Some of the most emotionally and physically traumatic injuries a person can suffer are dog bite injuries. When a dog attacks, it’s a terrifying experience and leaves victims with painful, often disfiguring injuries, requiring antibiotic treatment and sometimes reconstructive surgery. Sadly, dog attacks against children and the elderly are most common, but dog bites can occur to anyone. If you or a family member suffered dog bite injuries, you don’t have to be left with the economic consequences as well as the physical ones. An experienced dog bite lawyer in Everett is ready to help hold the owner accountable for the pet’s actions under Washington’s strict liability laws. Call the Everett personal injury lawyers from Wells Trumbull today so we can take swift action and represent you in your claim for compensation.
Why Wells Trumbull Has the Right Dog Bite Attorneys for Your Case
At the Everett law firm of Wells Trumbull, we’ve found that getting to know each client and personally witnessing the impact of their injuries on their life and their family helps us become more compassionate advocates. We make the most compelling cases to present for negotiating a settlement or to a jury when we deeply care about the results and show that concern to insurers or the jury.
An experienced Everett dog bite attorney from Wells Trumbull provides advantages to your dog bite case through the following:
- A free case consultation and contingency-based payment so you owe nothing until we settle or win your case
- Putting our decades of legal history behind your claim
- Experience and knowledge from founding attorney, Ben Wells, who has practiced injury law since 1989 while Joshua Trumbull also has decades of experience navigating Washington injury liability laws
- The team effort and resources of a group of skilled attorneys and staff devoted to victim advocacy
- The dedicated attention of an attorney tailoring a strategy to achieve the best possible results in your case
- Honest, forthright communication throughout the process so you stay well-informed on the progress of your case
We are a results-oriented team of Washington personal injury lawyers who put a strong strategy and powerful voice behind every claim. We’ve secured millions of dollars for injury victims in Everett and the surrounding area.
Understanding Injury Levels and Common Injuries in Washington Dog Bite Cases
The amount of compensation available to dog bite victims in Washington depends on the severity of the injuries. Dog bite injuries are measured through severity levels ranging from Level-one injuries that don’t break the skin, Levels three and four injuries with puncture wounds about as deep as half the size of the dog’s teeth, and Level five injuries with torn flesh and damage to the victim’s muscles and bones. Level six dog bite injuries are those resulting in limb loss, consumed flesh and/or the victim’s death. Common dog bite injuries include the following:
- Punctures and lacerations
- Degloving (flesh pulled from hands)
- Facial injuries
- Broken bones
- Torn skin and muscles
- Loss of digits or limbs
Dog attack victims may make claims for damages even if they weren’t bitten but suffered injuries from a fall while running away from an attacking dog or after being knocked down by a dog. If a close family member is killed by an attacking dog, a wrongful death claim helps close family members recover compensation for their tragic loss.
Do I Have to Prove Owner Negligence in a Washington Dog Bite Case?
There are a handful of states with “one-bite” rules that allow a dog to bite a victim one time before the owner is liable for damages if they negligently allow the dog to bite again once aware that their pet is capable of biting due to its history. However, Washington is not one of those states. A pet owner in Washington takes responsibility for their dog’s actions from the moment they take ownership. This is known as strict liability and doesn’t require proving negligence.
In some cases, a victim may choose to prove negligence to recover further compensation; for instance, if a property owner knows a renter has a dangerous dog and allows the dog to remain on their property, they could be liable for damages due to negligence.
What Damages are Available in a Dog Bite Claim in Everett?
Dog bite injuries are not only painful and traumatic, but they also commonly leave disfiguring scars that could require reconstructive surgery, particularly if the bites are on the victim’s face. Some injuries become infected due to the high levels of bacteria in a dog’s mouth. These injuries are expensive to treat. A successful dog bite injury claim brings compensation for damages such as the following:
- Reimbursement for medical expenses
- Future medical costs for reconstructive surgery or plastic surgery
- Lost wages
- Future income loss or diminished future earning capacity due to disability
- Pain and suffering
- Disfigurement, scarring, traumatic limb loss, loss of pleasure in life compensation
- Emotional injuries such as PTSD, anxiety, and sleep disturbances
Financial compensation cannot erase scars or emotional trauma, but it opens the door to the best medical care and counseling and provides victims with a sense of accountability. Compensation for dog bite injuries typically comes through a claim against the dog owner’s premises liability insurance, even if the injury occurred in a public place.
What if the Dog Bites Occurred on the Owner’s Property?
Pet owners have a duty to protect others lawfully on their property from safety hazards, including dog attacks. This duty doesn’t extend to trespassers or those on a property to commit a crime; however, it does apply to anyone approaching a front door for legitimate reasons, such as a delivery or mail person, a neighbor, or a solicitor. Young children are never considered trespassers. Dog owners with neighbors should reasonably expect that a child could enter their property and must take reasonable measures to prevent their dog from biting.
Contact the Everett Dog Bite Lawyers at Wells Trumbull Today
At Wells Trumbull, we have deep compassion for injury victims who’ve suffered the unique trauma associated with dog bite injuries. When “man’s best friend” becomes a ruthless, snarling animal, it causes severe physical and emotional trauma.
You shouldn’t have to deal with the legal stress of the claim process while also trying to recover. Contact the Everett dog bite attorneys at Wells Trumbull today so we can begin action on your case.