Texas Dog Bite Lawyers
A Texas dog bite lawyer holds a careless owner responsible when their dog attacks, and finds the insurance that pays for it. Texas is not a strict liability state, so the case turns on proving the owner knew the dog was dangerous or broke a leash law. We prove it, and we pursue the homeowner’s policy behind it. You pay nothing unless we win.
A dog bite case is a fight over what the owner knew.
Most people think Texas makes a dog owner automatically pay when their dog bites. It does not. Texas is not a strict liability state. Instead, the law turns on whether the owner knew, or had reason to know, the dog was dangerous, or broke a leash law or local ordinance that led to the attack.
That makes these cases about proof, not just the bite. The owner and their insurer will say the dog never showed aggression before. Our job is to show otherwise, or to show the owner was careless, and to find the policy that pays.
What the owner knew, prior bites, complaints, “beware of dog” signs, a chained or muzzled history that shows the dog’s danger was no surprise.
The rule that was broken, a leash law, a fence requirement, or a local ordinance the owner ignored before the attack.
The real harm, not just the stitches, but the scarring, the reconstructive surgery, and the lasting fear, especially in children.
A serious bite is rarely random. It traces back to a careless owner.
Most severe dog attacks share a cause: an owner who knew the risk and did not control it. A gate left open, a dog with a history, no leash in a public place. When we can show the owner created or ignored the danger, the bite becomes their responsibility, not your bad luck.
A dog with a known history
Prior bites, snapping at neighbors, or a “beware of dog” sign all show the owner knew the danger. Under the Texas one bite rule, that knowledge is the case.
Off-leash & loose dogs
A dog running loose in violation of a local leash law can make the owner negligent per se. The broken ordinance helps prove fault.
Escapes & broken fences
An unlatched gate, a hole in the fence, or a dog left unsecured in a yard. A careless owner who lets a dog get out owns what happens next.
Landlord & rental property attacks
When a landlord knows a dangerous dog lives on the property and does nothing, they can share liability. This can tie into a unsafe-property claim against the landlord.
Attacks on children
Children are bitten most often, frequently on the face and head. These cases involve scarring, reconstructive surgery, and lasting trauma we document in full.
Maulings & severe attacks
A sustained attack can cause a knock-down traumatic brain injury or even an lost limb. We bring in the medical experts these injuries demand.
The bite is clear. The owner’s knowledge is the case.
Because Texas is not a strict liability state, a dog bite case is won by proving two things: that the owner knew or should have known the dog was dangerous, or broke a law, and what the injury truly costs. We build both, and we trace the insurance that pays.
The dog’s history, prior bites, animal control reports, neighbor complaints, and any “dangerous dog” designation on record.
The broken rule, a leash-law or ordinance violation that supports negligence per se against the owner.
The insurance behind it, the owner’s homeowner or renter policy, and a landlord’s coverage where it applies.
The full medical picture, emergency care, infection risk, and the plastic surgery a serious bite often needs.
The scarring and trauma, permanent disfigurement and the psychological harm that follows an attack, especially for a child.
Lost income and future care, time off work and the cost of revision surgeries down the road.
Animal control and records investigators to pull the dog’s bite history and any prior reports.
Plastic and reconstructive surgeons on the scarring, the surgeries ahead, and the permanent result.
Mental health professionals to document the PTSD and fear that often outlast the wounds.
Life care planners and economists when an attack causes permanent or long-term injury.
Canine behavior experts when the dog’s propensity for aggression is in dispute.
The rules these cases turn on
Texas has no general strict-liability dog-bite statute. Liability rests on the common-law “one bite” rule, the owner is responsible if they knew or should have known the dog was dangerous, and on ordinary negligence, including negligence per se when the owner violated a leash law or local ordinance. You generally have two years from the attack to file (Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 16.003), and fault is shared under a modified comparative negligence rule. For a child, the filing deadline may work differently, which is one of the first things we check.
The insurer’s first move is to call it a first-time fluke and offer to cover the ER bill. We answer with the dog’s history and the policy limits, before anyone signs anything.
General process; every case is handled on its own facts.“I spent over a decade directing insurance defense. I know exactly what a carrier looks for to deny or shrink your claim, because I found it for them.”Managing Litigation Attorney · former insurance defense director
The dog bite cases we handle across Texas.
We represent people attacked by someone else’s dog, on a walk, at a friend’s home, on the job, or in their own neighborhood, and the families of children hurt the worst. Who owned the dog and where the attack happened decides who is responsible and which insurance pays.
