Tacoma Dog Bite Attorney

According to the CDC, approximately 27,000 people bitten by dogs each year need reconstructive surgery. The average insurance payout for a dog bite case is close to $30,000 per claim.

Damages Include:

• Emotional Distress
• Pain & Suffering
• Lost wages from time missed from work
• Any current and/or future medical costs

Yes, you can! Our policy at the Washington Law Center is to win your case before you pay any fees or costs. Our local attorneys work on a type of fee structure called a Contingency Fee arrangement. That means you pay us nothing unless we win your case.

We don’t get paid unless we win your case!

Washington law limits the time you must file a personal injury claim. An injured victim has generally three years to file a personal injury claim under the law.

We, lawyers, call this law the Statute of Limitations, and it bars a claim filed after the time limit is up. The three-year time limit runs on the date of accident or injury. Other claims, like Wrongful Death or Medical Malpractice, may have shorter time limits.

Like most things in law, there are exceptions to the rules, so it is always important to contact an experienced Tacoma, Washington personal injury lawyer soon after an injury.

Every case is different. The compensation available to you will be based on a variety of factors, including the severity of your injuries. Our attorneys will sit down with you to walk you through the entire process, and ultimately show you the value of your case.

Damages for a personal injury make an injured victim “whole,” again to the maximum extent possible through financial compensation. There are various damages in Tort law we lawyers learn in law school, but essentially an injured person’s damages will be economic, like medical bills, or lost wages, and non-economic damages, such as pain and suffering or emotional distress.

The following are common personal injury damages our attorneys recover in Tacoma. 

• Lost Wages
• Medical Bills
• Employment Loss
• Rehabilitation Costs 
• Pain and Suffering
• Psychological or Emotional Distress (PTSD)
• Loss of the Enjoyment of Life
• Temporary or Permanent Disability
• Vision or Hearing Loss
• Loss of Consortium 
• Disfigurement or Amputation
• Wrongful Death

• We are dedicated Personal Injury Lawyers. It is all we do. 
• Your legal representation is based upon your desires and wishes. We work for you. 
• Our law firm is one of the largest and most experienced personal injury law firms in Washington. Size matters! 
• We have decades of experience handling personal injury cases.
• You will receive regular communication throughout your case, from start to finish.
• We never charge a fee until we win your case. We cover all the litigation costs associated with your personal injury lawsuit until we win the case. 
• The lawyers at the Washington Law Center have a documented history of successful litigation.  
• If you are too sick or injured to come to our office, we offer virtual meetings online, and we offer in-person out-of-office meetings at the hospital or your home. 
• Our entire law firm is client-focused and client-centered. We offer personalized service to every personal injury client. We make your life easier. Not all firms are the same!
• We have a very skilled and talented legal team that will work on your injury matter. 
• We are passionate and committed to seeking justice in every case.
• Our attorneys are not afraid of trial and will gladly accept challenging cases. 
• You will receive experienced, knowledgeable, and skilled service from respected Tacoma personal injury attorneys.

A common psychological effect of dog bites in Tacoma, Washington is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which can produce symptoms such as:

• frequent dog attack nightmares
• disturbing flashbacks from the dog injury
• acute anxiety attacks related to the dog bite
• irrational fears
• stress from fear of dog bites, especially depending upon the profession
• depression because of the dog bite
• sleep disorders. 

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) from a dog attack can affect both the victim and any witnesses to the event, especially those with any personal or friendly relationship with the victim.

Another common psychological effect of dog bites is a condition called Cynophobia, Cynophobia is an irrational and enduring fear of dogs. A clinical psychologist our law firm hires can help you diagnose this debilitating psychological condition. This condition is especially common in young children who survive bad dog bites. Cynophobia is more than a matter of just feeling uncomfortable with the sound of barking or with being around dogs. Instead, it can hinder a child’s subsequent enjoyment of life and emotional development, producing issues such as those mentioned above, along with:

• psychological regression
• bad dreams
• irrational fear of dogs
• bedwetting (depending upon the age of the victim)
• anger
• hate towards animals
• mood swings
• emotional outbursts
• the trouble with breathing,
• dizziness or lightheadedness
• rapid heart rate
• pain or tightness in the chest
• shaking or trembling
• upset stomach
• hot or cold flashes
• sweating.

Many dogs can be associated with dog bites and dog bite injuries in Tacoma, Washington. However, according to the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and public education website DogsBite.org, the breeds of dogs involved in fatal attacks on humans from January 2005 to March 2018 included:

• Pit Bull — 284 fatal attacks (65.6 percent)
• Rottweiler — 45 fatal attacks (10.4 percent)
• German Shepherd – 20 fatal attacks (4.6 percent)
• Mixed-Breed – 17 fatal attacks (3.9 percent)
• American Bulldog — 15 fatal attacks (3.5 percent)
• Mastiff/Bullmastiff — 14 fatal attacks (3.2 percent)
• Husky — 13 fatal attacks (3.0 percent)
• Labrador Retriever — 9 fatal attacks (2.1 percent)
• Boxer — 7 fatal attacks (1.6 percent)
• Doberman Pinscher — 6 fatal attacks (1.4 percent)
• Malamute — 4 fatal attacks (0.9 percent)
• Golden Retriever — 4 fatal attacks (0.9 percent)
• Heeler/Australian Cattle Dog — 4 fatal attacks (0.9 percent)
• Cane Corso — 3 fatal attacks (0.7 percent)
• Chow Chow — 3 fatal attacks (0.7 percent)
• Wolf Hybrid — 3 fatal attacks (0.7 percent)
• Presa Canario — 2 fatal attacks (0.5 percent)
• Akita — 2 fatal attacks (0.5 percent)
• Australian Shepherd — 2 fatal attacks (0.5 percent)
• Belgian Malinois — 2 fatal attacks (0.5 percent)

We regularly keep clients updated on legal news on our personal injury blog. Our lawyers encourage you to read and educate yourself about a potential lawsuit or accident. However, every legal case is different and complex so you can’t rely on blogs alone. We strongly advise you to speak to our attorneys as soon as possible following an accident or injury in Tacoma.