Dogs are man’s best friend! And for that reason, contacting a dog bite lawyer is a reality that many Texans don’t realize that they may someday face. Unfortunately, Texas has historically led the nation for dog-bite-related fatalities from maulings. In fact, in 2019, Texas was second only to California as the state with the most reported dog attacks on U.S. postal workers. In the United States, more than 36% of households own at least one dog. Additionally, about 4.7 million Americans are victims of dog bites yearly. Of those annual bites, an estimated 20% of victims require medical attention for their injuries. A Texas dog bite lawyer may be able to assist in recovering the compensation needed to take care of medical bills stemming from a dog bite or animal attack.
Many people don’t realize that canine bites or animal attacks can be pursued in a courtroom. The personal injury lawyers at our firm know which measures to take when dealing with negligent dog owners. We are ready to put the experience of more than 40 attorneys and over 150 staff members to help you receive the compensation you deserve. You can be confident knowing that our dog bite attorneys can help you resolve your case. As the premier Texas dog bite law firm, we can help you hold the individual accountable for your or your child’s injuries after a dog bite.
For more than 40 years, The Carlson Law Firm has represented Texas’ most injured victims. Our team of dog bite lawyers have secured verdicts in the millions in pursuit of justice for families of animal attack victims and settled cases where our clients take home six figures. We are the dog bite law firm you want on your side.
We care about the outcome of your case and will help you get the best resolution possible.
While state laws apply to all Texans, local municipalities have the authority to tighten dog attack laws. Texas forbids cities from passing breed-specific legislation. However, cities can still pass “vicious dog ordinances” which can define what an aggressive dog is. For example, in Killeen, Texas, the city defines an aggressive dog as one that “exhibits behavior indicating that it represents a potential danger.” Our dog bite lawyers in Killeen often see young children or clients in the Killeen, Harker Heights, Nolanville and Copperas Cove areas who were the victims of dog attacks after the animals escaped. Many homeowners keep pets in unsecured or improperly maintained enclosures.
Texas does not have a statute that word for word spells out a dog owner’s civil liability for dog bite injuries. Instead, Texas is a negligence or one bite rule state for purposes of personal injury cases stemming from dog bites. The law is on a dog bite victim’s side. For a successful recovery in Texas dog bite lawsuit, an injured person must show one of the following:
1) The dog’s owner knew that the dog had acted aggressively or had bitten someone in the past, or
2) The dog’s owner negligently failed to use reasonable care to control the dog orpresent the bite, and as a result, the injured person was bitten.
A Texas dog bite attorney from The Carlson Law Firm can help explain this process in further detail during your free consultation.
Leash laws are similar to dangerous dog laws. They are laws created by municipalities to prevent dogs from running at large. Depending on the city, the leash law may be as strict as to impose absolute responsibility on the dog owner if the animal is off a leash anywhere except an enclosed space or as flexible as to only recognize a violation where the owner knowingly allows the dog to run at large. These laws may, in some cases, give an injured person another way to hold an irresponsible pet owner responsible.
When you are pursuing a dog bite lawsuit, you are seeking compensation from the dog owner’s insurance carrier. This is often homeowner’s insurance or renter’s insurance. With an experienced lawyer on your side, there is no reason to be intimidated by insurance companies.
A dog bit lawyer at The Carlson Law Firm know the legal process and won’t stop working until you’ve got the compensation owed to you. This may even include compensation for surgical or psychological treatment for whatever impact the attack may have had on you. It may also include:
If you have suffered injuries from an animal attack, contact your go-to dog bite law firm. We can provide you with a dog bite law firm. We can provide you with a dog bite attorney to champion your case and help you get the compensation you deserve for your injury.
The criminal justice system is a collection of powerful agencies working together to fight crime. Unfortunately, when you’re arrested, this powerful system is against you. Their only goal is to obtain a criminal conviction. Having an experienced criminal defense attorney on your side helps level the playing field. If you’ve been arrested, are under investigation, or facing felony charges, our Killeen criminal attorneys can help.
According to research, the average payout for a dog bite lawsuit or settlement in Texas is $40,853.70. While this is the average, your case is unique. Overall, the amount you receive in a dog bite settlement or lawsuit depends entirely on the severity of injuries and the amount of insurance available. Our trusted dog bite lawyers have negotiated six-figure dog bite settlements for several clients.
