Representative Cases – Dog Bites
Dog Bites And Animal Attacks
Bucks County PA
Meter Reader Attacked by Dogs
Our Client was a local municipality meter reader. He went onto a property for the purpose of reading the residence’s utility meter. While on the property, the owners’ dogs came out of the house and attacked him. One of the dogs bit him causing an open wound and nerve damage. Our Client was treated at Doylestown Hospital Emergency Department. He received additional care from Doylestown neurologists and an Allentown Pain Control Specialist.
Our Client and his wife retained the services of Naftulin and Shick, PC to pursue their claims for pain and suffering against the owners of the dogs. Linda M. Shick, Esquire was able to reach an amicable resolution of the claims with the homeowner’s insurance carrier prior to the filing of a law suit.
Northampton County PA
Young Boy Attacked by 2 Pit Bulls
Our 6 year old Client and his sister were playing hopscotch outside their Easton home when a neighbor’s pitbull dogs viciously attacked the child, biting him on the thighs, calf and forearm.
Witnesses to the event stated that the neighbor left 2 pitbull dogs out of her home. They ran through an open gate and attacked our Client in front of his home. She ran after the dogs and was able to pull the attacking dogs off the young child but not before the dogs caused him serious injury.
This was not the dogs’ first attack on a child. They had previously shown very aggressive and dangerous behavior towards a boy on a bike. The dogs’ owners violated the PA Dog Law by harboring these animals on their property.
The boy was taken to the Lehigh Valley Hospital Center for emergency treatment. His lacerations and wounds were stitched and he received a tetanus shot. Fortunately the dogs were up to date on their rabies shots.
The child’s mother hired the law firm of Naftulin and Shick, P.C. to represent her son and obtain compensation for his injuries. Attorney Linda Shick negotiated a successful settlement with the dogs owner’s insurance company prior to filing a lawsuit in the Court of Northampton County.
Monroe County PA
Child Bitten by Dog
Our 12 year old Client and his father were invited to a neighbor’s property. A large German Shepherd lived at the property. When the boy and his father arrived, they walked towards the backyard. The boy was viciously attacked by the dog. The dog knocked the boy to the ground and bit his chest.
This was not the dog’s first attack on a child. He had previously shown very aggressive and dangerous behavior towards a boy on a bike. The dog’s owners violated the PA Dog Law by harboring this animal on their property.
The boy was taken to the Pocono Medical Center for emergency treatment. His lacerations and wounds were stitched and he received a tetanus shot. Fortunately the dog was up to date on his shots.
The child’s parents hired the law firm of Naftulin and Shick, P.C. to represent their son and obtain compensation for his injuries. Attorney Linda Shick negotiated a successful settlement with the dog owners’ insurance company prior to filing a lawsuit in the Court of Monroe County.
Bucks County PA
Newspaper Deliveryman Chased by Dog
Our Client, a Newtown Pennsylvania resident in his 40s, worked delivering newspapers to homes in Bucks County. On a winter morning, while it was still dark, he began to walk up the driveway of a customers’ home to place the paper on their porch as they had asked. Before he reached the porch, he heard a dog barking and growling aggressively. The barking and growling were getting closer so he turned to run down the driveway. As he did so, he tripped and fell on his knee. The dog retreated to the porch and did not bite him.
The newspaper delivery man hobbled to his car and drove himself to St. Mary’s Hospital in Newtown, Pennsylvania. His knee was fractured. He underwent surgery with a graft, plates and pins to repair his shattered knee cap. He attended a long course of physical therapy and was out of work for a number of months.
He hired the law firm of Naftulin and Shick, P.C. to see that he received the compensation to which he was entitled. He received workers compensation benefits as he was in the course of his employment at the time that he fell. A law suit was filed in the Court of Bucks County against the owners of the dog as they were negligent in allowing their dog to run loose when they not only knew that the newspaper delivery person would be bringing their paper to their porch; but that their dog chased people who came onto the property.
Before beginning trial, Attorney Linda Shick negotiated a fair settlement to compensate her Client for his economic loss and the pain and suffering he endured from his injuries.
Lackawanna County PA
Child Bitten by Horse
Our Client, a 9 year old boy, was enrolled in an overnight camp in Lackawanna County, PA. One of the activities that the campers enjoyed was horseback riding. For sometime, one of the horses utilized by the campers was difficult to handle and made attempts to bite or nip.
