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These cases often involve homeowner’s insurance, disputed liability, and serious physical and emotional harm. We move quickly to investigate what happened, preserve evidence, and pursue full compensation — no fee unless we win.
You can also explore our Dallas personal injury lawyers, our Texas personal injury lawyers, or our national dog bite lawyers page for broader guidance.
Dog bites can cause more than a surface injury. In serious cases, victims may suffer infections, nerve damage, scarring, and lasting trauma that requires ongoing medical care. Children are often especially vulnerable because of their size and the areas dogs tend to target during an attack.
In Texas, dog owners can be held responsible when they fail to control a dangerous animal or ignore warning signs. Depending on the situation, compensation may include medical bills, lost income, pain and suffering, and long-term effects like disfigurement or emotional distress.
These cases are not always straightforward. Liability can depend on what the owner knew, whether the dog had shown aggression before, and how the incident happened. Early documentation — including medical records, photos, and witness statements — can make a major difference in the strength of your claim. If you’re unsure what steps to take, this guide on what to do after a dog bite can help you understand what matters most early on.
Dog attacks remain a serious injury issue nationwide, especially when they involve deep wounds, infections, or injuries that require reconstructive care. While not every incident leads to a claim, severe attacks can quickly become high-value cases when they affect a person’s ability to work, recover, or return to normal life.
Some dog breeds have proven to be far more dangerous than others, particularly pit bulls, Rottweilers, and German Shepherds. The pit bull is the most highly regulated class of dog in the United States. However, in many cities and towns regulations exist for a variety of other breeds, such as American Bulldogs, Mastiffs, Rottweilers, Dalmatians, German Shepherds, Doberman Pinschers, or any mix of these breeds.
Cities, towns, and even property owners around the nation impose restrictions on such dangerous breeds. Breed-specific legislation (BSL) is the term that refers to the laws that regulate or ban certain dog breeds in an attempt to decrease the number of dog attacks on humans and other animals.
In the past, Texas had a one-bite rule that exempted dog owners from liability the first time their animal bit a person. Fortunately, that all changed when Texas legislators abolished the one bite rule in 2007.
Now, if any owner knows or suspects that their dog is aggressive, they are liable for any damages that occur as the result of their dog biting someone, sometimes even if that person is trespassing. If a dog attacks someone, the owner is responsible for the victim’s injuries.
Most states have a “strict liability” policy for dog attacks, allowing victims to claim damages without needing to prove the owner had prior knowledge of their pet’s aggression. This means that if you are hurt and seeking damages such as medical expenses, lost wages, or emotional distress, the offending dog’s owners are liable.
Generally speaking, negligence refers to a lack of ordinary care in preventing a dog from biting others. The keeper or owner has the responsibility of reasonably protecting others from being harmed by the dog. The plaintiff must have evidence that the defendant owns the dog that attacked them, and needs to show that the owner did not take the steps a reasonable person would to prevent the dog from attacking another person.
To prove owner negligence in Texas, your Dallas dog bite lawyers must demonstrate four elements. Your attorney must provide evidence of:
Proving negligence in dog attack cases in Texas can be complex, so it is important to work with a personal injury lawyer familiar with dog bite claims. If you have been the victim of a serious dog attack, call us for a FREE CONSULTATION. The Dallas dog bite lawyers at Thompson Law know the Texas state laws that pertain to dog bites and dog attacks and will fight to get you the compensation you deserve.
If you have been bitten or attacked by a dog in Dallas, do not talk to the pet owner’s insurance company, even if they try to contact you. Insurance adjusters will try to get you to accept a small settlement by offering to pay your medical bills in exchange for signing a bodily injury release, which prevents you from later making an injury claim for your damages. If you or a loved one is attacked by a dog or other animal, our Dallas dog bite lawyers suggest you take the following steps:
If a dog bite penetrates a victim’s skin, germs can quickly get into the wound depending on the bacteria or germs in a dog’s teeth. Even the slightest attack may lead to long term effects, as discussed below:
In most cases, a dog bite inflicts permanent scars or disfigurements. Even worse, it may cause severe injuries that affect the body parts beneath your skin. Children are the typically most affected, as dog usually attack kids in highly visible areas like the face due to their smaller stature. Victims may require skin grafting, surgeries, or stitches to reduce the extent of disfigurement. Sadly, some of these injuries might be a permanent reminder of the attack in the form or scarring or other injuries.
Dog bite victims tend to suffer from psychological effects that may last for a considerable time. Post-trauma stress disorder (PTSD) is one of the most common psychological injuries in dog attacks. This can create significant fear and anxiety when a victim is around animals.
