If a dog attacked and injured you, let Munley Law’s Allentown dog bite lawyer hold the owner accountable for your damages. Drawing on more than 250 years of combined legal experience, we will fight to ensure you receive the justice and the compensation you deserve.
For almost seven decades, our personal injury attorneys have helped victims of dog bites and other incidents receive more than $1 billion in settlements and verdicts, and we can help you. Our legal team is honored regularly by National Trial Lawyers, Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, and prestigious publications and directories such as Lawdragon and Martindale-Hubbell, which have given our five partners the highest ratings.
Owning a dog comes with the responsibility of preventing the animal from harming people, as a dog bite can cause serious damage with long-lasting effects and high medical costs. For the most vulnerable victims, an attack can be permanently disfiguring or fatal. Reach out to us and schedule a free consultation if you or your child were attacked and bitten by a dog in the Lehigh Valley. Our lawyers are available 24/7, and you won’t pay a fee unless we recover compensation.
What to Do After a Dog Bite in Allentown
A dog bite is a frightening experience. It can be difficult to know the right steps to take after experiencing such a shock. However, there are some important things you can do to protect yourself and give yourself the best chance at a favorable outcome.
Seek Medical Attention for the Dog Bite
After any sort of injury, it’s important to seek medical attention right away. Even if you’re unsure how serious your wounds are, it is crucial to get checked out by a medical professional. Animal bites in particular can become infected if not cleaned and treated properly. Dogs can also carry diseases like rabies that can be passed to humans. Early intervention is often the key to preventing an injury from becoming worse.
If you do decide to pursue a dog bite injury lawsuit, your medical documentation and treatment will be a critical aspect of your case.
Report the Dog Bite Incident
Likewise, don’t wait to report the incident to the police or your local animal control unit and make an official record of the event. If your injuries prove not to be serious, then you don’t have to pursue further action after making the report. But, if you do need to file a personal injury lawsuit at a later time, the incident report will be a vital piece of evidence.
Also, if the dog attacks someone else in the future, your report may serve as evidence that the dog has a history of aggressive behavior and the owner should have taken more steps to restrain their pet.
When reporting the dog bite, take note of the responding officer’s name and contact information, as well as any witnesses who were present at the time of the attack.
Take Photos of the Accident Scene and Your Injuries
Take photos of your injuries and any other relevant aspects of the scene, as these photos can be used as evidence in support of your case. These might include any property damage caused by the animal, the scene of the attack, or the lack of sufficient restraints and enclosures. Photograph your injuries as well as any scarring that develops as your injuries heal.
Contact an Experienced Allentown Dog Bite Lawyer
Even if you don’t yet know the extent of your damages or the status of the dog involved, it is never too soon to contact a personal injury lawyer at Munley Law. There is no risk, no obligation, and no charge for the initial consultation – just an opportunity to get answers and support.
During the initial consultation with a dog bite lawyer, we will listen to your story, answer your questions, and advise you about what to do next.
We consider ourselves a “full service” law firm, which means that we’ll do everything we can to guide you through this challenging time. We don’t just file a lawsuit and negotiate with the insurance company; we’ll also help you understand how cases like premises liability claims can relate to your situation if the attack occurred on someone else’s property.
Contact a Medical Malpractice Lawyer at Munley Law
Call Us At 844-686-5397 Who Pays for Dog Bite Damages in Allentown?
Dog bites are not just scary; they can result in significant economic and non-economic damages for dog bite victims. You may be left with medical bills for emergency treatment, surgeries, and therapy. You might have to miss work for medical appointments or for an extended time while you heal.
These costs can add up and leave you facing years of bills. Depending on the nature of your injuries, you may also be left with reduced earning capacity. Our Allentown dog bite lawyers will fight to ensure you receive fair compensation. A State Farm/Insurance Information Institute report revealed that, in 2024, Pennsylvania had the second-highest average cost per dog bite claim ($88,668) in the U.S. That year, the state saw 1,004 claims (the fifth highest number in the country).
Damages in an Allentown Dog Bite Case
Dog bite lawsuits can result in both economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages include medical bills, lost wages, and other concrete financial losses. Non-economic damages include emotional and mental anguish and diminished quality of life. Dog bites often result in emotional trauma and psychological distress. They also frequently result in long-term scarring, which is both expensive to treat and emotionally difficult to bear.
If you were bitten by a dog in Allentown, you shouldn’t have to pay for these expenses on your own. The purpose of a dog bite lawsuit is to provide you with the compensation you need to recover these losses.
Who Pays For Your Damages?
The defendant (usually the dog owner or property owner) can be held liable for your damages and compelled to pay you compensation. In Allentown and the greater Lehigh Valley, most dog attacks happen because the owners violate state and local laws requiring them to have control over their dogs at all times, such as 3 P.S. Agriculture § 459-305. These laws usually require owners to keep their dogs in a contained area in their yard, use a leash in public areas, and ensure their dogs are under “reasonable control” (such as verbal control) if they are neither contained nor on a leash.
The dog owner, property owner, or landlord may be financially responsible for dog bite damages. Even if the property owner is not the dog’s owner, they can be held responsible for allowing the dog on the premises.
