Frequently Asked Questions

Washington’s dog bite statute, RCW 16.08.040, generally holds dog owners strictly liable for injuries caused by their dogs, regardless of whether the injured person is a friend, neighbor, or someone else the owner knows personally. In many cases, homeowner’s or renter’s insurance provides liability coverage for dog bite claims, meaning any settlement is typically paid by the insurance company rather than directly out of your neighbor’s pocket.

Making a claim does not have to turn a neighborly relationship into a personal dispute. It is simply a way to protect your right to compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, and "pain and suffering". A Washington dog bite lawyer will communicate directly with the insurance company and handle the claim on your behalf, helping keep the process professional and the neighbor relationship largely separate from the insurance matter.

If a dog bit you while you were on the job, such as during a delivery, mail route, home inspection, or utility call, you may have two paths to compensation. Washington workers' compensation (L&I) can cover your medical treatment and a portion of lost wages regardless of fault. Separately, because the dog owner is a third party (not your employer), you may also be able to file a personal injury claim against the owner's insurance for the monetary damages workers' comp doesn't cover, like pain and suffering. Coordinating both claims correctly can be complex. Our experienced dog bite attorneys can help you pursue the maximum compensation allowed by law without jeopardizing your job.

Yes. Apartment dog bites are common, and liability can even extend beyond the dog's owner. If the property manager or landlord knew about a dangerous dog on the premises, such as prior complaints or reports of aggressive behavior, and failed to act, they may share responsibility alongside the pet owner. Shared common areas like hallways, parking lots, and courtyards raise additional questions about who was responsible for maintaining a safe environment. Documentation matters here: lease terms, prior incident reports, and witness accounts from other tenants can all strengthen a claim. An attorney can help determine which parties and insurance policies come into play.

Washington law does not require a history of prior bites for you to recover compensation. Under RCW 16.08.040, dog owners are strictly liable for injuries caused by their dog, even on a first bite, as long as you were in a public place or lawfully on private property. This is different from many other states that follow a "one bite rule". Owners sometimes assume that because their dog has never acted aggressively before, they bear no responsibility. That assumption doesn't hold up under Washington law, and it shouldn't stop you from filing a claim.

No, not before you talk to a skilled and knowledgeable attorney. The adjuster's job is to reduce what their company pays, and a recorded statement gives them material to challenge your account later. Even routine questions about how you're feeling can be used to argue that your injuries are minor. You are not required to give a recorded statement to the other driver's insurer, and doing so rarely helps your case. Lehmbecker Law can handle communications with the insurance company directly, so nothing you say gets twisted against you later.

This happens more often than people think, and it doesn't sink your claim. Fault in Washington gets determined by evidence, not just the other driver's memory. A police report, photos of the scene, dashcam footage, witness statements, and vehicle damage patterns all speak to what really happened. If the other driver made statements at the scene that were witnessed by police or bystanders, those statements can still be used. A car accident attorney can pull the physical and documentary evidence together to reconstruct the collision, regardless of what the other driver claims now.

You may still have coverage through your own auto policy. Washington drivers who carry uninsured and underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage can file a claim against their own insurer when the at-fault driver has no insurance, insufficient insurance, or has fled the scene. UIM coverage often pays for medical bills, lost income, and pain and suffering, up to the policy limits. Insurers sometimes push back on UIM claims because the payout comes from their own pocket, so having one of our experienced auto accident injury lawyers handle the claim can make a real difference.

Washington follows pure comparative negligence, which means you can still recover damages even if you were mostly at fault. Under RCW 4.22.005, your recovery gets reduced by your percentage of fault. If a jury awards $100,000 and finds you 25% responsible, you receive $75,000. Insurance adjusters routinely try to inflate a victim's percentage of fault to lower the settlement. A car accident lawyer can push back on unfair fault assignments and protect the value of your claim.

Time-loss benefits can be cut off for several reasons, and not all of them are legitimate. L&I may stop payments after an IME, after your attending physician releases you to some form of work, or if the department decides your condition has plateaued. You have the right to challenge that decision through a protest or an appeal to the Board of Industrial Insurance Appeals, but the window is short, usually 60 days from the order. A workers' compensation attorney can review why payments stopped and file the protest before the deadline runs out, so your benefits get restored while the dispute plays out.

An IME is a one-time evaluation by a doctor that L&I or your self-insured employer chose, but not by your treating physician. The IME doctor reviews your medical records, examines you briefly, and writes a report that L&I uses to decide whether to continue benefits, close your claim, or approve or deny treatment. IME reports often disagree with your treating doctor and become the basis for adverse orders. Before you attend an IME, take notes on your symptoms, be honest but concise, and don't downplay your pain. A workers' comp lawyer can prepare you for the exam and challenge an unfair IME report afterward.

If your attending physician has released you to light-duty work and your employer refuses to accommodate those restrictions, you may be entitled to time-loss benefits again. Employers sometimes claim no light-duty position is available when one actually exists, or assign tasks that violate your restrictions and cause reinjury. Document every request and every response in writing. If your employer is pushing you past what your doctor authorized, or terminating you rather than accommodating your restrictions, our experienced workers' compensation attorneys can help you protect both your L&I benefits and your job rights.

The absence of warning signs is often central to a slip and fall claim. Washington property owners have a duty to keep their premises reasonably safe for customers and to warn visitors about hazards they know or should know about. A wet floor, spilled liquid, or freshly mopped area without a caution sign points to a breach of that duty. Surveillance footage, employee statements, and incident reports can show how long the hazard was there before your fall. A slip and fall lawyer can move quickly to preserve store video before it gets overwritten, which usually happens within days.

Short-term rental hosts owe the same basic duty of care as any other property owner under premises liability law. If the host failed to salt icy stairs, fix a broken railing, address inadequate lighting, or warn about a known hazard, they may be liable for your injuries. Airbnb and similar platforms often carry host protection insurance that applies to guest injuries, which can be a real source of recovery beyond the host's personal assets. Save any text messages, emails, or platform communications where the host acknowledges the hazard, since those can carry a lot of weight later.

It can be both. If you were on the job when the fall happened, workers' compensation covers your medical treatment and a portion of lost wages regardless of fault. Separately, if a third party (not your employer or a co-worker) caused the hazard, for example, a cleaning contractor, a delivery vendor, or the owner of a property where your employer sent you, you may also have a personal injury claim against that third party. The two claims coexist and can be pursued together. Our skilled workers' comp and personal injury attorneys can coordinate both so you don't leave money on the table.

Yes, and by a lot. Falls on city, county, or state property require a written tort claim notice before you can sue, and the deadline is much shorter than the standard three-year personal injury statute. Under RCW 4.96.020, you have to file a claim with the government entity and then wait 60 days before filing a lawsuit. Miss the notice deadline, and your case is done, even if the fall was clearly the government's fault. If you fell on a public sidewalk, in a government building, or on transit property, call a slip and fall attorney right away.