Washington State Settlements, Verdicts & Case Results

DISCLAIMER: Please note that every case is different and these verdicts and settlements, while accurate, do not represent what we may obtain for you in your case.

$1,000,000 Settlement in Dog Bite Case

A 57 year-old man (Kenneth Bock) was bitten on the finger by a 7-year-old Coonhound in Monroe, Washington.  Mr. Bock was employed as a manager at a storage rental facility called Lake Storage Mini-Rentals.  The dog owner (Konrad Haskins) was a customer of the facility.  Mr. Haskins alleged that Mr. Bock stuck his hand/arm inside his truck without his permission to pet the dog when he was bitten.  Mr. Bock cleaned the wound and applied disinfectant.  Mr. Bock did not seek medical attention for more than 2 days.  The bite infected Mr. Bock with a baceterium known as capnocytophaga canimorsus sepsis that is commonly found in the saliva of cats and dogs.  Mr. Bock died 10 days later due to the infection.  The defendant denied liability and argued that Mr. Bock was solely responsible for the bite by sticking his hand and arm inside his truck.  After filing a lawsuit and commencing discovery, Seattle attorney Chris Davis discovered that the dog had bitten another man on the same day, and also a third man six months earlier.  The defendant also argued that Mr. Bock failed to seek prompt medical attention while knowing that he had no spleen (it had been removed 30 years earlier) and that this pre-existing condition allowed the infection to grow and spread all over his body.  The $1 Million settlement also includes a compromised reduction of the lien asserted against the settlement recovery by the Department of Labor & Industries. 

Awarded: $1,000,000 Settlement for Dog Bite

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