Dog Bite Lawyer in Dallas

Why Should I Choose a Dallas Dog Bite Lawyer from Benton Accident & Injury Lawyers?

At Benton Accident & Injury Lawyers, our team of Dallas dog bite lawyers strives to help our clients get back on their feet in times of need by securing the compensation they need to heal from a dog attack. Check out our testimonials page to see what our clients have to say. Our Dallas dog bite attorneys are open and honest with our clients to ensure they are not overwhelmed while recovering from trauma and injuries from a severe dog attack.

We offer compassionate, dependable, and informed representation from dog attack attorneys who have ample experience in the courtroom and at the negotiating table. Consulting a dog bite injury lawyer is crucial to evaluate your case and enhance your chances of receiving rightful compensation. Check out our case results page to see how Benton Accident & Injury Lawyers has recovered more than $1 Million dollars for our clients.

Call us today at (214) 777-7777 if you are the victim of a severe dog bite.

Serious dog bites from a dog attack can cause muscle/flesh to get ripped open, ripping calf muscles, and permanent scarring. Few people want to believe that the pets we encounter daily are capable of intense violence, and nobody wants to bring legal action against our neighbors or acquaintances. The dog bite attorneys at our firm understand the precariousness and trauma associated with these cases. Our ultimate concern is offering the best representation to help you recover painlessly.

Steps You Should Follow After a Serious Dog Bite

If you get attacked by a dog, whether a stray or owned by someone, you should immediately follow the steps below. You must obtain specific information and do what’s necessary to protect your rights to compensation.

1. Secure the dog so it can’t run away. If it is a stray, call the police or animal control.
2. Notify the dog owner of what happened and ask for their name and phone number. If you suffered injuries on commercial property, complete an incident report with the manager and ask for their liability insurance details.
3. Wash your wound to prevent an infection.
4. Write down the names and phone numbers of anyone who was around when the dog attacked you. They might be able to provide witness statements to the insurance company to confirm what happened.
5. Seek immediate medical treatment at a hospital or other medical facility. Dog bites can lead to serious infections; if you don’t tend to them promptly, the results can be fatal.
6. Maintain copies of everything associated with the case, including medical records, bills, and other documents.
7. Hire a Dallas dog bite lawyer who specializes in dog bite cases to assist you. Our firm has extensive experience handling dog bite cases, including understanding the complexities of liability, navigating the ‘one bite rule’ in Texas, proving negligence, and securing fair settlements for economic and non-economic damages. We are committed to upholding the rights of dog bite victims and ensuring responsible dog ownership.

A Dallas Dog Bite Lawyer Investigates Your Case

Benton Accident & Injury Lawyers will begin investigating your dog attack as soon as you retain our services. We will need to obtain evidence that proves you sustained injuries, and that someone else was responsible for it. Some of the evidence we might collect includes:

• Eyewitness statements
• Video surveillance footage
• Insurance policy documents
• Photos from the scene of the incident
• The estimated cost of damage to your personal property during the attack
• Your medical records and medical bills
• Evidence of prior documented attacks or bites from the dog

Our extensive experience in handling dog bite injury cases ensures we are well-versed in navigating the complexities of these cases, including understanding the ‘one bite rule,’ establishing the liability of dog owners, and proving negligence in Texas.

Dallas has various laws that dog owners must follow when they bring their dogs out in public. It is illegal to allow a dog to attack someone without provocation. The owner could face civil and criminal penalties if they didn’t properly secure their pet.

How Much Compensation Could I Receive?

The amount of compensation you receive could depend on multiple factors, including:

• Type and severity of the dog attack or other injuries
• Availability of relevant evidence proving fault
• Duration of necessary medical treatment
• Length of the recovery period
• Emotional or mental trauma experienced after the attack
• Total medical expenses resulting from the injuries
• Time missed from work due to pain, doctor’s appointments, and other reasons
• Impact of the incident on your quality of life
• The estimated cost of future medical bills

Damages in a Dog Bite Case

Benton Accident & Injury Lawyers will review your personal injury case details to determine how much compensation we believe is fair and will adequately cover your damages. “Damages” refer to the total expenses and losses suffered from an injury. You could pursue the damages below in an insurance claim or lawsuit:

• Pain and suffering
• Medical bills
• Disfigurement
• Loss of consortium
• Physical impairment
• Mental anguish
• Out-of-pocket expenses
• Property damage
• Lost wages
• Loss of earning capacity

Punitive Damages

You could also potentially seek punitive damages if you file a lawsuit. Punitive damages don’t compensate for your losses like the damages above. Instead, a punitive damage award punishes the responsible party for the careless actions that led to a victim’s injuries. A jury will award punitive damages to you if you can prove with clear and convincing evidence that the dog owner or another liable party acted with gross negligence, fraud, or malice.

