A dog bite can leave you with serious injuries, medical bills, scarring, emotional trauma, and questions about what to do next. If you were attacked by a dog in El Paso, an El Paso dog bite injury lawyer can help you understand your rights and pursue compensation from the dog owner or another responsible party.
Cal Mundell Injury Law represents dog bite victims and their families throughout El Paso. Our team can review your case, gather evidence, deal with insurance companies, explain how Texas dog bite laws may apply, and help you seek compensation for medical treatment, lost wages, pain, scarring, and other damages. An El Paso dog bite attorney can also help you understand what steps to take after a serious dog attack. Because dog bite claims are a type of injury case, an El Paso personal injury lawyer can also explain your broader legal options. Call Cal Mundell Injury Law today at 915-250-0700 for a free evaluation of your case.
Why Choose Cal Mundell Injury Law for Your El Paso Dog Bite Case?
Cal Mundell is an El Paso native with a deep compassion for injury victims, including those harmed by a terrifying dog attack. With representation by Cal Mundell Injury Law for your dog bite claim, you’ll find the following:
- A well-respected lead attorney named a Texas Rising Star by Super Lawyers
- Access to the best dog bite medical experts to support your claim
- An attorney with a results-oriented approach who will personalize the best strategy for your case under the state’s dog bite laws to navigate your claim to an ample settlement or a jury award in your favor
With a free case consultation and contingency-based payment, there are no legal fees due until after you have your compensation in hand.
Understanding The Texas One-Bite Rule for Pet Owners
Texas’s “one bite rule” holds pet owners to strict liability standards only if the dog has previously been aggressive, but this doesn’t mean that you don’t have a case if the dog that bit you has no previous history of biting. Instead, a one-bite rule means you have to prove the pet owner’s negligence.
Under the one bite rule in Texas, your attorney can pursue your claim by demonstrating the dog owner’s negligence in any of the following ways:
- Showing that the pet owner violated the leash law or failed to properly contain their dog on their property
- Showing that the dog was a guard dog or trained to attack, so its owner should reasonably have known that it could cause harm
- Using eyewitness testimony to show that the dog had aggressive tendencies, even if there is no documented evidence of a previous bite
- Presenting evidence that the dog underwent behavioral training, suggesting previous aggression
- Showing the presence of “Beware of dog” signs on the owner’s property, which indicates that the owner was aware that the dog was a threat to others
- Providing evidence that the dog was sometimes muzzled, showing that the owner was aware of a propensity to bite
The one-bite rule does not give a pet owner a free pass the first time a dog bites, but instead, it places the burden of proving negligence on the personal injury victim. An experienced Texas dog bite attorney will compile evidence on your behalf, making a compelling case for your full compensation and hold the dog owner accountable.
How Can a Lawyer Help Me With My Dog Bite Claim in El Paso, TX?
Dog bite claims in Texas can be more complex than they might seem at first. Establishing the owner’s liability often requires proving that they knew about the dog’s aggressive tendencies or that they failed to take reasonable steps to control the animal. A dog bite lawyer can help you with your personal injury claim to this end by:
- Investigating the dog’s history to determine whether prior incidents exist
- Gathering evidence of the owner’s negligence, such as leash law violations
- Documenting the full extent of your injuries and calculating your damages
- Handling all of the communications and negotiations with the owner’s homeowner’s insurance carrier
- Filing a lawsuit and taking your case to trial if necessary
Texas does not impose automatic liability on dog owners the way some other states do, which makes having an attorney on your side who knows how to build these cases from the ground up all the more important.
How Valuable Is My El Paso Dog Bite Claim?
The value of a dog bite claim depends heavily on the facts of the individual case. Some of the factors that can influence what your claim is worth include:
- The severity of the bite and whether it required surgery or will leave permanent scarring
- The cost of your medical treatment, both past and anticipated
- Whether the attack caused psychological harm such as anxiety, nightmares, or PTSD
- How much time you’ve had to take off work
- Whether the dog owner had prior knowledge of the animal’s dangerous behavior
- The available coverage under the owner’s homeowner’s insurance policy
An experienced personal injury attorney can also affect the outcome of your case by presenting your damages more effectively and leveraging the available evidence to push for a more lucrative settlement agreement.
What Types of Injuries Occur in Dog Bites and Animal Attacks in El Paso?
Dogs have strong jaws with teeth made for both puncturing and tearing, making recovering from a dog bite difficult. Unfortunately, dog bites cause significant physical trauma. Dogs may also cause injury to their victims by knocking them to the ground during the attack. Common injuries in El Paso dog bite claims include the following:
- Punctures, lacerations, and abrasions
- Soft-tissue injuries to muscles, tendons, and nerves
- Head, scalp, and facial injuries
- Neck and throat injuries
- Fractures
- Traumatic amputations
- Contusions
- Emotional damages, such as PTSD
Dog bites sometimes result in complications such as infections, scarring, and nerve injuries, often requiring medical treatment that extends beyond the initial emergency care. In severe cases, a dog bite can cause lasting nerve damage, reduced mobility, or chronic pain that affects the victim’s daily life.
Recovering Damages After Dog Bite Injuries In El Paso
A serious dog bite causes financial consequences as well as physical and emotional ones for the victim of the attack. A successful dog bite claim in El Paso recovers damages such as the following:
- Past, current, and future medical expenses, including for initial emergency treatment, ongoing care to prevent infection, and often reconstructive or plastic surgery for scarring
- Lost earnings and future income loss
- Reduced earning ability
- Compensation for pain and suffering, disfigurement, scarring, traumatic amputations, and emotional trauma
Compensation for damages in dog bite claims in Texas typically comes from the dog owner’s property liability insurance.
If your loved one suffered a serious dog bite injury, an attorney can help your family understand the claim process and what compensation may be available.
What Should I Do After a Dog Bite in El Paso?
The steps you take after a dog bite can make a meaningful difference in both your recovery and your ability to pursue a legal claim. Keep the following in mind:
- Seek medical attention as soon as you can, even if the wound appears minor. Dog bites carry a high risk of infection, and medical records will also serve as important evidence.
- Report the incident to El Paso Animal Services or your local animal control agency. An official report creates a record of the attack and may trigger an investigation into the dog’s history.
- Document your injuries by taking photographs and video of the bite wounds, any bruising or swelling, and torn clothing. Continue photographing your injuries as they heal to show the progression.
- Try to identify the dog and its owner. If possible, get the owner’s name, address, and contact information. Ask any witnesses for their details as well.
- Do not give a recorded statement to the dog owner’s homeowner’s insurance company before speaking with a lawyer.
From here, reaching out to an experienced dog bite attorney in El Paso is an important next step. You can receive some initial legal advice about what to do from there during a free case review.
How Much Time Do I Have To File a Dog Bite Claim in El Paso?
Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 16.003 sets a two-year statute of limitations for personal injury claims, including dog bites. The clock starts running on the date of the attack. If you don’t file a lawsuit before that two-year window closes, you will likely lose the ability to pursue compensation through the court system.
However, note that there are exceptions that can adjust this time limit for some cases. Contact our law firm today so we can help you get started with your claim on time.
Call Cal Mundell Injury Law for Your El Paso Dog Bite Case
Insurance companies often dispute, delay, and deny claims, and may protect their profits at your expense. Instead of leaving your case in the hands of an insurance adjuster, contact Cal Mundell Injury Law for help from an El Paso dog bite injury attorney dedicated to safeguarding your rights and protecting your best interests throughout the process of your claim.