Dog Bite Liability in Southlake

When someone’s dog attacks you, the owner may try to downplay your injuries and how much they should be liable for by claiming you contributed to the altercation or their dog is not dangerous.

However, dog bites can be deadly or otherwise require medical care, and you may develop an infection or psychological trauma from an attack. The money you must pay for medical care and your trauma, which could extend into a lifetime of being frightened by dogs, should be compensated. Owners have liability for dog bites in Southlake, and an experienced dog bite injury attorney could help you recover what is owed to you.

Strict Liability

One of the two legal principles a Southlake resident can rely on after being bitten by someone’s dog is strict liability, which is based on the idea a dog owner should have known the dog would bite someone because it has in the past, also called the “one-bite” rule. Damages can be recovered under strict liability without having to prove the dog owner is negligent according to the law.

The state defines dangerous dogs by their history of attacking others, according to the Texas Health and Safety Code § 822.041, but not all attacks are considered dangerous, particularly if the dog was provoked or protecting its owner. Our attorneys could scrutinize evidence in each case to determine whether strict liability applies in a lawsuit.

Negligence

When people act irresponsibly by not containing their animals and someone is bitten, the second legal principle, negligence, applies. Dog owners have a duty to the public to keep their animals from biting indiscriminately, and people can file lawsuits over dog bites where the owner was negligent, careless, or reckless.

Dog Owners May Invoke Defenses

Those who sustain dog bites should know dog owners and their attorneys will try to minimize the accusations with the hope a monetary award will denied or reduced. For example, they may say the one-bite rule under strict liability does not apply to them because they did not know their dog was dangerous, so the injured party will have to rely on negligence, which the defendant will also deny.

Dog owners sometimes argue the person the dog bit is the one to blame, or at least partially to blame, for provoking or taunting the dog. The state’s modified comparative negligence rule states that a someone more than 50 percent responsible for their accident with injuries cannot collect a damages award.

Dog owners may also try to classify those who were bitten by a dog as trespassers. Property owners do not owe any duty to trespassers, except child trespassers, and would only be held responsible for a dog bite if they actively tried to harm the trespasser, such as telling the dog to attack them. The law concerning dog bite liability in Southlake can be confusing, and an attorney can guide injured parties through the process.

Call an Attorney in Southlake With Questions About Dog Bite Liability

Dog bites can lead to a long recuperation and possible infections due to the crushing weight a canine’s teeth can exert on soft tissue. When the bite occurs through little or no fault of the injured person, the owner may owe them compensation for their physical, emotional, financial, and psychological injuries.

Our attorneys could help you get compensated for your injuries and other losses by gathering and assessing evidence of dog bite liability in Southlake. Contact us today and hold owners responsible when they acted negligently or did not properly restrain a dog they knew could be dangerous.