Washington Injury Attorney Blog

A Washington State Appeals Court has ruled that Pierce County cannot require owners of dogs that animal control officers have deemed to be "dangerous" or “potentially dangerous” to pay fees to appeal the county's ruling on their dog.

Pierce County constructed an animal control ordinance that allowed them to deem any dog a "dangerous animal" if the dog:

• bit a person without provocation
  
• injured or killed another animal without provocation
  
• has previously been found to be potentially dangerous and the owner was previously warned of the animal being aggressive and a danger to human or other animals.

A dangerous dog designation requires owners to purchase a $250 permit and buy $25,000 in insurance that allows them to keep a dangerous dog.

The case came before the appeals after one dog owner, Heidi Downey, appealed the ruling that her dog was dangerous after it injured another dog that had to be put to sleep. Downey was required to pay $125 of an initial hearing on the ruling and another $250 for a hearing before an examiner.

The appeals court found that requiring owners to pay such stiff fees to get a hearing is tantamount to “purchasing justice” and that the fees denied owners due process.

Due process is guaranteed by the Bill of Rights and it balances the rule of law with an individual’s rights. Due process allows all people to have access to the judicial system regardless of their financial status.

Pierce County argued that without fees that some owners may have “frivolous appeals”. The court, however, felt that dog owners were legally entitled to a hearing before they were deprived of their property.

According to the Centers for Disease Control approximately 4.5 million people suffer dog bites every year and 31,000 people are so severely bitten or injured that they require surgery. In addition, approximately 16 people are killed ever year because of a dog attack.

Washington state does have a dog bite law, RCW 16.08.040 which states that the owner of a dog that injures another person, regardless of whether the dog was previously declared dangerous, to be liable for the injuries to the dog bite victim.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group, a Seattle dog bit lawyer. We represent people who have suffered serious dog bite injures. With our help, you may recover compensation for your damages.

Source: Pierce County's dangerous-dog policy unconstitutional, judge rules, The Tacoma News Tribune, 12/04/11

Related Posts:

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Kirkland man shoots pit bull in dog attack at Juanita Beach park

Continue reading "Washington appeals court says Pierce County "dangerous dog" policy unconstitutional" »

If you have some kind of accident, such as a car accident, workplace accident, or even if you slip and fall on someone else’s property, you may suddenly find yourself trying to learn all you can about personal injury law.

Personal injury law covers personal accidents and damages that can be awarded when claims are made.

While you can file a personal injury claim for any type of accident, there are some things you should understand about personal injury law and how you can win your case.

For starters, accidents do happen, but sometimes they are just that-accidents, meaning no one is to blame. In these cases you probably won’t get far in the way of a personal injury claim.

If you file a claim and expect to be compensated for damages, you need to be able to clearly demonstrate that the party you are filing the claim against could have prevented the accident. For example, if you are walking down the street and fall on the sidewalk in front of someone’s house because you simply weren’t paying attention to where you were going, you are probably going to have a hard time getting a settlement from the homeowner. If, however you fall because the homeowner failed to remove a branch, or ice, or something else from the sidewalk and you fall, that homeowner may be responsible for your accident and may have to pay your medical bills or any other costs associated with the accident.

While this may seem like simple logic, personal injury law is a complex, and sometimes controversial topic. Many politicians feel that the amount of damages one can receive in a personal injury claim should be capped to a certain amount. Different accidents require different things however. Maybe you not only have medical bills from an accident, but you also can’t return to work due to a hospital stay. You lose money by not working, should the responsible party not be held liable for these damages as well?

Personal injury law is hard to navigate, and for that reason, if you feel like you need to file a personal injury claim, you should immediately contact a lawyer for advice. The lawyer can tell you what they think your chances are of a settlement and what the next step should be. You should get compensated if you have an accident that is not your fault, and a lawyer can help make that happen.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been seriously injured due to construction accidents, motor vehicle accidents and slip trip and fall accidents.

