San Antonio Dog Bite Lawyer

Dog Bite Laws in Texas

In the state of Texas, the case Marshall v. Ranne established that to make a claim for a dog bite case you have to prove one of two things:

1. The dog owner knew the dog was aggressive in its behavior, had acted aggressively in the past or had bitten someone in the past
2. The owner negligently failed to exercise reasonable care to prevent the dog bite or control the dog, which resulted in the injury/bite

A bite is not the only injury covered by this ruling. If, for example, your new neighbor has a large dog jumps up on you, knocks you to the ground, and causes head or back injuries, you could pursue a potential claim against the dog owner using the same two stipulations aforementioned.

In this case, the owner knew the dog was aggressive and jumped, or the owner did not exercise reasonable care to prevent the dog from jumping.

You can bring a dog bite injury case forward based on negligence, knowledge of a dog’s dangerous nature, a violation of a local leash ordinance, or intentional harm.

Negligence

For you to recover compensation after a dog bite claim, you may have to prove that the dog’s owner or handler was negligent in controlling the dog. You must have evidence that the owner did not use ordinary care in keeping their dog from harming others.

If you were bitten by a dog that should have been on a leash, this could be evidence of the owner’s liability. A violation of a leash law can be used to hold the owner responsible and get you an appropriate settlement.

Strict Liability

Texas also adheres to the “one bite rule.” You may claim the dog owner is strictly liable for your injuries if the dog previously attacked someone or acted as if they wanted to. It is on you to show that the dog owner knew the animal could be aggressive. This can be very difficult to prove, which is why it is important to work with an experienced dog attack attorney.

Intentional Misconduct

Additionally, it is sad but true that owners can train their dogs to attack others. If someone willfully let or ordered their dog to attack you, call The Law Giant, Personal Injury & Accident Lawyers right away.

San Antonio Dog Bite Injuries

If a dog attacks you, whether you are bitten or pushed down, you may suffer:

• Puncture wounds
• Tears in your skin, muscles, tendons, and ligaments
• Scarring
• Bone fractures
• Nerve damage
• Fall-related injuries, such as a traumatic brain injury (TBI)
• Infections
• Rabies
• Psychological trauma

Depending on the circumstances, you may experience injuries to your face, neck, back, torso, arms, hands, legs, and feet. The more serious these injuries, the more likely you are to suffer from scaring, disfigurements, or to be left with physical limitations.

Our dog attack lawyers at The Law Giant, Personal Injury & Accident Lawyers, have worked on dog bite cases involving all types of injuries. We can work with your physician and medical experts to prove the type and seriousness of your injuries.

We can gather evidence to prove how these injuries have negatively impacted your life, physically and emotionally.

What to Do After a Dog Bite?

Immediately after a dog bite, you should seek medical attention. If the wound is minor, you can clean it and schedule an appointment with your primary care physician.

If it is more severe, you should visit Southwest General Hospital, San Antonio State Hospital, Northeast Baptist Hospital, Methodist Texan Hospital, or St. Luke’s Baptist Hospital for immediate care.

Once the injuries have been treated or cleaned, you should report the incident to the San Antonio Police Department. If there were any witnesses, you should gather statements from them and their contact information.

Document the injuries and any other details with photographs if possible. This can include pictures of your injuries, the dog, where it happened, the lack of leash/fencing for the yard, etc.

Then contact a San Antonio dog bite attorney to see what other steps you need to take.

Your Legal Options After a Dog Bite

After sustaining a dog bite, you have a few legal options contingent upon the details of your case.

First, you can file a police report with the San Antonio Police Department.

This does not mean you are suing the dog owner or pursuing charges, but rather that you are submitting a formal report of the event. You can also submit this report through animal control.

Submitting a report is beneficial for many reasons:

• You can help prevent others from sustaining the same injuries. If the owner is warned that the report was filed, they might opt to take precautions against their dog biting in the future.
• You can help your case down the line if you choose to pursue one. Having an official report is always beneficial because it can help explain what happened, provide official witness statements were there any at the scene, and allow you copies of information pertaining to the dog such as vaccination records or dog history.
• You can help the dog if it is being abused or harmed. In such cases, animal abuse may go unreported and said

Recovering Dog Bite Compensation

If you were injured in a dog attack, and you can prove the dog’s owner is liable, then you may receive compensation for your:

• Medical expenses
• Lost income
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Disfigurement
• Physical limitation
• Reduced earning capacity

Our lawyers for dog bites have recovered a wide range of dog bite settlement amounts because many factors can influence the value of your dog bite claim.

The type of injury and how serious it is matters. The more serious the injury, the more compensation you may receive. This is typically because more serious injuries cost more to treat, take longer to recover from, and cause a greater amount of pain and suffering. You also may receive more compensation if an animal attack leads to a visible disfigurement or a disability.