Common Dog Bite Injuries

You might not realize how much damage a dog can do when it bites someone. They have strong jaws and sharp teeth that can tear through a person’s skin, tissue, nerves, and muscle. Some dog attacks have even crushed bones.

The most common injuries serious dog bites can cause include:

• Muscle/flesh getting ripped open
• Nerve damage
• Rabies
• Broken bones
• Finger amputations
• Facial lacerations
• Eye injuries
• Head and neck injuries
• Psychological injuries, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Infections
• Sepsis

Some people need limb amputation due to severe damage or an incurable infection. Others require painful treatment to recover. Physical scars, functional limitations, and even emotional trauma can last long after the attack. [law-firm] will fight hard to ensure you receive the compensation you need to cover your damages so you can heal and move forward with your life.

How Much Does a Dallas Dog Bite Lawyer Cost?

Our Dallas dog bite attorneys take cases on contingency. That means we don’t charge upfront fees or costs when clients hire us for a dog attack case. We will attempt to recover the monetary award you deserve and won’t collect any legal fees until that happens. If we cannot win your case, you won’t have to pay us for our time and effort.

Dog Bite Laws in Texas

Prior to 2007, Texas law essentially allowed a dog to get “one free bite.” This meant that the owner of a dog who bit a person one time would not face any liability from the bite. However, this law was changed in 2007 after a pack of loose dogs killed 76-year-old Lillian Stiles.

Lillian’s Law 2007

The Texas Families Against Dangerous Dogs group worked hard to pass “Lillian’s Law” in 2007. It states that the dog’s owner who causes someone injury or death may be found criminally negligent in failing to prevent the dog from escaping or to properly restrain the dog if it’s known to be dangerous. This law emphasizes the legal responsibility and liability of the dog’s owner, including carrying liability insurance and understanding potential defenses in a dog bite claim. The dog’s owner may face jail time for negligence in controlling the dog and proving liability for damages.

Sentences Under Lillian’s Law

If the person is injured in the attack but does not require medical attention, the dog’s owner may be charged with a misdemeanor. However, if the dog bite severely injures someone, the dog’s owner may be charged with a third-degree felony and could serve up to a 10-year prison sentence. If a person is killed in a dog attack, the dog’s owner may be charged with a second-degree felony and face up to 20 years in prison.

Under the Texas code, prosecutors must prove that the injuries caused by the attack are fatal or have caused severe impairment, and they must also prove that the dog’s owner was criminally negligent in not properly securing the animal.

While the Texas criminal laws regarding dog bites are now quite extensive in holding the dog’s owner negligent, they do not provide compensation to the victim or the victim’s family.

Filing a Dog Attack Lawsuit in Texas

If you want to file a lawsuit, you should hire Benton Accident & Injury Lawyers immediately. These lawsuits are complicated, especially if you’ve never sued anyone. There’s also a strict deadline you must comply with, or you could lose your right to compensation. The statute of limitations in Texas is two years. That means you have to file suit two years from the date you sustained your injury.

Your Dallas dog bite lawyer will complete each step of the lengthy process so you can focus on your recovery. The steps involved in a lawsuit are:

• Filing legal documents and serving them to the defendant.
• Once the defendant responds to our initial filing, we will begin the discovery process, which involves obtaining documents and other evidence collected by the defense team.
• Scheduling a mediation in an attempt to settle with the other party. We will prepare for a trial if we can’t reach a settlement agreement.
• Preparing for trial involves gathering additional evidence to present in court, locating eyewitnesses to the attack who can testify, and preparing an argument that proves our claim that you deserve compensation for your suffering.

Insurance Claims Process After a Dog Attack

Dog bite insurance claims can take anywhere from a few weeks to over a year. It all depends on the factors associated with the case, such as whether there’s sufficient evidence proving fault and how severe the injury is.