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Continue reading "Understanding Personal Injury Law" »

The News Tribune of Tacoma reports that Sue Gorman of Gig Harbor, was awarded a $2.2 million damage award by a Pierce County jury after she was seriously injured when two pit bull dogs attacked her in her own home.

Gorman, who was seriously injured with dog bites to her arms, face, neck, chest and nose in 2007, filed a lawsuit against both Pierce County and the owners of the two pit bulls.

Gorman woke up in the bedroom of her home to find the two pit bull dogs mauling her service dog and another dog she was carrying for. She was injured when she tried to save the two dogs. The pit bulls had entered her home through a sliding glass door.

The Pierce County jury found that the county was 42% to blame in the mauling because county animal control office had received numerous reports -- 14 in all -- that at least one of the dogs was running loose and "terrorizing people." In fact, Gorman had filed two complaints about the dog previous to the August, 2007 attack.

The jury assigned 52% of the liability to Shellie Wilson and her son, Zachary Marti, owners of one of the pit bull. They also assigned 5% of the liability to Jacqueline Evan-Hubbard who owned the second pit bull that was entrusted to the care of Wilson and Martin.

1% of the liability was assigned to Gorman herself. It is not clear what the jury was thinking here whether it was because Gorman's door was left open or because she intervened in the attack against her dogs.

Washington state has a dog bite law, 16.08.040 which states that any owner of a dog that bites a a person whether in a public place or in a private place is liable for damages suffered by the victim, regardless of the former viciousness or a dog.

If you or a loved one has suffered a serious dog bite injury, you should contact a personal injury attorney who has experience representing dog bite victims. At The Farber Law Group, a Bellevue, Washington based personal injury firm, we have more than 30 years experience in representing dog bite victims. With our help, you may recover compensation for your medical costs, rehabilitation costs and for pain and suffering. 

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Dog Bite Resources

Felony charges filed against owner of pit bulls that mauled SeaTac woman

Pit bull dog attacks boy in front of school

Continue reading "Gig Harbor woman awarded $2.2 million settlement in pit bull mauling case" »

A day after a Kirkland man shot a pit bull dog in the Juanita Beach Wildlife Park in Kirkland, a pit bull attacked two men in Kent and killed a Pomeranian dog. The KIRO report said that two children were walking the Pomeranian when it a pit bull attacked and killed the Pomeranian.

Wile the reports on KIRO TV and KOMO TV vary a bit, what does seem clear is that a 46-year-old man received multiple dog bites in the leg and one in the abdomen and a 19-year-old man suffered a leg injury when they were attacked by two dogs believed to be pit bulls around 1:00pm near south 222nd and 94th Ave. S. in Kent.

King County animal control officers captured the pit bulls after the attack.

According to KIRO, the pit bull was tracked back t a house but the people who were there at the time denied owning the dog.

This Kent dog attack is similar to the Kirkland dog attack in that the dogs were off-leash and not in control of their owner .

When the dog owners are found, they may face criminal prosecution. The victims can also file a civil suit asking for compensation for damages. Washington has a "dog bite law" which is certainly sympathetic to victims and find that dog owners are liable for dog bite injuries. Click here for more information.

This information is provided by the dog bite lawyers at The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been seriously injured in a dog attack and the family of those killed. Since many dog bite victims suffer permanent nerve damage and often require several surgeries, obtaining compensation for medical costs and for pain and suffering is necessary to support the victim.

Related Posts:

Kirkland man shoots pit bull in dog attack at Juanita Beach park

U.S. Post Offices lists Seattle as #10 in "Top Dog Attack Cities" report

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Continue reading "Kent pit bull attack injures 2, kills small dog" »

The Kirkland Reporter says that a Kirkland man shot a pit bull dog with a handgun after his dog was attacked and the pit bull then threatened him at Juanita Beach Park in Kirkland, Wa.

The dog attack occurred on Saturday as the man let his dog, a German shepherd, off-leash in park. According to the report, one of three pit bulls who were off-leash attacked the shepherd and then was joined by the other two.

The owner of the pit bulls, a Seattle man, attempted to pull his dogs off of the shepherd when one pit bull turned and threatened the Kirkland man.