During the week our Client attended the camp, he participated in horseback riding lessons. On one day, he was assigned the difficult horse. As he was on the horses back, the horse turned and bit the child’s thigh, breaking the skin. Our Client was taken to Geisinger Medical Center for emergency treatment.
Although our Client returned to the camp and stayed for the week, he was unable to participate in the planned activities. His parents hired the law firm of Naftulin and Shick, P.C. to represent their son in obtaining compensation for his injuries and their medical expenses.
A law suit was filed in Lackawanna County. After depositions were taken, it was apparent that the camp officials and counselors were aware of the horse’s biting propensities. A settlement was negotiated with the insurance company insuring the camp.
Lehigh County PA
Dog Bite – Pit Bull
Our Client’s neighbor was the owner of a male American Pit Bull. It was a large dog who was kept outside in an Allentown, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania backyard. American Pit Bulls need to be socialized, trained, handled and exercised. They are a large, strong breed that can be very vicious and unpredictable if not properly handled.
Our Allentown Client was cleaning the flower beds in her front yard. Her neighbor was walking the pit bull. When her neighbor brought the pit bull to our Client’s property, our Client asked if she could pet the dog. Our Client held her hand out so that the dog could smell it. Without warning, the pit bull viciously attacked her. She received dog bites to her face. The dog bite tore her nose, cheek and mouth.
The Allentown Police responded to the scene and EMS was summoned. Our Client was ambulanced to St. Luke’s Hospital in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania where an Allentown plastic surgeon repaired the damage to her face. Over the next year, our Client underwent a number of surgical procedures by the Allentown doctor. She was left with permanent scarring from the animal attack.
The insurance company for the owner of the pit bull agreed to mediation after a lawsuit was filed in the Lehigh County Court. The case was successfully mediated and our Client was substantially compensated for her permanent facial injuries caused by the animal attack.
On a winter day, our Clients, a husband and wife were removing snow and ice from their driveway in Lehighton, Pennsylvania. Their nine year old daughter asked if she could play with her friend. The parents gave her permission to go to the neighbor’s property to play. As they shoveled their driveway, they heard their daughter’s screams. They saw the neighbors’ 65 pound Akita jumping on their daughter’s body. They immediately ran to their daughter’s aid. They saw that their daughter had dog bites all over her body. The child was crying and terrified.
As the parents carried their daughter back to their house, the Akita came running into their yard, barking and running out of control. Their other young children were outside in their yard. Fearing for his family, the husband chased the Akita to keep it away from his children. While the father tried to keep the Akita away from his children, it lunged for his throat. The father put his arm up to block it. He sustained large open dog bite wounds on his arm.
The daughter sustained multiple puncture wounds, bites and scratches on her right arm, right shoulder, right leg and back. In addition to the physical injuries she suffered, the child was understandably terrified of dogs. She suffers from asthma attacks when she sees a dog running loose.
The father suffered several large deep dog bite wounds to his left arm. He sustained two noticeable and sizeable scars on his arm from the animal attack.
Our firm represented the family in obtaining compensation for their injuries. As an alternative to a trial in Carbon County, the parties agreed to a binding hi/lo arbitration. The case was tried before a mutually agreeable arbitrator. An award was received to compensate our clients for their pain and suffering in addition to their medical expenses.
Northampton County, PA
Dog Attack
Our Client, a young woman living in Hellertown, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, sustained an unprovoked dog bite injury to her face and right arm. At the time of the attack, our Client was pregnant with a very high risk pregnancy.
The dog, a blue heeler or Australian Cattle dog, had broken out of his yard and came to our Client’s Hellertown home. Australian Cattle dogs are known to be very high energy and demanding. Our Client called the dog’s owner, who asked that she bring the dog home. She brought the dog back to its owner and came into the house. While talking to the owner, the dog attacked her, jumping up on her and biting her face and arm.
Our Client sustained an unprovoked dog bite injury to her face and right arm. The facial injury was extensive. Her lip was lacerated in numerous places and required suturing. There were also numerous abrasions and contusions on her face and arm.
She received initial treatment of her wounds at Easton Hospital in Northampton County, Pennsylvania. She was referred to a plastic surgeon in Allentown, Pennsylvania who debrided and repaired the wounds and who continued to follow her through the healing process.
Prior to the filing of a lawsuit, Attorney Linda Shick negotiated a settlement with the insurance company for the owner of the vicious dog that attacked our client. The settlement provided a substantial amount of money to compensate our Client and her husband for their injuries.
Dog Bites and Animal Attacks
Dog Attack Prevention Tips