Strict Liability for Dog Bites in Seattle Washington

The owner of a dog that bites a person is liable for damages when the injury occurs in a public or private place. RCW 16.08.040. It does not matter whether the person injured was on public property or private property. RCW 16.08.040. The law imposes strict liability in these circumstances which means that, unlike most personal injury cases where negligence of the defendant must be shown, the injured person merely needs to show injury by the dog.

Besides being severely scaring, dog bits can also be terribly traumatic. It is obviously an extremely frightening experience to be bitten by an animal and injured. The terrifying nature of an animal attack can lead to high verdicts. For example, in 2011, a Pierce County Jury awarded a woman 2.2 million dollars when she was mauled by two pit bulls while sleeping in her home.