The Kirkland man had a permit to carry a gun and shot the pit bull. The pit bull is expected to survive after surgery at a local veterinarian clinic.

It is obvious that the Kirkland man felt very threatened and police are investigating the shooting. One question that comes to mind is, "Are pit bulls more prone to attacking and injuring people than other dog breeds?" According to a study done by the Center for Disease Control which looked at 20 years of dog attacks and looked at 25 different breeds of dog, the pit bull and Rottweiler dogs were responsible for 67% of dog bite fatalities and attacks by pit bulls were responsible for more deaths.

In the past six months, there are a number of reports of pit bull attacks in the news. The following are a few representative news stories:

• January 2011 -- A 5th grader in Vallejo, Ca, suffered a serious dog bite to his arm
  
• January 2011 -- Union County, NC, 5-year-old girl was killed and her grandmother seriously injured when they were attacked by a neighbor's 2 pit bulls
  
• February 2011 - El Dorado, Ca, a 15-year-old girl and her small schnauzer were attacked by a pit bull and the girl suffered injuries to her arm
  
• November 2010 - Orland Park, Ill, woman suffered numerous bites to her arms and thighs in a pit bull attack
  
• November 2010 - Robbinsville, NC 2-year old boy critically injured in a pit bull attack

Washington state law, RCW 16.08.040, finds that the owner of a dog which bites another person, regardless of the dog's previous viciousness, is liable for damages to the victim.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent Seattle, Bellevue and Kirkland dog bite victims and their families.

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Continue reading "Kirkland man shoots pit bull in dog attack at Juanita Beach park" »

The United States Postal Service (USPS) released statistics today which showed the cities where the most dog attacks against postal workers occurs; Seattle, Washington is #10 on the list with 28 dog attacks against postal carriers in 2010.

Nationally, there were 5,669 postal employees bitten by a dog. Throughout the U.S., there are 4.7 million Americans bitten annually.

According to the Insurance Information Institute, dog attacks account for more than 1/3 of all homeowner insurance liability claims paid in 2010.

Dog attacks can leave victims with serious injuries. Many victims suffer disfigurement or scarring. Other victims can suffer permanent nerve damage. According to one Seattle-area plastic surgeon, victims of dog mauling require multiple surgical procedures to repair the damage.

Washington States dog bite law, RCW 16.08.040 enables victims to recover damages for their injuries.

If you or a loved one has suffered a serious dog bite injury, you should contact a personal injury attorney who has experience representing dog bite victims. At The Farber Law Group, a Bellevue, Washington based personal injury firm, we have more than 30 years experience in representing dog bite victims. With our help, you may recover compensation for your medical costs, rehabilitation costs and for pain and suffering.  See our Dog Bite Resources.

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Continue reading "U.S. Post Offices lists Seattle as #10 in "Top Dog Attack Cities" report" »

Sirlinda Hayles, a 66-year-old Columbia, South Carolina woman, was attacked and fatally mauled by two Rotweiller dogs as she stood in her garden says a report carried in The Seattle Times.

Hayes apparently worked daily in her garden and did not fear her neighbor's dogs. The dog's owner came to her aide and he was seriously injured in the dog attack.

Officers shot and killed the dogs when they arrived. According to reports, the there had been no previous reports of the dogs being vicious. It is not known whether there will be charges against the dogs' owners. The family of the deceased seemed very forgiving about the attack while at the same time mourning the loss of their loved one.

Pit bull, Rottweilers and Presa Canarios dogs are responsible for nearly 75% of dog attacks and are responsible for 65% of the deaths according to a study by Merritt Clifton "Dog Attack Deaths and Maimings, US and Canada, September 1982 to November 13, 2006."

Approximately 16 people are killed every year across the United States in dog attacks. Washington State has a Dog Bite Law, RCW 16.08.040, which supports dog bite victims in seeking compensation in civil court for their damages.

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.

