Dog Bite Attorney Serving Washington

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DOG BITE ATTORNEY SERVING WASHINGTON

A dog attack can cause debilitating injuries, emotional trauma, and death. If you suffered injuries from a dog bite that required medical treatment to heal, you should contact the Washington personal injury attorneys of Tamaki Law to learn about your legal options. You might be entitled to compensation for the expenses you incurred. You shouldn’t be forced to pay out of pocket when someone else was at fault for the injury.

Our Washington dog bite attorneys have been fighting for the rights of our clients since 1994. We take a personalized approach to each case we handle. When you first meet with us, we’ll review the details of the incident and determine the available options for achieving your desired results. You can depend on our legal team to aggressively pursue the maximum compensation possible so you can recover and get your life back on track.

Call Tamaki Law at (800) 801-9564 today for a free consultation and let us help you hold the negligent party liable for their actions.

Table Of Contents

    Why Hire Tamaki Law?

    Our legal team has the skills and knowledge necessary to take on your case. We only focus on personal injury claims, including dog bites, and know the state laws and procedures we must follow to reach a favorable outcome. We use all the resources at our disposal to efficiently resolve your case and secure the financial award you deserve from the at-fault party.

    We have over 100 years of combined legal experience, so you can feel confident knowing you’re in capable hands when you hire the Washington dog bite attorneys of Tamaki Law. We’re familiar with insurance claims and lawsuits and how to overcome any obstacles we encounter. We will do our best to meet your needs.

    The immediate aftermath of a dog attack can cause shock, confusion, and fear. You probably don’t know how to handle the situation or who you can hold accountable for your injuries. That’s why it’s critical that you consult with us after the incident, so we can begin working on your case.

    Studies have shown that you’re more likely to receive higher compensation if you hire a lawyer than if you choose to handle your case on your own. That’s because Tamaki Law knows how to communicate with insurance companies and effectively strategize a plan of attack if we need to go to trial.

    Our Washington dog bite attorneys have won multiple awards that reflect our hard work and dedication to each client we represent. The founder of Tamaki Law, Blaine Tamaki, received the Trial Lawyer of the Year award from the Washington State Association for Justice and a Super Lawyer rating from Washington Law & Politics. In fact, three of our attorneys have received a Super Lawyer rating.

    "I never had any doubt that they were handling my claim properly and well, and they were always very kind." Carrie Read More Reviews

    What to Do After a Dog Attack in Washington

    Whether your injuries were from someone’s pet or a stray dog, you should seek immediate legal action to protect your rights. It’s critical that you go to the hospital so a doctor can evaluate your physical condition. They might need to clean up the wound and administer shots to protect against rabies and tetanus. You might need surgery if there’s significant damage, such as torn tendons or a broken bone.

    After your initial medical evaluation, you should follow up with all recommended healthcare professionals. Some people require physical therapy to gain mobility after a debilitating dog bite injury. Others seek counseling for the psychological effects of the attack. It’s essential that you follow your doctor’s orders and continue with the necessary treatment until you heal.

    You must also hire a Washington dog bite attorney immediately after the incident. Insurance claims and lawsuits can be confusing for you to handle without the help of an experienced legal team. They require following strict deadlines, completing paperwork, and communicating with opposing parties that don’t want to provide the compensation you deserve.

    Insurance companies often look for reasons to deny a person’s claim. They want to avoid a significant settlement payout whenever possible to save money. If they can find evidence that your injury isn’t serious or resulted from a preexisting condition instead of the dog attack, they could provide a lowball offer or deny your claim entirely. Tamaki Law is familiar with these tactics and aggressively pursues the compensation our clients deserve.

    Tamaki Law Can Handle the Investigation

    Washington is a strict liability state when it comes to dog bites. That means the owner becomes liable for any injuries their dog causes if the victim was lawfully on private or public property at the time of the incident. They should be financially responsible for your medical treatment, prescription drugs, and other costs since their dog was responsible for the physical and emotional harm you suffered.

    When you hire Tamaki Law, we will immediately begin investigating the incident to determine whether the dog’s owner should be held liable. We’ll also need to gather evidence to prove what happened, such as:

    • Police and animal control reports
    • Photos of visible injuries
    • The estimated value of personal property damaged in the attack
    • Eyewitness statements
    • Video surveillance footage
    • Copies of your medical records and other documentation
    • Pictures from the scene of the incident

    Our Washington dog bite attorneys know where to obtain crucial evidence that proves your injury was unprovoked, and the dog’s owner should be held accountable for the attack. We will tirelessly work to build a solid case and try to secure a financial award that adequately compensates for your medical bills, lost income, and other expenses.

    Common Injuries Associated with Dog Attacks

    Dog bites don’t just affect the outer layers of a person’s skin. A dog’s jaw can apply enough pressure that its teeth can break through the skin and damage tissue, tendons, and muscles. Permanent scarring and disfigurement can occur. Sometimes, doctors must amputate a limb if an untreatable infection develops. Different types of injuries are possible depending on the circumstances of the incident.