Fear of dogs after an attack is extremely common among young children. That fear often leads to emotional distress, outbursts, nightmares, regressions, anxiety, and mood swings in the long term. Additionally, dog attack victims may have other symptoms after an attack, such as depression, fear, stress, trouble sleeping, severe anxiety, and flashbacks.
If you are the victims of a dog bite, it is essential to see a doctor who knows how to treat a dog bite wound immediately. Waiting to see a physician can increase the chances of wound infections. Over time, you may experience some of these symptoms:
At Thompson Law, our Dallas dog bite lawyers have handled a wide range of dog bite and other personal injury cases, and have a history of obtaining excellent results for our clients. We offer FREE CONSULTATIONS to dog bite victims, and charge NO FEE unless we are able to obtain a settlement or verdict for your injury claim. We are available 24/7 to help answer your questions and understand your legal rights, so call us today to help with your dog bite claim.
Compensation for dog attack victims typically comes out of the owner’s home insurance policy. As a result, the owner’s insurance adjuster usually calls victims advising them that they do not need a lawyer. They are not trying to do you a favor by offering you a tiny settlement for your injuries, or offering to only pay for your medical bills. They are protecting their own bottom-line.
Do not settle for less than you deserve for your injuries under Texas law. Insurance companies know that a dog bite injury lawyer will take a dog bite case to court to get fair compensation for their clients, which is an expensive process the insurance company is trying to avoid. People who hire personal injury lawyers for their dog attack cases typically receive much higher compensation for their injuries. When the insurance company calls you, tell them to contact your lawyer.
We provide dog bite victims with dedicated and tenacious legal representation, ensuring that you get fair value for your claim. Our Dallas dog bite lawyers will build a strong case with supporting evidence so that you recover the money that you deserve.
One of the most challenging tasks in a dog bite case is proving the animal was dangerous when there is not a previously reported case of aggression or attack. Your attorney will have to investigate if there was a similar incident reported to animal control, in the neighborhood, and the dog is considered an aggressive breed in the area the attack occurred.
Your attorney will also need to demonstrate that the dog was aggressive and can easily bite others when loose. However, the otherwise loving or peaceful behavior of the dog can quickly mitigate this argument. This is how the owner will try to develop an argument that he or she was not negligent, and could not have predicted nor prevented the attack. No matter how complex this process may seem, you can rely on a Dallas dog bite lawyer from Thompson Law to protect your rights. Call us today for a FREE CASE REVIEW.
Dog bite injuries can be both devastating and disfiguring. Sometimes, all it takes is for an untrained or vicious dog to become frightened or startled to attack. The damage done can be substantial. You could suffer from physical pain, disfiguring injuries, PTSD, and anxiety because of your injuries.
Fortunately, the state of Texas allows you to claim both economic and non-economic damages. Your economic or financial damages are damages that you can prove with bills, receipts, or your employment record.
Your non-economic or non-financial damages are a little bit harder to prove. There is not a clear monetary value for non-economic damages, as they are more subjective and difficult to quantify. The value of these damages can also vary based on the victim. For example, a model who incurs damages to her face, or a surgeon whose hands are incapacitated as the result of a dog bite might be more severely affected than someone who does not rely on their face or hands for their livelihood.
In Texas, a dog owner can be held responsible if they knew the dog was dangerous or failed to control it properly. Liability often depends on prior behavior, negligence, and whether the owner took reasonable steps to prevent the attack.
Seek medical attention right away, report the incident to animal control, document your injuries with photos, and avoid speaking with insurance adjusters before understanding your legal rights.
Yes. Victims may be able to recover compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and long-term effects such as scarring or emotional trauma.
In most cases, you have two years from the date of the injury to file a personal injury claim in Texas. Acting sooner is important to preserve evidence and protect your case. If you’re unsure how this applies to your situation, our Dallas personal injury lawyers can help you understand your options.
When you have been injured in a dog attack in Texas, your first call should be to Ryan L. Thompson and the Dallas dog bite lawyers at Thompson Law. Our veteran trial lawyers are ready to tackle your case and get you the compensation you deserve for your dog bite lawsuit. We know how to build a strong case with hard evidence to maximize the amount of compensation you will receive.
Call Thompson Law for a FREE CONSULTATION about your Dallas animal bite case so our Dallas dog bite lawyers can get to work for you today.
Thompson Law charges NO FEE unless we obtain a settlement for your case. We’ve put over $1.9 billion in cash settlements in our clients’ pockets. Contact us today for a free, no-obligation consultation to discuss your accident, get your questions answered, and understand your legal options.
State law limits the time you have to file a claim after an injury accident, so call today.
