Children and Dog Bites in Pennsylvania: Higher Damages, Tolled Statute of Limitations, and Long-Term Recovery
Roughly half of all dog bite ER visits in Pennsylvania involve children under the age of 12. The injuries — and the legal cases — are different from adult bites in three important ways: injuries are usually to the face, damages last a lifetime, and the statute of limitations is tolled until the child turns 18.
1. Why children get bitten in the face
Children are at face-level with most dogs. When a dog snaps, the dog's mouth lands on the child's face — cheek, lip, chin, forehead, ear, nose. Adult bites are usually defensive wounds on the hands and forearms; child bites are offensive wounds on the face. That difference alone makes pediatric cases more serious.
The CDC reports that approximately 80% of pediatric dog bites occur in the home, by a dog the child knows — a family pet, a relative's dog, or a neighbor's dog the child has played with before. This is important because it means the bite is usually covered by the family's or relative's homeowner's insurance, and the strict-liability claim does not require any fault on the dog owner's part.
2. Pediatric facial scarring is the largest damages category
A 2-inch scar on a 5-year-old's cheek is not a one-time injury. It affects every school-age social interaction, adolescent self-esteem and dating, college and career opportunities, the need for repeated revision surgeries through puberty (the scar grows with the child but distorts), and lifetime psychological treatment for PTSD and cynophobia.
Pennsylvania does not cap pain-and-suffering damages, and juries award disfigurement damages to children at significantly higher levels than to adults. Pediatric facial-bite settlements in PA commonly reach $500,000 to $2,500,000+ depending on scar location and severity.
3. The statute of limitations is tolled until age 18
Adults have two years from the date of the bite to file suit. For minors, the two-year clock does not start running until the child's 18th birthday — meaning the child has until age 20 to file (42 Pa. C.S. § 5533).
This is critically important because the full lifetime medical picture is not known at the time of the bite (plastic surgeons typically wait until puberty to perform final revision surgeries), the psychological impact unfolds over years, and the scar-maturation process takes 12–18 months — settling too early leaves money on the table. That said, we usually do not wait until the child is 18. Most pediatric cases resolve when the medical picture is reasonably stable, often 1–3 years after the bite, with structured-settlement annuities to fund future surgeries.
4. Parents' rights to recover
Under Pennsylvania law, parents have their own separate claim for the child's medical expenses until the child turns 18. The parents' claim has the standard two-year statute of limitations. The child's claim for pain, suffering, scarring, and future medical care belongs to the child and is tolled.
Parents' wage-loss for caring for the injured child is recoverable in the parents' claim. The child's pain-and-suffering award typically goes into a court-supervised account or annuity until age 18. Any settlement involving a minor requires court approval to ensure the child's interests are protected.
5. What parents should do after a child is bitten
- Photograph the wound immediately and every 30 days for the first year — scar progression is critical evidence.
- Get plastic surgery involved early even if the ER does not refer you. The first surgery determines how every later revision goes.
- Start counseling. Pediatric PTSD after a dog bite is real and treatable. Therapy bills are recoverable damages.
- Keep the bite report. The animal-control bite report, the dog's prior-bite history, and any Dangerous Dog determination are critical to the case.
- Do not let the insurance company close the case. Adjusters routinely offer $5,000–$25,000 to close pediatric bite cases before the long-term damages are known. Do not sign.
Free consultation
If your child was bitten by a dog in Pennsylvania, we will give you an honest assessment of the case at no cost. Call (717) 724-7503 or request a free consultation. For the broader legal framework, see our Pennsylvania Dog Bite Lawyer hub and our article on average PA dog bite settlement values.
Serving injured Pennsylvanians in: Philadelphia · Pittsburgh · Harrisburg.
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