    Common injuries include:

    • Nerve damage
    • Head and face injuries
    • Loss of limb or amputation injury
    • Torn tendons and ligaments
    • Puncture wounds
    • Facial disfigurement
    • Permanent scarring
    • Sepsis and other infections
    • Rabies
    • Tetanus
    • Psychological trauma

    Unfortunately, some dog bite victims never recover fully. Even after the physical injuries heal, the psychological damage can continue for years or a lifetime. Anxiety, fear of dogs, and other issues can impact your life and affect your daily routine. The compensation you receive should cover any costs you incurred until now and pay for medical treatment or household assistance you need in the future.

    Compensation You Could Seek in an Insurance Claim

    If you’ve been bitten by a friend’s dog, you may be worried that pursuing compensation from them for your medical expenses can damage your relationship. When you hire Tamaki Law, we can work to get your compensation from their homeowner’s insurance rather than directly from them. That way, you and your friend or family member are not put into an adversarial situation.

    Multiple factors will determine the settlement amount you can pursue when you file an insurance claim. If your friend’s dog bit you at their home, you might be able to file a claim with their homeowner’s insurance company. If the attack happened on public property, such as at a restaurant, you could file a liability claim with the business owner’s insurer.

    Filing an insurance claim could compensate you for the various losses you suffered, such as:

    • Medical bills
    • Disfigurement
    • Property damage
    • Mental anguish
    • Loss of enjoyment of life
    • Pain and suffering
    • Loss of income
    • Lost future earnings

    Tamaki Law has experience calculating the monetary value of dog bite cases. Although each case is unique, there are contributing factors we could use to determine the compensation amount you deserve. These factors might include:

    • Type and severity of the injury
    • Total expenses resulting from the attack
    • Permanent damage caused by the injury
    • Duration of medically necessary treatment
    • Time missed from work
    • Impact of the incident on quality of life
    • The estimated cost of future medical care and assistance
    • Available insurance coverage
    • Emotional or mental effects of the attack

    We can’t predict the outcome of any insurance claim, but we can estimate the monetary award you should receive. We’ll do our best to recover the maximum settlement possible to cover your past and future losses.

    Committed to advocacy

    If you suffered injuries from a dog bite that required medical treatment to heal, you should contact the Washington personal injury attorneys of Tamaki Law Firm to learn about your legal options.

    Case Results

    $2.125 MILLION RECOVERY

    Recovered for two victims of a head-on collision with a commercial armored truck

    $2 MILLION RECOVERY

    Recovered from driver’s insurance for passenger injury caused by driver over-correcting

    $1.8 MILLION RECOVERY

    Recovered for victim suffering spinal cord injury at a worksite

    $1.5 MILLION RECOVERY

    Recovered for dentist suffering wrist injuries in auto collision

    $1.3 MILLION RECOVERY

    Recovered from utility company and fruit warehouse for construction worker injured by high voltage line

    $1 MILLION RECOVERY

    Recovered from a tavern for victims of a drunk driver who was overserved

    $800,000 RECOVERY

    Recovered for child run over by trailer, sustaining head injury

    $750,000 RECOVERY

    Recovered from uninsured motorist insurance policy for injuries caused by uninsured driver

    $698,000 RECOVERY

    Arbitration award for collision injuries after an offer of only $17,500 from insurance company

    $525,000 RECOVERY

    Recovered from truck driver’s insurance for causing collision injuring innocent driver

    $464,000 RECOVERY

    Arbitration award against auto insurance company after it refused to offer a single dollar

    $225,000 RECOVERY

    Recovered for injury caused by rear-end collision; case taken to tribal court

    $200,000 RECOVERY

    Recovered from uninsured motorist insurance policy for injuries caused by uninsured driver

    $240,000 RECOVERY

    Recovered for injury caused by semi truck striking car when changing lanes

    $145,000 RECOVERY

    Recovered for foreman of construction company injured in rear-end collision

    $125,000 RECOVERY

    Recovered from driver’s insurance for injury to passenger caused when driver rolled vehicle

    $100,000 RECOVERY

    Recovered from common carrier for injuries sustained after woman’s wheelchair was improperly secured in van

    Filing a Lawsuit in Washington

    The courts strictly enforce the deadline for filing a lawsuit. The timeframe you must follow if you want to sue the dog’s owner for your injuries is called a statute of limitations. Washington has a three-year statute of limitations. That means you must sue the owner within three years from the date of the incident, or you could lose your right to seek compensation through the courts.

    If your actions contributed to the attack in any way, the jury can diminish your financial award by your percentage of shared fault under the pure comparative negligence statute.

    Let’s say your losses from the dog bite come to $30,000. If the jury determines you were 20 percent to blame for the injury, you could only seek up to $24,000 in compensation. if the dog’s owner were 100 percent at fault” to “if you were not found to be partially responsible for the attack.

    Contact Tamaki Law

    At Tamaki Law, we have a team of dedicated and compassionate Washington dog bite attorneys. We will go to battle for you whether we’re negotiating with the insurance company or litigating your case in court. You can depend on us to receive the guidance and support you need.

    Call us at (800) 801-9564 right now if you suffered a dog bite injury and want to discuss your case with us during a free consultation.