Seemingly every week we read about another pit bull attack in Pennsylvania that leaves the victim with serious injuries, including permanent facial scarring. Unfortunately, Pennsylvania does not have any law that requires pit bull owners to carry insurance. As a Pennsylvania dog bite attorney, I often find that pit bull owners who rent rarely pay for renters insurance.
Without renters insurance coverage there is no source of funds to pay for past, present and future medical bills. Nor is there any compensation available for all of the pain and suffering endured by the pit bull attack victim. In January of 2010, a 22 year-old woman was attacked by a pit bull that charged through the front door of an apartment on 6th Street in Lansdale, Pennsylvania.
The Bucks County PA dog bite victim was bitten on the face, lip and nose. Plastic surgery was performed at Abington Hospital. 70 stitches were needed to close all the wounds. As a PA dog bite lawyer, I was hired to represent the victim. The pit bull owner was a young woman who did not have renters insurance.
The landlords did not live at the property and had no knowledge of any prior vicious propensities of the pit bull. They correctly took the position that they were not responsible for the actions of their tenant’s dog. Without insurance coverage there was no money available to pay for the personal injury claim.
Why not sue the renter individually? In 2008, your PA dog bite attorney filed a lawsuit in Monroe County, Pennsylvania against a pit bull owner whose dog attacked a young boy. While trying to escape, the boy fell and broke his hand. The pit bull owner’s homeowners insurance policy lapsed before the attack. Within days of the filing of the lawsuit, the dog owner filed for bankruptcy and the personal injury claim was eliminated through the bankruptcy court. Without a change to the Pennsylvania Dog Law, PA dog bite victims will frequently be victimized twice.
If you have been injured in a PA dog bite attack, please contact Attorney Thomas Newell for a free home consultation at 800-980-4842 or online at www.PADogAttackLawyer.com Attorney Newell has been representing Pennsylvania personal injury victims since 1981.