If the dog owner is in an average or lower economic state, it may be impossible for them to afford all the expenses caused by the dog bite. The good news is, there are situations where homeowners insurance will pay for your injuries.
The purpose of homeowners insurance in this type of situation is to help pay for injuries people receive on someone else’s property. Many injuries turn out to be excessively costly making it difficult for homeowners to pay out of pocket for such injuries unless they are quite wealthy. Homeowner’s insurance gives you an opportunity to still have your medical bills resolved without having to carry the stress and anxiety of having to sue a friend or family member.
Homeowner’s insurance will usually only step in if the dog bite occurred within the boundaries of someone’s property. This could lead to problems if their dog was on your property at the time the dog bite occurred. Instead, you may need to sue the dog owner in court rather than through the insurance system.
For a dog owner to be able to defend themselves against a dog bite liability claim successfully, they must prove:
To learn more about a potential lawsuit, contact our dog bite law firm today
In the event that you are dealing with severe disfigurement, puncture wounds or scaring, it may be in your best interest to seek compensation. A dog bite lawsuit can help cover the costs of medical treatment, reconstruction surgery, and the cost of accommodations you may require.
Yes. If a dog bite was severe enough that it costs you lost wages, potential earnings, out-of-pocket expenses such as medical costs, therapy and more, you can pursue compensation through a dog bite lawsuit.
According to Quotewizard, the average payout for a dog bite in Texas is about $40,000. However, because each situation is different, your claim may be less or considerably more.
For nearly 50 years, The Carlson Law Firm has helped families recover millions of dollars. Our team has accomplished the following notable awards for our animal attack clients:
An experienced dog bite lawyer understands dog bite law in your state. They know the facts requires to prove a case in order to hold a dog owner liable. You’ll need an attorney with significant experience in handling dog bite cases. Experience is paramount in handling dog bite claims. Your attorney will need to know the ins and outs of:
Our attorneys work on a contingency fee basis. This means you don’t have to worry about the stress of paying for an attorney because you pay us nothing unless we win your case. We represent dog bite victims across the state of Texas.
Being bit by a dog is a fairly common experience for many people in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 4.7 million dog bites occur in the US each year. Of those dog bites, approximately 799,700 require medical assistance. Over half of dog bites occur in the home with dogs who are familiar to us. Naturally, as the number of dogs in the home increases, dog bites become more probable. Unfortunately, children are more likely to be on the receiving end of a dog bite. But among adults, men are more likely to suffer a bite.
With a dog bite taking place every 75 seconds in the United States, knowing what to do in the moments immediately following an attack can make the aftermath of a very scary situation a little less stressful.
The skilled Killeen lawyers at The Carlson Law Firm will review all evidence and ensure the evidence is complete. Additionally, we ensure your rights weren’t violated and advocate on your behalf. Finally, while defending you, our lawyers can also file motions to reduce the bond, suppress evidence and other documents as necessary.
If you or someone you love was bitten by a dog, your first step should be to seek medical treatment for your injuries and then file a dog bite report with your local animal control officials. Depending on where you live, your jurisdiction may require to report dog bites.
Sometimes a dog bite victim doesn’t want to file a report because he or she is friends with the dog’s owner, afraid of the owner, or doesn’t want anything to happen to the dog itself. However, authorities strongly suggest or require victims of dog bites to report these incidents to the local animal control agency for a number of reasons, including the following:
Local animal control agencies also help protect dogs that are being abused or neglected, so filing a dog bite report may be in the animal’s best interest as well.
Each year, dog attacks kill between 30 and 50 people in the United States. Dog bites should never be taken lightly. A serious dog bite — even by a small dog — can result in permanent muscle damage and deep tissue scars that can require major reconstructive surgery. Children, especially, are subject not only to physical injury but also to ongoing psychological trauma and emotional distress, particularly if the visible scars are on the face, hands or lower arms.
Bites may result in one or more of the following injuries:
As Texas personal injury lawyers, we know that physical scars can heal. However, the emotional scarring from some dog bite injuries lifelong and come with a difficult recovery process.
