El Paso Dog Bite Lawyer

Have you suffered injuries because you were recently bitten by a dog in El Paso, Texas? Call Mission Personal Injury Lawyers. You may have the right to pursue compensation from the dog’s owner or another liable party. Our El Paso dog bite lawyers can help you fight to get the full value of your claim and offset the costs of your medical treatment, loss of income, and more.

Since 2010, Mission Personal Injury Lawyers has been a fierce advocate for dog bite victims and devastated families in El Paso and throughout the State of Texas. Putting 43+ years of combined experience behind every case, we’ve led our clients to a 99 percent record of success. Our award-winning Texas trial lawyers have won tens of millions of dollars for victims who have been involved in car accidents, truck accident claims, motorcycle accident cases, pedestrian accidents, El Paso slip and fall claims, construction accidents, El Paso premises liability, or any other personal injury accident.

Don’t let the negligent dog owner off the hook for your injuries and suffering. Contact our law office in El Paso, TX, and discover how our team can help you stand up and fight for justice. We offer a free consultation, so don’t hesitate to reach out for assistance today at (915) 591-1000.

How Mission Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help If You’ve Been Bitten By a Dog in El Paso, TX

How Mission Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help If You’ve Been Bitten By a Dog in El Paso, TX

The dog’s owner won’t be quick to accept responsibility after you’ve been bitten. If they’re covered by insurance, their provider will search for any reason to deny your claim or minimize your payout. In order to get the compensation you deserve for your dog bite injuries, it’s important to put an experienced El Paso injury lawyer in your corner.

At Mission Personal Injury Lawyers, we know how devastating a dog bite injury can be. It can turn your life upside down – potentially forever. We are here to help you prove your case and win the compensation you need to help you get your life back on track.

By turning to our trusted team of litigators, you’ll give yourself the opportunity to focus on recovering from your catastrophic dog bite injuries.

While you take the time to focus on yourself, we will:

  • Promptly investigate the details of the dog attack
  • Identify whether the dog has a history of aggression or has bitten anyone in the past
  • Determine how the owner may have been negligent in controlling the animals
  • Gather important pieces of evidence to support your dog bite injury case
  • Defend against claims that you provoked the animal or share responsibility for the incident
  • Prepare and submit necessary claims and documentation on your behalf
  • Aggressively negotiate with an insurance company, dog owner, defense counsel, and other parties on your behalf

Our team will always be prepared to help you reject lowball offers and bring your dog bite injury claim to a jury. While we are skilled negotiators, we are truly at home in the courtroom. Our demonstrated ability to win cases at trial can work in your favor during the claims process.

Our team offers a free consultation and works on a contingency fee basis. At the end of the day, it costs absolutely nothing to hire our El Paso dog bite injury attorneys unless we win your case.

Reach out to our legal team in El Paso, TX, to learn more.

Does Texas Have a One Bite Rule?

In Texas, a dog’s owner isn’t automatically liable for harm caused by a dog’s bite unless they knew (or should have known) that the dog had been aggressive or bitten someone before.

This is known as a “one bite” rule because the dog’s first bite is what typically sets the stage for liability. 

After a dog’s first bite, the owner becomes strictly liable for subsequent attacks.

This means a dog’s owner can be on the hook for damages for a victim’s medical bills, loss of income, and suffering, regardless of the level of care they took in preventing a dog bite.

Negligence Can Also Provide Relief for Dog Bite Injury Victims

You’re not out of luck if this is the first time that a dog has bitten someone. In Texas, dog owners can also be responsible if their own negligence contributed to the attack.

Simply put, an owner must exercise reasonable care in controlling their dog and preventing foreseeable harm. If an owner doesn’t meet this duty of care, they can be liable for resulting harm.

A dog’s owner might be considered negligent if they:

  • Don’t keep their dog on a leash in public
  • Allow their dog to roam unsupervised around the neighborhood
  • Don’t have a proper fence, enclosure, or restraint on their property for their animal
  • Encourage the dog to be aggressive or attack other people

In a negligence action, you will have the burden of proving that the dog owner owed you a duty of care, breached it, and that it caused you to get bitten by the dog. In turn, you must have identifiable damages – such as medical bills or lost earnings.

Keep in mind that the dog’s owner isn’t the only one who can be liable for negligence involving a dog bite. Other parties, including businesses, landlords, property owners, or employers, could also potentially be on the hook for damages resulting from a dog attack.

