Dog Bite Personal Injury Case Twist – Foreseeable Injury?
There was a case in Montgomery County, PA where the plaintiff had been attacked by a vicious bulldog owned by his neighbors causing permanent facial scarring. Three years into this dog bite legal case during pre-trial deposition testimony, the plaintiff suddenly died of a heart attack. This personal injury case was amended from a simple negligence action to add a wrongful death claim. The plaintiff’s estate alleged that the decedent’s heart attack was caused by the cumulative anxiety, fright and fear of death he experienced during the vicious dog attack and by being forced to re-live this domestic animal attack during his deposition despite the fact that the heart attack occurring several years after the dog attack.
Dog Bite Cases In Chester County, PA
I have handled many dog bite cases in Oxford, West Chester, Parkesburg and Coatesville in Pennsylvania which have resulted in serious injury and permanent scarring. I am thankful I never experienced representing a client who suffered a heart attack or died during the course of the proceedings. The issue in such a case would boil down to whether the jury believed that the heart attack was a direct result of the dog bite attack or, in other words, was the “proximate cause” of the personal injury which had occurred three years earlier.
The jury agreed with the plaintiffs and awarded a sum that they felt was fair for the wrongful death of someone aged 57.
Personal Injury From Dog Bites
Over 4 million people are bitten by dogs each year in the United States, and approximately 20% of them needed medical attention. Tens of thousands of these people require reconstructive surgery as a result of their dog bite personal injury, and many of those bitten by dogs are children. As personal injury lawyers we can’t reverse what happens, but we can try to assure that the injured folks we represent receive just compensation which includes the substantial medical costs often involved. Additionally, we can be proactive in the legal communities to positively influence and input legislation that keeps the system fair to all.