The emotional distress or anguish caused by a dog bite can lead to the following:
If you suffered an injury because of a dog bite, contact a qualified injury lawyer from The Carlson Law Firm. Our skilled attorneys will be with you every step of the way.
Many of these attacks involve small children, and if your child was a victim, we advise that you first seek medical attention as soon as possible. A dog bite can lead to severe infection and excessive doctor visits. Dog bites can result in high medical bill costs. For that reason, it is necessary to take legal action against the negligent dog owner. A dog bite attorney can help.
First, we will pursue civil remedies for individuals who have sustained a bite injury. We will first investigate the following for your potential claim by a determination of the situation surrounding the bite:
Third, we will research any homeowner’s insurance policy that may cover medical bills incurred for the following:
With 16 locations throughout Texas, there’s a Carlson Law Firm near you. We have law offices located in Killeen, Temple, Waco, Round Rock, Austin, San Antonio, Laredo, Bryan, Baytown, Kerrville, Lubbock, Midland, Wichita Falls and Corpus Christi. Find a dog bite lawyer near me.
100 E. Central Texas Expy
Killeen, TX 76541
(254) 526-5688
11606 N. I-35
Austin, TX 78753
(512) 346-5688
135 W. Slaughter Ln, Ste A
Austin, TX 78748
(512) 804-7277
6243 I-10 #550
San Antonio, TX 78201
(210) 696-8600
618 SW Military Dr.
San Antonio, TX 78221
(210) 923-7700
1109 W. Baker Road, Ste A
Baytown, TX 77521
(832) 806-6155
1121 Briarcrest Drive, Ste 200
Bryan, TX 77802
(979) 260-5688
653 Everhart Rd, Ste 105
Corpus Christi, TX 78411
(361) 336-3317
301 Junction Highway, Ste 100
Kerrville, TX 78028
(830) 257-7575
5112 McPherson, Ste 106
Laredo, TX 78041
(956) 712-2588
10101 Quaker Ave
Lubbock, TX 79424
(806) 401-0500
900 Lp 250 Frontage Rd b
Midland, TX 79705
(432) 247-6611
1717 N. I-35 Ste 305
Round Rock, TX 78664
(512) 671-7277
4282 S Jackson St.
San angelo, TX 76903
(325) 238-4322
2010 SW H K Dodgen Loop, Ste 201
Temple TX 76504
(254) 771-5688
2420 I-35 South
Waco, TX 76706
(254) 772-5653
2909 Garnett Ave
Wichita Falls, TX 76308
(940) 285-6333
1500 Rosecrans Ave Ste 500
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
(254) 516-3570
33rd Ave N Ste 220
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
(727) 373-4655
100 E. Central Texas Expy
Killeen, TX 76541
(254) 526-5688
11606 N. I-35
Austin, TX 78753
(512) 346-5688
135 W. Slaughter Ln, Ste A
Austin, TX 78748
(512) 804-7277
6243 I-10 #550
San Antonio, TX 78201
(210) 696-8600
618 SW Military Dr.
San Antonio, TX 78221
(210) 923-7700
1109 W. Baker Road, Ste A
Baytown, TX 77521
(832) 806-6155
1121 Briarcrest Drive, Ste 200
Bryan, TX 77802
(979) 260-5688
653 Everhart Rd, Ste 105
Corpus Christi, TX 78411
(361) 336-3317
301 Junction Highway, Ste 100
Kerrville, TX 78028
(830) 257-7575
5112 McPherson, Ste 106
Laredo, TX 78041
(956) 712-2588
10101 Quaker Ave
Lubbock, TX 79424
(806) 401-0500
900 Lp 250 Frontage Rd b
Midland, TX 79705
(432) 247-6611
559 S I-35 Frontage Rd Ste 250,
Round Rock, TX 78664
(512) 671-7277
4282 S Jackson St.
San angelo, TX 76903
(325) 238-4322
2010 SW H K Dodgen Loop, Ste 201
Temple TX 76504
(254) 771-5688
2420 I-35 South
Waco, TX 76706
(254) 772-5653
2909 Garnett Ave
Wichita Falls, TX 76308
(940) 285-6333
1500 Rosecrans Ave Ste 500
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
(254) 516-3570
333 33rd Ave N Ste 220
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
(727) 373-4655
