Dog Bite Injuries

While many dog bites don’t break the skin and leave no lasting marks, a significant amount of bites can require stitches, physically scar and disfigure, cause nerve and tissue damage, cause infection, and leave emotional scars.

Northwest Law Group has been successfully representing dog bite victims and other injury victims in King County and throughout Washington state over the years.

The most asked question after a dog bite injury, is who is to blame and who will be liable. The Revised Code of Washington (RCW) 16.08.040 states: “The owner of any dog which shall bite any person while such person is in or on a public place or lawfully in or on a private place including the property of the owner of such dog, shall be liable for such damages as may be suffered by the person bitten, regardless of the former viciousness of such dog or the owner’s knowledge of such viciousness.”

But responsibility for injuries caused by a dog doesn’t end with the dog’s owner. The following parties may also possibly be held liable in a Washington dog injury claim:

The harborer or keeper of the dog: This is the person who has responsibility (temporarily or permanently) for the dog but is not the owner. This would include a dog walker or pet sitter, a kennel owner and their staff, a veterinarian who is treating the dog, a groomer or a trainer who is working with the dog, or anyone who has responsibility for the dog’s behavior at the time of the injury.

Just like in any other personal injury case, if you or a family member has suffered a dog related injury, our Bellevue personal injury attorneys can help you claim:

• Current and future medical bills related to the injury (such as emergency room fees and skin grafts)
• Pain and suffering
• Disfigurement
• Permanent injury or disability
• Emotional trauma and mental anguish (many people, especially children, develop an irrational fear of dogs following a dog bite)
• Lost wages
• Wrongful death damages if you lose a loved one from a dog attack

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