Pennsylvania dog bite law in Bethlehem
The owner or keeper pays your medical bills in full; other losses need proof of carelessness. That is 3 P.S. 459-502(b) and it covers a bite anywhere in Bethlehem.
You have 2 years to file a lawsuit (42 Pa.C.S. 5524(2)). A claim can settle with the owner's insurer sooner, but the date still matters.
One more Pennsylvania rule to know. Notice to a government unit: written statement in 6 months (42 Pa.C.S. 5522(a)).
Read the full Pennsylvania dog bite laws for the exceptions and the rules on shared fault.
Reporting the bite and filing in Northampton County
Report the bite to City of Bethlehem Health Bureau. Give the date, the place, the dog and the owner's name if you know it. The report also becomes a record for your claim.
Bethlehem has its own Health Bureau, which takes animal bite reports inside the city limits.
If the claim does not settle, it is filed with the Northampton County Court of Common Pleas. The part of Bethlehem that sits in Lehigh County files in Lehigh County instead.
Dog bite lawyer in Bethlehem: what the free call covers
- Whether Pennsylvania's rule fits what happened and what the owner knew about the dog.
- Whose policy pays, usually the owner's home or renters insurance.
- Your own last day to file, which comes sooner against a public body.
Want a rough number first? The settlement calculator asks three questions.
