Crary & Domanico, P.S. has been helping dog bite victims in Spokane since 1948. We’ll be there to help you through the legal process no matter what injuries you have suffered, helping you understand your legal rights and options. Contact us today to set up a free, no-obligation consultation.
Steps You Should Take After a Dog Bite
A dog bite can be extremely traumatic, and while hand injuries are quite common in these incidents, it’s important to understand what you’ll need to do to protect your health, well-being, and even your legal rights. As such, here are some steps you should take after being bitten by a dog and injuring your hands:
- Seek medical help promptly – Visit a doctor or hospital, even for minor bites, to prevent infections and complications.
- Document the incident – Capture pictures of the injuries and the location of the dog bite using your phone or camera. This evidence is crucial, and if possible, gather details about the dog and its owner.
- Report the incident – Notify local animal control or authorities about the dog bite for documentation and potential investigation, ensuring public safety for future incidents involving the same dog.
- Collect witness information – If there were witnesses, obtain their names and phone numbers. Their statements can bolster your case. Additionally, note essential details like the dog owner’s name or address if known.
Do You Need a Lawyer?
Simply put, you’re not required by law to hire a lawyer for an injury claim in Washington. However, it’s a good idea to at least talk to our team of experienced dog bite lawyers, especially if you’ve suffered more severe hand injuries.
Here’s what our lawyers can help you with:
- Investigating and gathering evidence – We’ll look into the accident, gather important documents, and collect evidence like photos of the accident scene. We’ll also get contact information from any witnesses and gather relevant medical records.
- Filing an insurance claim – If you have the other person’s insurance details, we can assist you in filing a claim with the insurance company. This starts the claims process.
- Negotiating a settlement – Once the claim is filed and we’ve completed the investigation, the at-fault person’s insurance company might offer a settlement. We’ll review it and negotiate for a higher amount if we believe the offer is too low.
- Filing a lawsuit – If a fair settlement can’t be reached, you might need to file a lawsuit to seek fuller damages. We’ll guide you on the best approach based on your claim. If successful, you may receive damages that give you financial support for your injuries.
Liability and Damages in a Dog Bite Claim
Although it’s considered an injury claim, a dog bite is a bit different in terms of how it’s viewed by Washington law. The main difference lies in determining liability–or who is legally responsible for covering your injuries and damages.
Basically, Washington law says that dog owners are “strictly liable” for any injuries or harm their dog causes. This is extremely important in cases where you suffer an injury, because it means the dog owner is the one you’ll file the claim against.
Along those same lines, it’s important to have information on the dog owner and their insurance coverage, since they’ll represent them in the claims process. Another important aspect of the process are the actual damages you can recover.
Damages
When you get bitten by a dog, there’s going to be damage. This is true regardless of the type of dog or the circumstances around the bite incident itself. But the law allows you to recover certain “damages” relating to the financial and emotional costs related to the bite. In general, you can recover the following in a claim:
- Medical expenses and bills – This includes expenses for medical treatment, surgeries, medications, and any healthcare needs arising from a dog bite and your hand injuries.
- Anticipated future medical needs – If your injury has a long-term prognosis with ongoing medical care requirements, such as therapy sessions or follow-up treatments, you can recover damages for this.
- Medical device expenses – These damages cover the costs of necessary medical devices or aids related to your hand injuries resulting from a dog bite.
- Lost wages – You can also recover damages for wages lost during the recovery period if the injuries mean you have to take time away from work.
- Pain and suffering – These damages are meant to cover the physical pain, discomfort, and mental anguish caused by a dog bite.
- Emotional distress – These take into account the psychological impact of a dog bite incident, such as anxiety, fear, or PTSD.
- Scarring and disfigurement – These damages are for the physical and emotional effects of visible scarring or disfigurement resulting from a dog bite.
- Loss of quality of life or companionship – These damages cover the impact of a dog bite on your ability to enjoy daily activities, hobbies, aspects of your life, or a negative impact on your relationships.
- Punitive damages – In some cases, punitive damages will be awarded if there was intentional harm or gross negligence by the dog owner, serving as punishment and deterrent.
As important as these damages are, you have to file your claim on time in order to get them. This deadline, known as the statute of limitations, gives you three years from the date of the accident to file your claim. If you miss this deadline, you won’t be able to file for damages.
Common Hand Injuries in Dog Bites
Obviously, your hands are extremely vulnerable during a dog bite, as it’s often your first line of defense against the dog’s teeth and jaws. That’s why you see so many hand injuries in a typical dog bite case. While these are extremely common, there’s actually a wide variety of different kinds of hand injuries you can suffer:
- Bite wounds – Dogs have sharp teeth, and their bites can cause puncture wounds that may lead to infection.
- Broken bones – A dog bite can result in fractures, especially if the force is strong enough to break bones in your hand.
- Soft tissue injuries – Damage to the soft tissues, including muscles, tendons, and ligaments, is common in dog bites.
- Nerve damage – Bites may cause nerve injuries, leading to pain, numbness, or loss of sensation in your hand.
- Contusions and bruises – Blunt force from a dog bite can cause contusions and bruises on your hand.
- Infections – Dog bites carry a risk of infection due to bacteria in the dog’s mouth, potentially leading to cellulitis or other infections in your hand.
- Lacerations – Deep cuts or lacerations may occur, requiring medical attention and sometimes surgical intervention.
- Joint injuries – Dog bites can damage joints in your hand, causing pain and limiting mobility.
- Tendon damage – Tendons in your hand may be injured, affecting hand movement and function.
- Crush injuries – In severe cases, a dog bite can result in crush injuries, potentially damaging bones and tissue in your hand.
No matter what type of injury you suffer to your hand, what’s important to remember is that you need to get medical care right away. It’s hard to overstate just how important that is to your case, because it will take care of immediate injuries, prevent the spread of infection, and will create a record of the incident and the resulting damage for your legal claim.
Contact CCD Law For a Free Consultation
When your hand is injured in a dog bite, you can turn to our Spokane dog bite lawyers at CCD Law. The challenges that come with the recovery process can quickly become overwhelming. That’s where we can step in and ease your burden. If you or someone you know has suffered an injured hand in a dog bite, contact us today for a free consultation.
