Fort Worth Dog Bites Lawyer

Every year, at least one person dies in a dog bite accident in Texas. The vast majority of fatal attack victims are children. Children and the elderly are most at risk in animal attacks, because they cannot defend themselves. A child can suffer catastrophic to deadly injuries in a dog attack in just a matter of seconds.

As a parent, it’s your obligation to stand up for your child’s rights in the face of a serious dog attack in Fort Worth. The lawyers at the law Offices of Tom Hall want to help you go up against a dog’s owner, a landlord, or another party in pursuit of dog bite damages in Fort Worth, Texas. Call (817) 831-6100 to talk to a Texas dog bite attorney about your case today.

Texas’s Dog Bite Laws

Texas’s dog bite injury statutes aren’t as clear as they are in many other states. Instead of maintaining a specific dog bite statute, the state courts handle claims on a case-by-case basis. However, the Texas Supreme Court adopted the view of a one-bite state in Marshall v. Ranne in 1974. Since this case, many dog-bite claims in the state have utilized this rule. The one-bite rule states that a pet owner will be liable for a dog bite if the following is true:

  1. The owner knew or reasonably should have known the dog had vicious propensities. For example, if the dog had bitten someone or been aggressive in the past, this is cause enough to know of vicious propensities.
  2. The dog owner negligently failed to control the dog or prevent an attack from occurring. “Negligent control” can mean lack of a leash, inadequate property fencing, or improper handling.
  3. The dog owner’s negligence caused the plaintiff’s injuries. In other words, the plaintiff’s injuries would not have happened but for the pet owner’s negligence.
  4. The plaintiff did not provoke the attack. A plaintiff might lose his or her right to compensation if he/she provoked or instigated the attack by injuring or taunting the dog. The plaintiff must also have been on public property or legally on private property at the time of the bite.

Establishing negligence is the victim’s burden of proof in a dog bite personal injury claim. Some cases are simple to prove, while others require significant investigating, evidence gathering, and litigation. Help from a knowledgeable team of attorneys can make all the difference in your dog bite claim. The Law Offices of Tom Hall knows how to make the legal process as simple and stress-free as possible for plaintiffs. We can help you put together a compelling case against a negligent dog owner in Fort Worth.

City-Specific Dog Statutes

Five cities in Texas have enacted special dog breed ordinances. City statutes mainly deal with categorizing pit bulls as “dangerous” breeds, restricting ownership of pit bulls and American bulldogs, and prohibiting the city of Childress from adopting out pit bulls, chow chows, and wolf hybrids. You might have a claim against a pet owner if he or she breaks a city-specific law in a way that contributes to your injuries.

Dog bite claims involving broken laws take the form of negligence per se cases, in which the broken law serves as enough evidence of negligence that the plaintiff doesn’t have an additional burden of proof. No matter what laws or elements your dog bite case involves, our law firm can handle it with dexterity. Contact us to find out how we might be able to help your family after a harmful dog bite. Whether you suffered the attack, or a dog seriously harmed your child, we can help. Call (817) 831-6100 today.