Thomas, Thomas & Hafer Attorney Bill Novick Wins Non-Suit in Philadelphia County Dog Bite Action

Following two days of trial in the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas, TT&H Attorney Bill Novick recently won a non-suit for his client.  The action involved claims of negligence after a 14-year-old girl was allegedly bitten by a dog.  The suit was brought by the minor’s parents, who also filed claims in their individual capacity.

At the time of the incident, the minor Plaintiff’s family was watching the dog.  The dog was owned by the minor’s aunt, who had been given the dog as a birthday gift approximately a year before the accident. The aunt was named as a Defendant in the case, along with Bill’s client, who had purchased the dog and gifted it to the minor’s aunt.

The matter proceeded to trial after the Plaintiffs made a policy limits demand, which was rejected.  At trial, Bill was able to show that Plaintiffs lacked any evidence tying his client to the dog at the time of the accident.  He established that the Plaintiffs knew the dog was intended as a birthday gift from Bill’s client to the current owner.  When Plaintiffs rested, Bill moved for a non-suit, arguing that his client had never owned the dog and was not a proper party to the suit.  Agreeing with Bill’s argument, the Court granted the Motion and entered a non-suit in his client’s favor.

Questions about this case can be directed to Bill Novick at (610) 332-7029 or wnovick@tthlaw.com.