If you or a loved one has suffered a serious dog bite injury, you should contact a personal injury attorney who has experience representing dog bite victims. At The Farber Law Group, a Bellevue, Washington based personal injury firm, we have more than 30 years experience in representing dog bite victims. With our help, you may recover compensation for your medical costs, rehabilitation costs and for pain and suffering. 

Related Posts:

Dog Bite Resources

Man killed in pit bull dog attack, 3 others injured

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Continue reading "Woman killed in Rottweiler dog attack" »

A Seattle woman -- Katelynn Doolittle -- credits a man who came to her attack with saving her life when she was attacked by a vicious pit bull near Lake Washington.

According to King 5 News of Seattle, Doolittle was jogging when a pit bull escaped its owner and attacked her; she was bitten five times. Matt Lloyd ran to her rescue she credits him with saving her life. Lloyd was also bitten by the dog.

Whenever we discuss pit bulls on this forum, we usually get a lot of comments. Many people say that a pit bull's nature is not to be aggressive but that it is nurture and the way they are raised that makes them turn vicious.

The 2009 dog bite statistics reveal that there were 32 people killed in dog attacks and in 44% of those fatal attacks, the dog(s) involved were pit bulls. When we look at "rampage attacks," attacks where one ore more dogs are involved or more than one person is injured, pit bulls were involved in 58% of those cases.

University of Washington animal behaviorist Dr. Jim Ha says,

The reason we're focusing just on pit bulls is that we hear so much about them, and that is not because of the breed difference, the genetic difference - that's because of the way they've been raised.

Dog bite injuries can cause serious physical and psychological trauma. Victims of severe dog mauling often require multiple surgeries, leaving victims with both psychological and permanent scarring and nerve damages.

Washington State has a dog bite law, RCW 16.08.040, which makes the owner of any dog which bites a person to be liable for the damages inflicted by the dog regardless of whether the dog was previously identified as vicious.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We are a Seattle dog bite attorney and we represent people who have been seriously injured by dog attacks. With our help, you may recover compensation for your damages including medical costs, loss of wages and for pain and suffering.

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Continue reading "Seattle woman attacked by pit bull and suffers multiple dog bite injuries" »

The family of Kenneth Bock has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Konrad Haskins whose Redbone Coonhound bit Bock, who later died of complication of dog bites, a bacterial infection.

Washington state has a wrongful death lawsuit which allows the family of a person who died because of the wrongful or negligent act of another to recover damages.

According to an article in The Seattle Times, Bock and Haskins were at Chain Lake Mini-Storage in Monroe last February when Haskins' dog, Buddy, bit Bock on the finger, a bite that drew blood.

The following day, Bock went to the hospital with leg pain and physicians found a blood clot and that they diagnosed a condition called Capnocytophaga canimorsus. This is a common bacteria in the gingival flora of both dogs and cats. The bacterium can be transferred to people in the case of an animal bite. The usual course of treatment is antibiotics. However, in Bock's case, he died 10 days after the bite after multiple organ failure and tissue necrosis, a painful death.

In the civil suit, Bock's family claims that Buddy had a history of biting people and that he had been wandering around the Mini-Storage unleashed. Washington States Dog Bite Law which allows supports dog bite victims and their families by finding dog owners whose animals bite negligent under the law. The dog bite law, 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.

Haskins has insurance on both his home and his small business but the insurance companies have balked at paying the full amounts of the polices.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We have more than 30 years experience in representing families with their wrongful death claims in Western Washington and throughout the Pacific Northwest.

Contact The Farber Law Group at 1-800-244-9087 or attorney@hgfarber.com to schedule a free and confidential case evaluation. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.

See our Dog Bite Resources.

A Whidbey Island man, Jim Murdy, was bitten by a pitbull dog after it attacked his Welsh corgi on Thursday night.

According to a report by the Seattle PI.com, Murdy was working in his yard around 4pm when he went to check on his two small grandsons – ages 5 and 6– as they played in the yard. It was then that a pitbull that had escaped its owner's yard attacked his dog.