The steps we follow in an insurance claim are these:

1. Determine who should be held liable and request a copy of their insurance policy.
2. File a claim.
3. Gather crucial evidence and submit it to the insurance company.
4. Negotiate with the insurance adjuster for a settlement we believe is fair. If they agree, we will ensure they send the check promptly.
5. If the insurance company doesn’t provide an adequate settlement offer or denies the claim, we will file a lawsuit.

Dallas Dog Attack Statistics

When dogs become aggressive or temperamental, they quickly become dangerous to those nearby. Dog bites are painful, traumatizing, and can require medical attention.

So, what are the real differences between Golden Retrievers, who are said to be good with children, and Pit Bulls, who are sometimes kept as guard dogs? How often does each breed bite? While it’s difficult to reliably count the exact number of bites, and many people get bitten by unidentified or mixed-breed dogs, there are still some general trends.

General Statistics

• Non-fatal dog bites account for 1.1 percent of emergency department (ED) injury visits in the US, an average of 337,103 ED visits per year.
• The average age of dog bite victims is 28.9 years old. 52.6 percent of dog bite victims are male, and 47.4 percent are female.
• Most bites occur on the upper extremities (47.3 percent), head and neck (26.8 percent), lower extremities (21.5 percent), and trunk (4.4 percent).
• Younger patients tend to have more head and neck bites, while older patients usually suffer more upper extremity bites.
• More bites occur in summer and on weekends (80.2 percent at home), and 98.8 percent of dog bite injuries are unintentional.
• The annual incidence rate of dog bite injuries is 1.1 per 1,000 people, slightly higher among males (1.18) than females (1.02).
• The estimated annual cost of dog bite injuries is at least $400 million.
• Among all dog bite incidents, 49.39 percent involve intact male dogs, 21.8 percent intact females, 19.55 percent neutered males, and 9.26 percent spayed females.
• Puncture wounds are the most common nonfatal dog bite injury across all breeds.

Breed Specific Statistics:

A three-year study published in Veterinary World in 2020 took a look at the incidence and risk factors for dog bites in unincorporated Harris County, Texas, USA. Their findings concluded:

Pit Bulls

• Contributed to 1,500 to 1,750 bite injuries nationwide in three years.
• Have the greatest frequency of causing severe bite injuries (49.57 percent).
• The odds of a severe injury from a Pit Bull are 213 percent higher than most other dog breeds.
• Pit Bulls bite multiple body parts more often than other breeds.
• Pit Bulls have the greatest percentage of maulings and severe injuries compared to other breeds.

Note that according to TheHumaneSociety.org, “there is no scientific evidence to that indicated one dog is more likely to injure a human than another” and that “environmental factors cause aggression, not a particular breed or type of dog.”

Furthermore, “Aggression is not a breed characteristic and environmental influences often cause aggression in dogs. In fact, the American Temperament Test Society found that pit bull-type dogs generally scored higher on the temperament test compared to other dogs.”

Labrador Retrievers

• Contributed to 750 to 1,000 bite injuries nationwide in three years.
• Have the second-highest rate of severe bite injuries after Pit Bulls (12.92 percent).
• Bite the legs and hands more frequently than other body parts.

German Shepherds

• Contributed to 500 to 750 bite injuries nationwide in a three-year period.
• Have the third-highest frequency of causing severe injuries after Pit Bulls and Labrador Retrievers (7.69 percent).
• Bite the torso more often than other body parts.

Chihuahuas

• Contributed to 250 to 500 bite injuries nationwide in a three-year period.
• They tend to bite the hands and legs more often and less on the arms than other breeds.
• Caused no reported maulings or severe injuries during the three-year study period.

Contact a Dallas Dog Bite Lawyer for a Free Consultation

At Benton Accident & Injury Lawyers, we believe everyone deserves quality legal representation and the opportunity to hold negligent dog owners accountable for their actions. Our legal team will remain by your side every step of the way and help you get through it.

You can depend on our dog bite lawyers in Dallas to provide the guidance, support, and advice you need during this devastating time. If you suffered injuries from a dog attack and need help with your legal case, call Benton Accident & Injury Lawyers today at (214) 777-7777 for a free consultation.