Dog Attack cases are often the most grisly of personal injuries, particularly when a child is involved. Given their small size, a child doesn’t stand a chance against an attacking dog. Dogs are hunters by nature, and are quite powerful for their size. Because of this, dog attacks often leave permanent injuries, both physical and emotional, often requiring surgery or counseling. Only attorneys experienced with animal liability cases, and more particularly, with dog bite cases, can properly navigate the claim towards a fair and just recovery, be that by settlement or jury verdict.
Value of Your Dog Bite Settlement
In addition to medical bills and wage loss, your pain and suffering is a major element of your claim. Your injuries may have an impact on your ability to carry on with your normal life.Your pain may restrict your ability to do simple tasks. Your pain may also affect your ability to perform at work, drive a car, and participate in your sports and hobbies, family life, and other personal activities.You may lose income and job opportunities and find that you have suffered a permanent injury. You may also expect future medical expenses for your treatment. You are entitled to compensation for all of these losses. Obviously the greater the loss the greater the value of your case.
In Oregon, a dog does not necessarily get “one free bite,” though Oregon’s animal liability laws are difficult to navigate. In some instances, the owner of a dog is strictly liable for injuries caused by the dog, meaning that they are liable for all injuries, no matter what they did to try to prevent the attack. Sometimes, the owner of a dog is strictly liable only for the economic damages caused by the dog. Other times, the owner of a dog is liable only if he or she is negligent in failing to prevent the attack. In a handful of cases, the owner of a dog may not be liable for the dog’s attack at all.
Only a personal injury attorney knowledgeable of how the facts of a dog bite case are applied to the law can obtain a fair recovery for the victim. Our attorneys have significant experience handling these types of cases. Tim Williams, a partner at Dwyer, Williams, Potter Attorneys, LLP, drafted the Oregon State Bar’s Uniform Civil Jury Instructions for dog bite cases while serving as chair of the Torts subcommittee in 2008. Those jury instructions are now used by attorneys and judges statewide as a summary of the dog bite laws.
If you or a loved one is in need of legal assistance concerning a dog bite or a dog attack, call Dwyer, Williams, Potter Attorneys, LLP toll free at (800) 285-8678, or submit an online questionnaire. The initial consultation is free of charge, and if we agree to handle your case, we will work on a contingency fee basis. That means we get paid for our services only if there is a monetary recovery. In many cases, a lawsuit must be filed before an applicable expiration date, known as a statute of limitations. If this date passes, your claim will be lost forever. Please feel free to contact us right away to ensure that you do not lose your right to compensation.