Murdy hit and kicked the pitbull bit it still seemed intent on attacking his dog. Murdy's wife, Sandi, hit the pitbull with a broom and it still attacked. Finally, Murdy took out his motorized hedge tool and cut the pitbull. When the pitbull kept attacking, Murdy grabbed it by the collar and that's when he was bitten.

This is the second pitbull attack on the Island in two days. An Oak Harbor police officer, after responding to a report of an aggressive dog, shot and killed a pit bull just south of Oak Harbor a day earlier.

The Washington State Dog Bite Law was drafted to allow people who have been injured by dog to be able to collect damages. The law 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.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We are a law firm that has a specialty in dog bite liability. With our help, you may be able to recover compensation for your damages including medical costs and for pain and suffering.

Contact The Farber Law Group at 1-800-244-9087 or attorney@hgfarber.com to schedule a free and confidential case evaluation. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.

A 71-year-old man, William Parker, died after two pit bull dogs attacked him while he was walking. The man suffered severe dog bites and then went into cardiac arrest and died after the attack.

Parker's daughter was hospitalized in critical condition after the dogs attacked her.

Another man, Kevin Stringell, also suffered dog bites.

The dog attack occurred at 230 North Manassas Street in downtown Memphis, TN.

Two firefighters who came to the man's rescue were also attacked by the dogs and they were treated at a local hospital and released.

The owner of the dogs has been arrested for violating the sex offender registry act. The dogs have been impounded.

Every year, approximately 885,000 require treatment after a dog attack and approximately 16 people are killed. Dog bite injuries can be horrific and many of them require multiple surgeries to repair the damage. Dog bite injuries can leave a person with disfiguring scars, post-traumatic stress syndrome and permanent nerve damage.

Washington State has a Dog Bite Law which can find the owner of a dog that injures a person to be held liable for the person's damages including medical costs and for pain and suffering.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent dog bite victims and their families. With our help, you may recover compensation for your damages.

Contact The Farber Law Group at 1-800-244-9087 or attorney@hgfarber.com to schedule a free and confidential case evaluation. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.

A 65-year-old woman was injured when she was attacked and bitten by a pit bull dog on Saturday morning in Beacon Hill reports The Seattle Times.

According to the report, the woman went into an apartment unit owned by her daughter when she was attacked and bitten by the dog.

The Seattle Police responded to a 911 call and took the woman to Harborview Medical Center where she was treated for her injuries.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent dog bite victims and their families. With our help, you may recover compensation for your damages including pain and suffering. For more information, see "Dog Bite Liability."

Contact The Farber Law Group at 1-800-244-9087 or attorney@hgfarber.com to schedule a free and confidential case evaluation. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.

The Journal of the San Juans reports that a 3-year-old girl who was visiting Friday Harbor from Texas was bitten by a dog that was tied to a bench on First and Spring streets on Friday afternoon.

According to the report, the little girl suffered a three-inch gash to her right check and was taken to Inter Island Medical Center for treatment.

The dog is owned by a Seattle couple and the had left their dog unattended while they were shopping at Joe Friday's Shirt Co. They said the dog, a Chesapeake Bay retriever, had never bitten anyone in the past.

Washington state's dog bite law, RCW 16.08.040 is written so that the owner of a dog that bites is liable for damages. The law says:

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.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We are a personal injury law firm that represents people who have been victims of dog bites.

Contact The Farber Law Group at 1-800-244-9087 or attorney@hgfarber.com to schedule a free and confidential case evaluation. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.

Paul Charles, 59,of Queets, Washington, was seriously injured and is intensive care after a vicious dog attack reports King5.com. His nephew, a 35-year-old man, suffered serious injuries when he came to his uncle's rescue.

Queets is a community in western Washington near the Pacific Ocean at the northern edge of the Quinault Indian Reservation and about 40 miles south of Forks near Highway 101.

According to the report, Charles was walking past a home when three mixed-breed dogs broke through a fence and attacked him.

Charles' nephew may have suffered permanent nerve damage to his hand but his actions may have saved his uncle's life.

Quinault Indian Nation police put the dogs down. The owner of the dogs has been cited but may face criminal charges.

