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Dog Bite Attorney, Portland Oregon

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Based out of Portland, Oregon, Jennie L. Clark, Attorney at Law, handles dog bite  cases in many Oregon counties. 

Attorney for Dog Bites in Oregon

Also see Animal Bites

Fortunately, most counties and some cities have dog bite laws, such as those listed below.  Otherwise, Oregon common law must be relied upon and basically it is a one-bite-rule, meaning that the owner is considered not negligent, unless the dog has previously bitten someone.  Oregon Statutes are in constant flux.  Please see general 2009 Oregon Statutes relating to dog bites.  If your county or city does not have specific dog bite laws, then we turn to the Oregon statutes.    

What am I entitled to if I am bitten by a dog?  If you are bitten by a dog and the dog owner is liable under Oregon law or the law of a city or county, you are entitled to recovery of your medical bills, along with non-economic damages, which includes "pain and suffering."  If you lose work as a result of the bite, you would be entitled to a wage loss claim or possibly a lost earning capacity claim or substitute domestic services.  If any of your property damaged as a result of a dog bite, you would be entitled to recover your property damage.  Occasionally, you may even be entitled to punitive damages, which are meant to punish.  In order to collect, hopefully, you were bitten by a dog whose owner has assets, such as a home.  Many homeowners have insurance policies that cover dog bites.  If a homeless person's Pit Bull attacked you, it is unlikely that you will be able to collect, even if you win.  A tent and a dirty sleeping bag under a bridge is not going to compensate you for your injuries.  However, some counties have a victim's assistance fund, if the district attorney's office accepts your case for criminal prosecution. 

What is my claim worth?  Each case is individually evaluated.  I use the following factors and possibly other factors to determine the value of your case:

How do I pay your legal fees?  I handle most dog-bite cases on a contingency fee basis.  This means that you do not owe me for my attorney fees, unless I recover money for you.  My fee percentage is lower if you forward the costs of litigation.  If a case is too risky, I may still be willing to handle it on an hourly basis.          

What should you do if you are bitten by a dog?  If you are bitten by a dog:

Below are the locations of the statutes of various dog bite statutes around the state.