Fort Worth Dog Bite Lawyers

Put Decades of Experience in Your Corner

According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, around 4.5 million Americans are bitten by dogs every year, and 20% of those will require medical attention. These attacks can result in horrific injuries that include lacerations, nerve damage, infection, and extreme emotional distress/trauma. With a majority of dog bite cases, a negligent owner is to blame. Sometimes, multiple parties may be responsible, including property owners and landlords.

By pursuing a personal injury claim for your dog bite injuries, you may be able to recover damages that include medical expenses, permanent disability, pain and suffering, and lost wages. Find out the value of your claim by speaking with our Fort Worth dog bite attorney today. We know exactly how to file an effective claim for our clients. Learn more about filing a dog bite injury claim. Get a free consultation directly with our lawyers.

Texas Dog Bite Law

In Texas, dog bite victims may be eligible to recover compensation under a number of legal theories, including:

Negligence

This states that a dog owner can be held liable for an attack if he/she negligently handled their animal. To win this kind of a claim, it must be shown that the defendant owned or possessed the animal, the defendant owed a duty to exercise reasonable care, the defendant breached this duty and this breach of duty caused the plaintiff's injury.

Negligence Per Se

This states that a violation of an animal control law can cause someone to be liable whether or not he owns the dog. Under this law, an individual could be held responsible for not having the dog on a leash or for allowing the dog to be at large or trespass. In order to win this claim, the plaintiff must prove that this violation caused their injuries.

Scienter

This holds that a victim can recover compensation from an owner or keeper of a dog if the dog has previously bitten a person or acted as though it wanted to, and if the defendant was aware of this conduct.

Intentional Tort

This involves committing an act knowingly and purposefully. In this case, the plaintiff must show that the defendant acted either on purpose (setting the dog on them) or with the knowledge that harm was likely to occur. A civil wrong, an intentional tort can be deemed a criminal act. In these situations, punitive damages are often awarded.

If your injuries prevent you from coming into our office, we can travel to you. Our Fort Worth dog bite lawyer also operates on contingency fees, so you don't pay us if we are unable to obtain a recovery.

Choose an Experienced Fort Worth Dog Bite Attorney

If you would like to learn more about dog bite laws in Texas and to learn the value of your case, contact the Law Office of James M. Stanley! Thousands of clients have trusted our firm to provide high-quality and aggressive representation. Inside and outside of court, we stand up for you from beginning to end.