More specifically, the dog owner’s renter’s or homeowner’s policy—similar to how insurance plays a role in wrongful death cases—can provide coverage for your damages. This is important to know because dog bites often take place at the home of a friend or family member. In these situations, some people hesitate to pursue a personal injury claim involving someone with whom they have a personal relationship. But insurance exists to protect people when things go wrong. If you or your child was injured by a dog bite, you deserve due compensation under the law.
“Since 1959, we have secured over $1 billion in
compensation for our clients.”
Daniel W. Munley
Why Choose an Allentown Dog Bite Lawyer at Munley Law?
If you’ve been seriously hurt by a dog bite in Allentown, it is important that you not only have a lawyer, but that you have the right lawyer.
Munley Law has been representing people throughout Allentown and Lehigh County since 1959. We have decades of experience negotiating settlements and winning jury trials. Our dog bite attorneys have consistently been named to the Best Lawyers in America, Best Law Firms, and Pennsylvania Super Lawyers. Daniel Munley is one of our lawyers who is board-certified in Civil Trial Law and Civil Trial Advocacy by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. He is also a member of the invitation-only American Board of Trial Advocates and has been awarded Martindale-Hubbell’s Platinum Client Champion Award. Additionally, our lawyers have won over $1 billion in settlements and verdicts for our clients to date.
When you choose Munley Law’s Allentown dog bite lawyers, you’re choosing a knowledgeable, experienced legal team who will work with experts to build the strongest case for you, negotiate with insurance companies, and take the quest for justice to court if necessary.
Allentown Dog Bite Lawsuit FAQs
What is the One-Bite Rule?
In states that follow a “one bite rule,” also known as the “first bite rule,” dog owners are liable for damages caused by their pet only once the animal has exhibited dangerous behavior in the past. Under this rule, the owner is liable if they knew or should have known the animal posed a threat to others based on previous behavior.
Pennsylvania follows a different rule, as it is a strict liability state. This means dog owners in Allentown can be held legally responsible for paying damages to dog bite victims, even if the animal has not bitten someone before.
How Much is a Dog Bite Case Worth in Allentown?
The value of your dog bite case in Allentown – or the amount of compensation you will receive – depends on a number of factors. Your settlement will be based in part on the extent of your damages, including your injuries and the cost of medical treatment, your lost wages or lost earning power, long-term scarring or disfigurement, and more. The settlement will also depend on the amount of available insurance coverage from the defendant.
Can I Press Criminal Charges After a Dog Bite in Allentown, PA?
You may be able to press criminal charges after a dog bite in Allentown, PA. In most cases, dog bites result in civil legal actions. However, in some extreme cases, criminal charges may be filed against the owner as well. Such circumstances might include a fatal dog attack or cases where the owner was knowingly or intentionally allowing their dog to cause harm. If the owner was violating certain dog laws at the time of the attack, they may face criminal penalties as well.
What is Considered a Dangerous Dog in Allentown?
The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture defines a dangerous dog as one that has inflicted serious injury to a person unprovoked or killed or seriously injured another domestic animal while off the owner’s property, attacked a human being without provocation, been used in the commission of a crime, or has either a history of or propensity to attack humans or animals without provocation.
Owners of dangerous dogs are required to register their animal with the Pennsylvania Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement and to keep the animal secure in an enclosed space. In addition, the dog owner must keep the dog muzzled and leashed when not confined to an enclosure, must microchip the animal, and must post signs warning visitors to the property of the presence of a dangerous dog. Furthermore, they must notify their homeowner’s insurance about the dog’s status. Failure to comply with these and other dog laws can result in misdemeanor criminal charges.
What If I Was Bitten By a Dog While Doing My Job?
If you are bitten by a dog while doing your job, your rights and options will depend on the nature of your job, as well as the circumstances surrounding the attack.
There are some occupations where animal bites are considered an occupational hazard.
If you were bitten by a dog while doing your job, you may be able to collect workers’ compensation, and/or pursue a third-party dog bite lawsuit against the dog owner or property owner. An Allentown workers’ compensation lawyer at Munley Law can help you claim any benefits you are owed through workers’ comp and take additional action to collect the full amount of compensation you deserve.
Contact Our Allentown Dog Bite Attorneys for a Free Case Review
Too often, humans fail to uphold their responsibilities as dog owners, and innocent people get hurt as a result. Children, who are smaller and may not know how to interact safely with dogs, are especially vulnerable to attacks.
An Allentown dog bite attorney at Munley Law can help secure fair compensation for you or your loved one. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation.
Daniel W. Munley
Daniel W. Munley is an award-winning personal-injury attorney and champion of plaintiffs’ rights. For decades he’s won multi-million verdicts and settlements and is recognized as a national leader in truck and rideshare litigation,including a record $26 million truck settlement in Northeastern Pennsylvania and a $20 million recovery in 2024 for life-altering commercial-vehicle injuries.
Reviewed by Bernadine Munley, Esq., Personal Injury Attorney at Munley Law, on February 26, 2026.
Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys
609 Hamilton St.
Allentown, PA 18101
(610) 857-7424
Get Directions