Dog bite victims often suffer severe injuries including disfigurement, scarring, and permanent nerve damages. Often, victims require multiple surgeries to repair the damage.

The Revised Code of Washington 16.08.040 is Washington State's Dog Bite Law and it finds that owners of dogs that attack are liable for the injuries their dogs inflict even if the dog was not known to be vicious. In additional to criminal charges, the statute supports victims in allowing them to file a civil suit to recover compensation for damages.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been seriously injured in dog attacks. With our help, you may recover compensation for your damages including medical costs, lost wages and for pain and suffering.

Contact The Farber Law Group at 1-800-244-9087 or attorney@hgfarber.com to schedule a free and confidential case evaluation. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.

Every year, more than 368,000 people are treated in emergency rooms for dog bites and it is estimated that over 4.7 million Americans are bitten by dogs each year. In the year 2006, 31,000 people had dog bite injuries so severe that they required reconstructive surgery.

Of all of the emergency room visits for children, dog bite injuries are fifth on the list requiring treatment.

May 17-23, 2010 is National Dog Bite Prevention Week and it is sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Both organizations work to promote dog bite prevention and safety.

Check the CDC website for safety tips and a podcast which can help you prevent a dog bite and serious injury.

For dog bite victims with serious injuries, you should contact a personal injury attorney with experience representing victims. At The Farber Law Group, we have more than 30 years experience representing animal attack victims and with our help, you may be able to obtain compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and for pain and suffering.

Often dog bite victims have serious injuries including disfigurement of the face, permanent nerve damage, post-traumatic stress syndrome and severe pain. Many victims require between two and five surgeries to repair the damage. A personal injury attorney will fight for you so that instead of battling insurance companies, you can spend your time healing.

Contact The Farber Law Group at 1-800-244-9087 or attorney@hgfarber.com to schedule a free and confidential case evaluation. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.

Matthew B. Sims of Port Angeles, was sentenced to three months in Clallam County jail for the February 3 incident in which his dog attacked his son and left him with serious dog bite injuries.

According a report in the Peninsula Daily News, Sims left his 11-year-old son alone with the dog -- a 50-pound Labrador retriever mix -- and it attacked the boy, biting him on his extremities and face. The boy was treated at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle and is now in foster care.

Sims was sentenced to three months on a dangerous dog charge and also a one month concurrent sentence for possession of a stolen vehicle.

According to Washington state legal code RCW 16.08.100, the owner of any dog that aggressively attacks and causes severe injury or death of any human, whether or not the dog has been declared potentially danger or dangerous, shall, upon conviction, be guilty of a class C felony punishable in accordance with RCW 9A.20.021. Sims' dog reportedly had bitten someone several years ago while it lived in Alaska.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been seriously injured by dog bites and the family of those killed. Dog bites can often cause serious injuries which require multiple surgeries and sometimes leaves permanent scarring and nerve damage. With our help, you may be able to recover compensation for your damages including medical costs and for pain and suffering.

Contact The Farber Law Group at 1-800-244-9087 or attorney@hgfarber.com to schedule a free and confidential case evaluation. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.

An 8-year-old Lithonia, Georgia girl, Erin Ingraham, is in critical condition after two dogs viciously attacked her while she was playing in her family's yard Tuesday afternoon.

According to a report on CBS Atlanta.com, two dogs that "resembled pit bulls" seriously injured the girl in an attack that lasted four to five minutes. The girl was hospitalized with wounds to both arms.

A neighbor called 911 to report the attack and a police officer pulled the dogs off of the girl. When one of the dogs turned on the officer, he shot it. The other dog fled but was later captured; it will be put down.

The report said that the dogs had a history of attacking people. Charges against the dog owners are pending.

Dog bite victims can suffer severe and even life threatening injuries. Victims can suffer disfigurement, often of the face. Many dog bite viticms require between 2-5 surgeries to repair the damage. Victims often suffer permanent nerve damage, severe pain and psychological damage including post-traumatic stress syndrome.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber law Gruop. We represent dog bite victims and their families. Washington State civil law allows a dog bite victim to file a civil suit to seek compensation for their damages including medical costs and for pain and suffering.

