Dog bites can cause serious injuries, requiring emergency medical care and even plastic surgery. The costs associated with a dog attack in League City, Texas can add up quickly. If you were bitten by a dog, we might be able to help you hold the dog’s owner liable for your financial losses.

The League City personal injury lawyers at D. Miller and Associates, PLLC can help you understand your rights and build a strong case to fight for compensation on your behalf. We can help you file an insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit to try to recover the expenses and losses you experienced.

We offer free case assessments and handle all dog bite cases on a contingent basis. Call our office today at 713-850-8600 to schedule.

Damages Available in a Successful League City Dog Attack and Bite Case

Attorneys at D. Miller and Associates, PLLC can help you understand Texas dog bite laws and the damages available if the dog’s owner is liable for your injuries and expenses. Some of the most common types of damages our dog bite lawyer helps our clients recover in a winning case include:

  • Medical care, either in the emergency room or at their doctor’s office
  • Plastic surgery or other cosmetic or required future treatments
  • Prescription drug costs, including painkillers
  • Lost wages
  • Diminished earning capacity
  • Pain and suffering damages

In some cases, you may have other expenses or losses related to the attack, and we can often recover those as well in a successful claim. For example, out-of-pocket costs such as paying to park at your doctor’s office or replacement of a smartphone destroyed in the attack are often recoverable.

Understanding the Texas Common Law “One Bite” Dog Bite Rule

Under common law, a dog’s owner must know the dog has a history of “vicious propensities” before they can be liable for the dog’s bad behavior. While many other states adopted rules making the owner responsible for a dog bite no matter their history, Texas follows the common law, which essentially gives each dog one free bite before their owner is liable.

To win a case for our clients under this law, we must show:

  • The dog previously bit someone, or threatened to bite or attack someone
  • The current owner knew about this bite, attack, or threat
  • The dog was not provoked in the earlier attack
  • Our client did not provoke the dog

There is usually no way to prove the dog’s vicious propensities without a previous report filed by local law enforcement or animal control. Even when we have this type of report, there is often an allegation of provocation either in the previous attack or against you.

Holding the Dog Owner Liable Under Negligence Laws

In many cases, we can help our clients build a case to fight for compensation based on negligence instead of the one bite rule. This allows us to try to hold the dog’s owner liable without worrying about proving “vicious propensities.” Instead of focusing on past behavior, it looks at only the owner’s action in the incident in question.

We may be able to prove the owner acted negligently and is liable for your losses and expenses if the owner had a responsibility to follow local leash laws and they did not. They might also be liable if their carelessness and unlawful behavior allowed a situation where the dog could attack you and caused injuries.

Investigating Your Case

When D. Miller and Associates, PLLC agrees to handle a League City dog bite case, we must launch a full investigation into the incident and the conditions that led to it. We need to prove how the owner led to a situation where the dog was able to attack you and did. This requires us to identify, collect, and analyze all evidence available to us. From the reports filed by first responders and animal control to eyewitness accounts, we will use all the evidence we can get to document exactly what happened. We will build a strong case to help you fight for compensation for your damages.

Filing an Insurance Claim

In many cases, we may be able to file an insurance claim to try to get the money you need instead of taking the case directly to court. The dog’s owner may have a homeowner’s or renter’s policy that covers this type of injury. If so, we can send a demand letter on your behalf and outline your damages. This could prompt settlement negotiations when we can come to a fair agreement to cover your losses and expenses.

Filing a Personal Injury Lawsuit

If the dog owner does not have insurance or the insurance company refuses to accept responsibility, we may need to pursue a personal injury lawsuit.

Talk to a Dog Bite Lawyer in League City about Your Case Today

The legal team at D. Miller and Associates, PLLC, can help you build the strongest case possible and fight for the full compensation we believe you deserve. We will help you determine what you should do after a dog bite. Also, we do not accept your payment unless we recover compensation for you so there is nothing to lose by calling for a free case review. Call us today at 713-850-8600 to get started.