Seattle Dog Bites and Euthanasia Attorney

Dog bites are traumatizing and can lead to potential injuries such as severe infection, nerve damage, scars, and even loss of appendages. What happens when you’re not the first person this dog has bitten? Washington has legislation on the books that defines what a dangerous dog is and what must be done when they attack others.

Washington’s Dangerous Dog Laws

Washington classifies a dangerous dog as a dog that:

• Inflicts severe injury on a human being without provocation on public or private property,
• Kills a domestic animal without provocation while the dog is off the owner’s property, or
• Has been previously found to be potentially dangerous because of injury inflicted on a human, the owner having received notice of such and the dog again aggressively bites, attacks, or endangers the safety of humans.

In the event that your Seattle dog bite lawyer meets this standard of proof, the dog will be confiscated from the owner and euthanized in a humane and expeditious manner.

When a dangerous dog is on the loose, people are in danger. While no one wants to see an animal destroyed, if they pose a significant danger to people and other animals around them, there is no other recourse.

Strict Liability on Dog Bites

Additionally, Washington state has strict liability laws for owners of dogs. This means that owners may be held legally responsible for bites and attacks even if the dog does not have a history of aggression.

However, an affirmative defense, if accompanied with appropriate evidence, can shield the owner from liabilty. Washington allows dog owners to use multiple affirmative defenses, such as:

• Trespassing. The defendant can present evidence that you trespassed on the their real or personal property which was enclosed by fencing suitable to prevent the entry of young children and designed to prevent the dog from escaping and marked with clearly visible signs warning people, including children, not to trespass and to beware of dog; or
• Provocation defense. The defendant can also present evidence that you provoked their dog without justification or excuse on the defendant’s real or personal property which was enclosed by fencing suitable to prevent the entry of young children and designed to prevent the dog from escaping and marked with clearly visible signs warning people, including children, not to trespass and to beware of dog.

A Seattle personal injury lawyer can work with you to combat these defenses and present evidence of the dog’s dangerous nature.

Contact Fang Law Firm Today

If you or a loved one has been attacked by a dangerous and vicious dog, an attorney can assist you in filing a lawsuit against the dog’s owner in a Washington civil court. Your attorney must prove that the owner knew or should have known that the dog was potentially dangerous. Contact Fang Law Firm today to learn more.