Dog bite attacks cause serious physical injuries, emotional trauma, and permanent scarring, especially for children. Jose Robles Jr Law Firm understands Texas's dog bite laws inside and out, and we pursue homeowner's insurance claims, personal liability, and every available source of compensation so that victims and families can focus on healing.
Texas follows the "one-bite rule" for dog bite liability, which means that a dog owner can be held responsible for injuries when they knew or had reason to know that their dog was dangerous or had aggressive tendencies. This knowledge can be established through prior biting history, aggressive behavior observed by neighbors, prior animal control complaints, or the dog's breed history. Under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Section 822, strict liability also applies when a dog has been declared dangerous by Tarrant County Animal Control and is allowed to run at large or is improperly restrained.
Even if a dog has never bitten before, an owner can still be liable for negligence if they failed to control a dog they knew was likely to jump on, knock down, or threaten people. Dog attack injuries are rarely simple. They often involve deep puncture wounds, tendon and nerve damage, and a high risk of serious infection, including Pasteurella, Capnocytophaga, and in rare cases, rabies exposure.
Dog attacks can cause injuries far more severe than most people expect. Large breed attacks can knock victims to the ground, causing broken bones and head injuries in addition to bites. The most devastating attacks frequently involve children who are smaller than the attacking dog and cannot protect their face and neck.
Reporting a dog bite to Tarrant County Animal Services at (817) 392-3737 serves two important purposes: it creates an official record of the attack, and it triggers an investigation into whether the dog has been previously reported as dangerous. If animal control has prior reports against the same dog or owner, those records become powerful evidence of the owner's knowledge of the dog's dangerous tendencies, directly supporting your claim.
We obtain all available animal control records, investigate the owner's prior knowledge, and work with medical experts to document the full scope of your injuries, including future treatment needs such as scar revision surgery or psychological counseling. Compensation for permanent scarring and disfigurement, particularly on the face or hands, can be substantial under Texas law.
Children under the age of 13 represent the majority of serious dog bite victims nationally. Because children are smaller, they are more likely to suffer facial bites, the most emotionally and physically impactful injury location. A scar on a child's face carries lifelong consequences: social anxiety, teasing, and potential impact on self-confidence and mental health as they grow up. We fight for compensation that reflects not just current medical bills, but the long-term emotional and financial cost of these injuries.
Call Jose Robles Jr Law Firm today for a free, no-pressure case review. No fee unless we win.
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