Our client, a 30-year-old woman named E.V., was attacked and bitten by a neighbor's dog while she was minding her own business in the front yard of her home in Western Washington.
The bite left a series of deep puncture wounds across our client's arms and legs. After the wounds healed, the woman was left permanent scarring which became a constant reminder of the trauma from the dog attack.
To make matters worse, E.V. was forced to miss more than two full weeks of work due to the injuries she suffered from the dog bites. She also required extensive follow-up treatment to ensure that her wounds were healing properly and not becoming infected. Her medical bills relating to the attack totaled more than $30,000.
Dog Bite Book Answered Her Questions
Shortly after the attack, E.V. saw an advertisement for the Washington Accident Books and decided to order a free copy of When The Dog Bites, the free legal guide for dog bite victims written and published by Davis Law Group founder and principal attorney Chris Davis.
The book helped E.V. better understand her own legal rights and how the personal injury claims process works. She also learned the different factors that can affect the complexity of a dog bite case, as well as when it may make sense to hire an attorney to take on your case if the insurance company has not been cooperative.
E.V. later called our office for a free legal consultation to learn more about how we could help her get the best possible settlement for her case. We explained how hiring a dog bite attorney can help pressure the insurance company to negotiate a settlement in good faith. Our attorneys accepted her case and took over all correspondence so she could focus on her physical recovery.
Successful Settlement Avoids Costly Trial
During the negotiation phase we made it clear to the dog owner's liability insurance carrier, State Farm, that we would not hesitate to take the case all the way to a jury trial if that was what it took to get our client the compensation she deserved.
After more than a year of negotiations with State Farm, the dog bite attorneys at Davis Law Group were able to recover a $125,000 settlement on our client's behalf. That money was more than enough to pay for her past and future medical bills, while also compensating her for her lost income, pain and suffering, and other damages.