Oregon is generally a dog-friendly state, but those furry friends we love so much can sometimes cause trouble. In this case, our client was walking his leashed dog near his home one afternoon. He was turning down the driveway to his own home when he noticed another person – a stranger – in his driveway, with an off-leash dog. Our client was very used to seeing other people walk dogs in the neighborhood, and he assumed that the off-leash dog had run off, and its owner had chased the dog, ending up in our client’s driveway.
As our client approached with his dog – still on leash – the off-leash dog growled and lunged at him, sending him sprawling on
the ground. The off-leash dog was still coming at him, and in the course of defending himself, the off-leash dog bit him, causing personal injury that required medical attention.
Our client filed an insurance claim for reimbursement of his medical expenses, but the carrier denied it, as the owner of the off-leash dog had claimed – falsely – that the dog had knocked our client down but had not bitten him. Unhappy with the course of events, our client decided that he would need the assistance of an Oregon personal injury lawyer to pursue the dog bite injury claim to a more satisfactory conclusion.
Once I was on the case, I immediately contacted the insurance carrier with medical documentation, including bills and chart notes, as well as photos taken after the accident showing the puncture wounds in our client’s hand. I talked with the adjuster, reviewing Oregon law regarding dog bite injuries, which holds owners strictly liable for damages caused by their dogs when negligence is a factor. Because the dog had been off-leash and on someone else’s property, our case for negligence was strong.
I argued the claim through several rounds of intense negotiation, until the insurance company made a settlement offer that was fair for our client.
If you have been bitten or mauled by a dog in Oregon, we can help you, too. Contact us today. One of our expert Personal Injury Attorneys will be happy to discuss your Oregon Personal Injury case with you. Call us now: 541-617-0555