As much as we love our pets, experiencing a dog attack is an alarming reminder that they are indeed animals. A strange dog has motives and instinctive behaviors that aren’t always predictable.
If you’ve suffered serious dog bite injuries in Carrollton, you have the right to seek a legal remedy for the financial consequences as well as for your pain, suffering, and trauma. A Carrollton dog bite attorney from GreeningLaw, P.C. is ready to help.
Why Choose GreeningLaw, P.C. as Your Carrollton Dog Bite Law Firm?
At GreeningLaw, P.C., our team has over 40 years of combined experience as Carrollton injury attorneys, including in dog-bite cases under Texas’s complex one-bite law. With GreeningLaw, your case has the following advantages:
- A law firm with a history of satisfied clients and exceptional results brings a well-respected voice to your claim
- Your financial recovery becomes our highest priority, allowing you to focus on your physical and emotional recovery
- Our firm’s lead attorney is board-certified, with an AV Preeminent® rating from prestigious Martindale-Hubbell
We never charge injured clients upfront fees. Instead, we offer a free consultation and contingency-based payment. We go to work for you, and you pay nothing until after we’ve recovered your compensation through a settlement or court award.
What Does the One-Bite Rule In Texas Mean for My Carrollton Dog Bite Claim?
Many states have strict liability laws for pet owners, making them financially accountable for any damages caused by their dog, including dog bite injury damages, regardless of whether the dog has a history of aggression. Under strict liability laws, a dog bite victim does not have to prove that the pet owner was negligent. In Texas, however, a “One-Bite Rule” applies under Health and Safety Code Sec 822.044. Under the Texas dog bite law, a pet owner is subject to the strict liability standard for dangerous dogs only if the dog has a history of aggression or has bitten someone at least once before. In these cases, the owner is aware that their dog is prone to biting and must take extra precautions. If the dog bites again, the owner is automatically strictly liable, so the dog bite victim does not have to prove the owner’s negligence.
Some Texas dog bite victims have the mistaken impression that they cannot obtain compensation if the dog has never bitten before. Fortunately, this isn’t the case. Instead, the one-bite rule means the dog bite victim must first prove that the owner was negligent. Often, this requires proving that the owner failed to adequately contain the dog on their property or in a public place, or that they violated a local leash law.
Your Carrollton dog attack attorney from GreeningLaw will thoroughly investigate your case and pursue the maximum compensation available to you.
What Types of Injuries Are Common In Dog Bite Claims In Carrollton?
Medical professionals and dog trainers measure the level of severity in dog bite cases based on the Dunbar Dog Bite Scale. This scale ranges from level one bites with mild skin abrasions, to level six bites with consumed flesh, and/or the victim’s death. Common injuries in Carrollton dog bite claims include the following:
- Abrasions and contusions
- Puncture wounds and lacerations
- Facial, scalp, and throat lacerations
- Traumatic amputation of fingers, toes, or extremities
- Traumatic brain injuries, such as concussions, from falling during the attack
- Nerve damage
- Soft-tissue injuries, such as sprains, strains, and torn ligaments
- Fractures
Dog bite wounds are prone to infection and typically require antibiotic treatment. Many dog bite victims require both emergency medical treatment and additional corrective procedures to restore the appearance and function of damaged body parts. Dog bite victims also report significant emotional trauma from the terror and helplessness they experienced during a serious attack.
What to Do After a Dog Bites You In Carrollton, TX?
Dog attacks are terrifying and traumatic. If you’ve suffered severe injury, it may be difficult to take purposeful action, but if you or a companion can use a cell phone, you can protect yourself physically and financially by doing the following:
- First, make certain the dog is safely contained. Then, apply emergency first aid.
- Call 911 if you need an ambulance for severe injuries, or call to arrange transportation directly to a hospital for non-emergency injuries
- Call Carrollton Animal Services to report the dog attack
- Use your phone to take photos of the dog and anything relevant, such as an open gate, broken fence, or dragging leash
- Photograph your visible injuries
Always go directly to the hospital for treatment and then carefully follow your doctor’s treatment recommendations. Save copies of all medical bills and receipts for related expenses.
What Can I Get From a Dog Bite Claim In Carrollton?
Dog bite injuries are serious, often resulting in permanent scarring as well as the risk of infectious diseases. While a successful claim doesn’t erase the injury, it brings compensation for the economic and non-economic damages associated with dog bite injuries. Common damages recovered by Carrollton dog bite victims include the following:
- Reimbursement for medical expenses
- Anticipated future medical expenses
- Out-of-pocket injury costs
- Lost earnings
- Future income loss or reduced future earning ability
- Compensation for pain and suffering
- Catastrophic injury compensation for permanent harm, such as disfigurement, loss of limb, or permanent scarring
- Therapy or counseling costs if the attack caused emotional trauma, PTSD, anxiety, sleep disturbances, or depression
An experienced dog bite lawyer from GreeningLaw, P.C. will investigate all aspects of the dog attack and your injuries and consult with medical experts to carefully calculate your damages to seek the maximum available compensation. Compensation in dog bite cases typically comes from the pet owner’s property liability insurance, even if the attack occurred away from the owner’s property.
Contact the Carrollton Dog Bite Lawyer of GreeningLaw, P.C.
You don’t have to shift your focus away from physical and emotional healing to take on the complex legal endeavor of a dog bite claim when the insurance company is not on your side and may try to protect their profits at your expense. Instead, call or contact GreeningLaw, P.C. for representation and skilled legal counsel throughout every stage of the process.