When a dog bites you or your child, you could be entitled to compensation in most cases. The owner could be required to pay you money in the form of damages to help cover the cost of the injuries or harm sustained from the incident.
Damages in Colleyville dog bite cases can be substantial. However, you need a skilled dog bite lawyer to ensure you receive the full amount the law allows. The lawyers at our firm are familiar with handling these cases and could help you understand your best options for pursuing compensation.
Injured People Must Prove They Are Entitled to Damages
When another person’s dog causes an injury, its owner is liable for paying compensation to the injured person in most scenarios. If the owner knew their dog had aggressive tendencies, they owe the injured person damages unless they can prove that the attack happened because they were trespassing or provoking the dog. A dog owner could also be liable if they were negligent, meaning they failed to take reasonable measures to protect others from injury.
The law makes everyone involved in a dog bite incident responsible for their part in it. If an injured person is more than 50 percent responsible for their own harm, they cannot collect damages from any other party. If they were not primarily responsible for the incident, they can collect the portion of their damages attributable to others.
A Colleyville attorney could help prove that a dog owner’s actions or inactions were the direct cause of a person’s injuries and losses. Witness accounts of the incident, medical records, photographs, and other evidence could help establish this.
For a free legal consultation, call (817) 775-5364
Compensatory Damages Are Available in All Dog Bite Cases
When an injured person can prove someone else is legally liable for their injuries, they are entitled to damages. Compensatory damages are intended to put the injured person in the same financial position they would be in if the incident had not occurred. A Colleyville attorney could help a person injured from a dog attack document the ways the incident has affected their life to ensure any settlement or award amounts adequately reflect their needs.
Economic Damages
Economic damages reimburse an injured person for expenses they incurred because of the dog attack. Medical expenses are a component of economic damages and include the costs incurred to date as well as any future treatment that may be necessary.
Economic damages also include lost income and the value of any paid time off or other benefits a person used while recovering. If the injury prevents them from working in the future, their reduced earning capability is also a component of their economic damages.
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages are losses that do not have a clear value. An injured person could receive non-economic damages to compensate for their pain, embarrassment, temporary or permanent disability, scarring, psychological trauma, and other results of the attack.
Egregious Conduct Could Warrant Punitive Damages
Sometimes a dog owner’s conduct is not just negligent or irresponsible but amounts to a reckless disregard for others’ safety. Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 41.003 describes when a court could award exemplary damages, sometimes called punitive damages. In a dog attack case, exemplary damages are only appropriate when the owner acted fraudulently, maliciously, or with gross negligence. These are high standards to meet, but if there is evidence an owner recklessly or intentionally allowed their animal to be in a situation where it might injure someone, a Colleyville attorney could seek exemplary damages for these cases.
The law limits the dollar amount of the exemplary damages a court could award. An injured person could receive twice the amount of their economic damages plus an amount equal to their non-economic damages up to $750,000, or $200,000.
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Pursue Damages After a Dog Bite With a Colleyville Attorney
When you or your child suffers an injury in a dog attack, do not try to handle the matter privately with the owner. Negotiations around compensation for animal attack injuries tend to be emotional, and you might collect less than the claim is worth.
Work with an attorney experienced in claims for damages in Colleyville dog bite cases. Speak with a local legal professional during an initial consultation at our firm today.
Call (817) 775-5364 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
