The Portland dog bite attorneys at the Savage Law Firm have been defending dog bite victims’ rights and helping them obtain compensation since 1977.

The Leading Dog Bite Attorney in Portland, OR

Oregon dog bite laws follow the “one-bite” rule, which stipulates that dog owners will be responsible for compensating dog bite victims if:

• The owner knew or should have known that his dog has a history of trying to bite (or hurt) people. For example, if the dog has bitten or tried to bite someone before, the owner is considered to be responsible for knowing his dog’s propensity to try to hurt people.
• The dog bite victim did not provoke the attack or voluntarily risk being injured by the dog. 

It’s important to point out that the one-bite rule doesn’t give a dog “one free bite.” If the dog has growled or lunged at people in the past, the owner will generally be responsible for compensating dog bite victims even it is the first reported instance of the dog biting someone.

Factors Considered in Dog Bite Cases: Proving Dog Owners’ Liability

While a dog’s history of biting people can be enough to prove that a dog owner is responsible for compensating a dog bite victim, in many cases, other factors may need to be considered in order to prove that a dog owner should have known that his dog was likely to bite other people. Some of these factors can include a dog’s history of:

• Threatening behavior, which can include barking, growling and/or snapping at people whether that dog is fenced in or in public places
• Jumping on people, regardless of whether this is viewed as a “playful” behavior on the part of the dog – The fact is that, if a dog is known to jump on people, the dog owner can be held liable if that dog later jumps on someone and causes that person to sustain an injury.
• Fighting with other dogs, which can be viewed in the eyes of the court as being enough evidence for a dog owner to be aware that his dog could try to attack a human (Although there has been some case law regarding the fact that dogs’ behavior towards other dogs is not necessarily an indicator of their behavior towards humans, so this factor alone may not be sufficient to prove liability after a dog bite.)
• Being trained to fight, which could be used to prove that an owner should have known that his dog has the potential to be dangerous and attack.

In some cases, the dog’s specific breed may also be a factor that can be used to establish dog owners’ liability, as certain breeds – like pit bulls, Rottweilers and German Shepards – can be viewed as being more likely to attack humans.

Portland Dog Bite Lawyers at the Savage Law Firm

The Portland dog bite attorneys at the Savage Law Firm have been devoted to providing each of our clients with personal attention, respect and the highest quality legal services since 1977.

We realize how devastating dog bite and dog attack injuries can be, and our lawyers are here to aggressively defend injured people’s rights to both justice and compensation. While this means that our Portland dog bite lawyers will work diligently to help our clients tell their stories in court, it also means that our attorneys and dedicated staff will advocate our clients’ outside of the courtroom to ensure that they are able to obtain the settlements they deserve.

Contact Us Today

Helping you recover from the financial setbacks caused by dog bite injuries is one of our primary goals. Our Portland attorneys encourage you to learn more about your rights and case by setting up a free initial consult.

Call us at 503-222-0200 (in Portland) or at 206-957-7272 (in Seattle) or email us using the form on this page to learn more about our legal services and what we can do for you. We represent clients in Oregon and Washington from our offices in Portland and Seattle.