Contact The Farber Law Group at 1-800-244-9087 or attorney@hgfarber.com to schedule a free and confidential case evaluation. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.

The owner of two pit bull dogs that attacked Amber Hart of Vancouver, Washington has not come forward after the attack.

Hart tried to help a neighbor when two pit bull dogs were chasing cattle in the 14100 block of Northeast 18th Street. When Hart came to help, the dogs turned on her and she was bitten in the thigh and foot and required stitches at Southwest Washington Medical Center.

The dogs were captured and are being quarantined at the Humane Society for Southwest Washington. No owner has stepped to claim ownership of the dogs.

According to a report by Bob Albrecht in The Columbian, the two dogs had been running wild for at least an hour before Hart was bitten.

Because Hart has no health insurance a medical fund has been established at U.S. Bank Branches in the name of "Amber Hart."

Dog bites can cause serious injuries including disfigurement, permanent nerve damage, psychological damage including post-traumatic stress and severe pain. Every year, approximately 1,000 people are bitten in Seattle and King County. In 2006, there were 26 fatal dog bites in the United States.

If you are a loved one is bitten by a dog, you should seek immediate medical treatment. The animal control or police should be called to document the attack and to make a record of the attack. You should also photograph and document your wounds. If your injuries are serious, you should contact a knowledgeable and experienced personal injury attorney who can insure your rights are protected and will help you obtain compensation for your damages.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent dog bite victims and their families.

Contact The Farber Law Group at 1-800-244-9087 or attorney@hgfarber.com to schedule a free and confidential case evaluation. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.

As a law firm that routinely represents people who have serious injuries due to dog bite from vicious dog, we have some recommendations to dog bite victims and their families. Our recommendations are geared to victims because their rights needs to be protected so they can be fully and justly compensated for their damages.

Dog bite injuries can be very serious and they often cause disfigurement (often to the face), permanent nerve damage, psychological damage including post-traumatic stress, severe pain and most victims require between two to five surgeries to repair the damage.

Our recommendations

• Seek prompt medical treatment. Head straight to the emergency room or to your doctor's office. Your medical treatment notes are required to document your injuries and treatment and are used to prove how severe your injuries are.
• Call the police or animal control. The police or animal control will investigate and establish who the legal owner of the animal and document the circumstances of the dog attack including witness statements. The police record is used to establish liability.
• Photograph and document your wounds. Use your cell phone camera or other camera to photograph your wounds as record of what happened to you. Take more than one photograph and over a period of time as bruising and scarring occurs after the initial bite. Photographs along with medical records and police report are evidence for your case.
• Consult with a personal injury attorney. A knowledgeable and experienced personal injury attorney can insure your rights are protected and will fight the insurance companies on your behalf.

Contact The Farber Law Group at 1-800-244-9087 or attorney@hgfarber.com to schedule a free and confidential case evaluation. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.

The Washington Examiner.com reports that a 20-month old Florida boy was attacked and killed by a Rottweiler dog.

According to the report, the toddler, Dallas Walters, was at his aunt's house when he dropped a cookie. When the boy went to pick up the cookie, the dog bit and attacked him.

Family members pried the dog off of the toddler but he died of his injuries at a hospital.

Every year approximate 26 people are killed because of vicious dogs. It is estimated that 4.5 million Americans suffer dog bite injuries every year and 1 in 5 of those will require medical treatment. Dog bite injuries can sometimes be very severe leaving the victims with permanent nerve damages, extensive scarring and psychological problems.

This information is provided by Washington Injury Attorney blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. If you or a loved one has suffered a serious dog bite injury you should contact a personal injury attorney with experience representing dog bite victims. At The Farber Law Group, we have more than 30 years experience represent dog bite victims and their families.

Contact The Farber Law Group at 1-800-244-9087 or attorney@hgfarber.com to schedule a free and confidential case evaluation. We have offices in Seattle and Bellevue to assist you.