Dog Bites: What Do Parents Need to Know?

The Humane Society tells us that more than half of the victims of dog bites in this nation are children. If your child is bitten by a dog in the Olympia area, seek medical care at once for your child, and then schedule a consultation with an Olympia dog bite lawyer at Capital Injury Law.

When the unfortunate situation of a dog biting and seriously injuring a child, what are your rights as a parent? Can you seek compensation for your medical bills from the dog’s owner? What steps will you need to take?

Continue reading to learn the answers to these questions. Your concerns will be answered in this short introduction to dog bites, the law, children, and your rights as a parent.

How Does “Strict Liability” Work?

Under Washington law, a dog’s owner is “strictly” liable for dog bite injuries suffered by anyone who is “in or on a public place or lawfully in or on a private place including the property of the owner” of the dog.

“Strict liability” makes a dog owner liable for a dog bite whether or not the owner was negligent or aware that the dog had aggressive tendencies. Even after taking all reasonable measures, dog owners are still liable for an injury victim’s medical bills, pain and suffering, and related losses.

Strict liability, however, applies only to the injuries caused by dog bites. To win compensation for other injuries caused by dogs or other animals, the injury victim and his or her attorney will have to prove that the animal’s owner was negligent in a manner that caused the injury to occur.

What Are the Consequences of Dog Bite Injuries?

Dog bites may cause severe and even catastrophic injuries. In the U.S., over four million dog bites are reported every year. In 2020, biting dogs were responsible for forty-six fatalities in the United States. Anyone who has been bitten by a dog can attest to the pain and suffering that these injuries can cause. It is an unfortunate event and it is hard to know how to navigate the decisions and healing that must occur after the altercation.

The bit of a dog may cause severe injuries, serious nerve damage, and a considerable blood loss. Infection may set in and cause unrecoverable damage to your body. Dog bites may also cause rabies, staph infections, and strep infections. If a biting dog shows rabies symptoms or cannot be found quickly, a physician may order rabies vaccinations for the victim. This is the only line of defense for that particular infection.

Some dog bites require skin grafting or other kinds of reconstructive surgery. Recovery for a dog bite victim sometimes takes months and may require long-term therapy and/or multiple surgeries.

Families have a legal right under Washington State law to full compensation for dog bite-related medical costs as well as projected future medical costs when their child is a dog bite victim. An Olympia dog bite lawyer at Capital Injury Law will fight for justice on your family’s behalf.

About Capital Injury Law

For the parent of an injured child, your first consultation with a Washington personal injury lawyer is provided with no cost and no obligation. You’ll get the personalized advice that you will need to make the right choice about whether to proceed with a personal injury claim.

At Capital Injury Law, we know what it takes to recover the compensation your family may need after your child is injured. You will pay no advance fee to Capital Injury Law, and you owe nothing unless and until we recover compensation for the medical treatment your child will need.