Our dog bite attorneys in El Paso will carefully evaluate the specific details of your case and identify all potentially liable parties.

How Much Is My El Paso Dog Bite Injury Claim Worth?

There is no standard settlement or value for dog bite injury claims in Texas. Ultimately, the specific circumstances of your situation will dictate how much money you might be able to recover in a civil dog bite injury claim.

Important considerations include:

  • The type and extent of your injury
  • Your age at the time you were bitten by the dog
  • The psychological and emotional toll of the dog bite attack
  • How the dog bite affected your ability to work and earn a living
  • The steps you took to mitigate your dog bite injury

You can expect cases involving catastrophic dog bite injuries to be worth the most. In other words, the more your life changes and the more financial strain you experience, the higher your claim for damages will typically be valued.

The best way to know what your dog bite injury case is worth is by reaching out to an experienced personal injury attorney near you in El Paso as soon as you can. Call Mission Personal Injury Lawyers to discuss your situation with a member of our legal team today.

What Damages Can Be Awarded to Dog Bite Victims in El Paso?

Whether you file a claim against the dog owner’s homeowners’ insurance company or seek damages in a civil personal injury lawsuit, you can typically recover compensatory damages.

Compensatory damages can include compensation for your financial losses as well as the harder-to-value trauma you experience because of the dog bite. These are known as economic damages and non-economic damages, respectively.

Potential awards include money for:

  • Current and future medical treatment
  • Lost wages and income
  • Pain and suffering
  • Disfigurement
  • Disability
  • Nursing assistance
  • Rehabilitation and therapy 
  • Scarring
  • Embarrassment
  • Funeral and burial costs if a dog bite in El Paso is fatal

An El Paso jury may also decide that punitive damages are appropriate if there is sufficient evidence demonstrating that a dog’s owner caused you intentional harm or displayed a conscious disregard for your safety.

The Dog’s Owner Is Blaming Me For the Attack – Can I Still Recover Compensation?

One of the defenses to dog bite claims is that the victim provoked the animal. However, it is up to the dog’s owner to prove this. 

Often, these claims will be made without any basis in reality or evidence to back them up. However, it will be important to defend yourself against these allegations because they can seriously hurt your ability to recover compensation.

Texas operates under a modified comparative fault structure. There is a 51% bar to recovery. Simply put, you can recover damages for a dog bite injury as long as you share less than 51% of the blame. Sharing more than half of the blame will prohibit you from recovering compensation for your injuries.

Our dog bite lawyers in El Paso will anticipate these maneuvers and work to dismantle them before they can harm your case.

Common Dog Bite Injuries

Dogs, no matter the breed, are powerful animals. Their jaws and teeth can do considerable damage, especially when victims are young or elderly.

No matter your age, our El Paso dog bite attorneys will be there to help you fight for compensation for all of your dog bite injuries:

  • Puncture wounds
  • Crushing injury
  • Broken bones
  • Nerve damage
  • Back injury
  • Eye injury
  • Hearing loss
  • Traumatic brain injury
  • Spinal cord injury
  • Amputation
  • Internal organ damage
  • Infection and disease
  • Wrongful death of a family member

Seek medical treatment immediately, then don’t hesitate to call our El Paso law office to speak with a member of our legal team about your rights.

What’s the Time Limit for Filing a Dog Bite Injury Claim in Texas?

Texas has a two-year statute of limitations that applies to most dog bite injury cases.

This gives you until the second anniversary of the date you were injured or suffered a loved one’s wrongful death to pursue damages from a dog’s owner or another responsible party.

If a child is the victim of a dog bite in Texas, the statute limitations can be told until they become an adult. However, parents can choose to bring a claim on their behalf before that.

You do not want the deadline set by the statute of limitations to expire. Once that happens, you give up the right to demand and recover a substantial monetary award.

Schedule a Free Consultation With Our Experienced El Paso Dog Bite Lawyer

Dog bite injuries can be physically devastating and emotionally scarring. The financial costs related to an attack can be overwhelming. You do not have to take on these challenges on your own. You are the victim, and the dog’s owner must be held legally accountable for the actions of their pet.

By calling Mission Personal Injury Lawyers, you can benefit from the experience, resources, and passion of our El Paso dog bite injury lawyers. We will be your fiercest advocate and work to secure swift financial justice for your injuries and suffering.

Contact our El Paso law office to get started. Your first consultation is free, and our compassionate legal team is always available to take your call.

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