loud noises, physical pain inflicted on them by someone, etc.
• Illness or Injury – The dog may be mentally sick, exhausted and irritable, injured and in pain, etc.
• Protection – They may be protecting puppies, protecting fellow domestic pets, or owners from something they consider dangerous. They could also feel the need to guard their owner’s property and attack due to territorial reasons.

Dog Bite Prevention

In order to avoid tragedy for both sides, there are some tips you should consider following. First of all, do not touch or approach dogs and simply assume they are friendly if you do not know them. Strays or escaped pets should be approached with caution, and you should ideally call animal services. Other advice you should consider is not attempting to bother the animal when eating or chewing on a toy or bone. Avoiding approaching them while they are asleep or yelling or antagonizing the animal in anyway. If you are a stranger and something you are about to do could scare them in some way, you should avoid it when at all possible.

Dog Bite Laws Regarding Fault in Pennsylvania

In the state of Pennsylvania a dog can only be considered dangerous if it has injured or attacked someone without provocation or killed another pet off the owner’s property without provocation. If a dog bites someone because they provoked or harassed the animal, they usually do not have any rights to a settlement from the dog owner as they were liable for their own actions.

Contact a Pittsburgh Personal Injury Lawyer to Discuss Your Case in Pennsylvania

Did you or a loved one sustain serious injuries in Pennsylvania due to a dog bite? Don’t let the medical bills pile up while you wait for the negligent party or their insurance company to do the right thing. Right now, you need our aggressive Pittsburgh PA Accident Attorney on your side, fighting to get you the compensation you need, want, and deserve. The skilled attorneys at Goodrich & Geist represent clients injured due to dog bites in Pittsburgh and surrounding Western Pennsylvania counties. Contact us by calling (412) 766-1455 or email us to schedule a free consultation about your case. We have an office conveniently located at 3634 California Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15212.

The articles on this blog are for informative purposes only and are no substitute for legal advice or an attorney-client relationship. If you are seeking legal advice, please contact our law firm directly.