Christopher M Davis, Attorney At Law

Overview of Washington State's Wrongful Death Laws - Part One

The state of Washington has two main statutes that govern wrongful death actions. There is a general wrongful death statute and one that specifically applies to a parent's cause of action for the death of a child. In addition, there are statutes that addr... Read >

Medical Mistakes: The leading cause of accidental deaths in America

Hearst newspapers has written an extensive article about the prevalence of medical mistakes and how they are the #1 cause of accident deaths in America. You can read the story on the Seattle Post Intellingencer's web site. The article states that 98,00... Read >

The Legal Process For Dog Bite Cases - Commencing a Lawsuit

If you cannot settle the case with the dog owner's insurance company, the next step is to start a lawsuit in court. Documents, called pleadings, must be filed in court along with a fee paid to the court clerk. These pleadings are called the summons and co... Read >

When To Start The Litigation/Settlement Process in a Dog Bite Case

Putting a monetary value on any injury case is difficult, and it gets even more complicated when dealing injuries a child may have sustained in a dog attack. One of the issues to consider is when to start the litigation or settlement process. Although man... Read >

Valuating Intangible Harms in a Washington State Dog Bite Case

In Washington State, a person injured in any accident where negligence is an issue has the right to recover compensation for "intangible" damages. Such intangible harms are difficult to calculate because they include those subjective harms that the dog bi... Read >

The Settlement Process for Dog Bite Cases Involving Children

In Washington, there are special conditions that must be met for the settlement of a child injury claim. In every settlement of a minor's claim, whether filed in court or not, the Superior Court shall determine the adequacy of the proposed settlement and ... Read >

A Few Things To Consider When Valuing Your Dog Bite Case

Getting attacked by a dog can turn into a horrific ordeal of medical bills and emotional trauma. It's important to understand how much the owner of an attacking dog is responsible for in such an event. Being able to valuate your specific case is therefore... Read >

Determining the Value of a Dog Bite Case

There is no magic formula or process by which someone can predict with certainty the amount of money that a dog bite case may be worth. About 25 to 30 years ago there was some limited consensus among lawyers and insurance adjustors that a general personal... Read >

Nine Mistakes Dog Bite Victims Should Avoid - Part #3

Also, if you appear too eager to settle the claim, this can negatively impact the case. Insurance adjustors are trained to look for signs that may weaken your negotiating position. If you are in debt or need money fast, the insurance company will use this... Read >

Nine Mistakes Dog Bite Victims Should Avoid - Part #2

In Dog Bite personal injury cases, there are certain mistakes to avoid so you have the greatest chance that the insurance company will pay out the maximum amount of dollars to settle the claim. Here are the mistakes to avoid: Mistake #4 - Giving a reco... Read >

Common Law Liability of Dog Owners - Part #3

Contributory Negligence The concept of contributory negligence and assumption of risk may also apply in cases involving dog bite injuries. The phrase "contributory negligence" refers to the negligent conduct of the person who was bitten by the dog. If th... Read >

Nine Mistakes Dog Bite Victims Should Avoid - Part #1

A person who is the victim of a dog bite attack has a legal right to recover compensation as long as liability can be imposed against the owner or person responsible for the dog. Given this right, the insurance company who is legally obligated to compensa... Read >

Common Law Liability of Dog Owners - Part #2

First, a common law claim against a dog owner may be pursued in addition to a claim brought under Washington?s specific dog bite statute. The two types of claims are not mutually exclusive. Thus, a bite victim can pursue both common law and statutory viol... Read >

Overview of Washington State's Dog Bite Laws - Part #1

The state of Washington does not maintain an accurate state-wide database of all dog bite attacks that occur. But in King County there are more than 1,000 dog bite incidences reported each year. According to the Seattle Animal Shelter, pit bulls account f... Read >

Common Law Liability of Dog Owners - Part #1

Washington State's "Dog Bite Statute" holds dog owners strictly liable for damages caused by injuries inflicted by their dogs. The phrase "strictly liable" means that the dog owner is liable regardless of whether the owner knew about the dog's dangerous p... Read >