Children bitten in attacks
Kids are bitten most often and most severely, frequently on the face. We document the scarring, the surgeries, and the trauma a child carries for years.
Neighborhood & sidewalk attacks
A loose dog on a walk or in a yard. We pursue the owner’s homeowner policy, and any leash-law violation that proves fault.
Delivery & service workers
Mail carriers, delivery drivers, meter readers, and contractors bitten on the job. A work-related bite can support a claim against the owner beyond any workers’ comp.
Attacks at rental properties
When a landlord knew a dangerous dog lived on the property and failed to act, they may share responsibility alongside the dog’s owner.
Maulings & disfigurement
Severe attacks cause permanent scarring, nerve damage, and disfigurement. We build these cases around the full lifetime of reconstructive care.
Wrongful death
When an attack takes a life, most often a child or an elderly person, Texas law lets the family recover in a fatal dog attack claim.
What a dog bite case is worth, and how we think about it.
There is no average for a dog bite case. The value is driven by how severe the injury and scarring are, how clearly we can prove the owner knew the dog was dangerous, and how much insurance is available. Permanent scarring and a child victim change the picture entirely.
Scarring & disfigurement
Permanent scars, especially on a child’s face, are a serious, compensable harm in Texas, well beyond the cost of the stitches.
How clear the owner’s fault is
The stronger the proof that the owner knew the dog was dangerous, or broke a leash law, the harder it is to call the bite a fluke.
How much coverage exists
Most payouts come from the owner’s homeowner or renter policy. A landlord’s policy can add a second layer in the right case.
Lasting trauma
The fear, nightmares, and PTSD after an attack are real harm, and we document them as carefully as the physical wounds.
Where the money actually comes from
Most dog bite recoveries are paid by the dog owner’s homeowner or renter insurance, which usually includes liability coverage for exactly this. That is good news and a trap at once: the same policy comes with an adjuster whose job is to settle fast and cheap, often before the scarring is final or a child’s future surgeries are known. Where a landlord knew about a dangerous dog, their coverage can add a second source. Finding every available policy, and refusing to settle before the full injury is clear, is where the real value of a case is protected.
How we handle the risk. You pay nothing up front, and our fee comes out of the recovery only if we win, so we can be honest about whether an offer covers a lifetime of scarring or falls short. Under Texas law, being more than 50% at fault can reduce or bar recovery, so provoking and trespass defenses are taken seriously and answered with evidence. We will tell you plainly when an offer is fair, and when it is worth pushing further. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Texas bilingual lawyers, in the language you think in.
Yes. Our team works in English and Spanish, so if English is not your first language, you can tell us what happened in the attack in your own words and follow every step of your case.
Hablamos español. La consulta es gratis y no paga nada a menos que ganemos.
A native Spanish speaker, Laura handles serious injury and animal attack cases for Spanish speaking clients and families across Texas, start to finish, in their own language.
Senior Associate Attorney · bilingual, English & SpanishWhat our clients actually say.
Real reviews and video testimonials from people the firm has represented. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
“They took the time to answer all my questions and made me feel confident in them. The whole staff was very friendly and professional.”
“After speaking with them I could finally relax. Rodrigo made sure my physical therapy was covered and has been invaluable to us.”
“A very good experience with Rodrigo. He was knowledgeable and responsive to every question I had about my situation.”
“The team was professional, and knowledgeable. They made the whole legal process smooth and stress free.”
“Their communication went above and beyond. They handled all my medical visits and my settlement was way more than I expected.”
“Muchas gracias Rodrigo y a todo el equipo. si están envueltos en un accidente te ayudan en todo el proceso.”
“Excelente servicio al cliente, muy atentos con sus clientes. La comunicación es muy buena.”
“She walked me through the whole process and kept checking in, not just on the next step but on how I was doing.”
“They took the time to answer all my questions and made me feel confident in them. The whole staff was very friendly and professional.”
“After speaking with them I could finally relax. Rodrigo made sure my physical therapy was covered and has been invaluable to us.”
“A very good experience with Rodrigo. He was knowledgeable and responsive to every question I had about my situation.”
“The team was professional, and knowledgeable. They made the whole legal process smooth and stress free.”
“Their communication went above and beyond. They handled all my medical visits and my settlement was way more than I expected.”
“Muchas gracias Rodrigo y a todo el equipo. si están envueltos en un accidente te ayudan en todo el proceso.”
“Excelente servicio al cliente, muy atentos con sus clientes. La comunicación es muy buena.”
“She walked me through the whole process and kept checking in, not just on the next step but on how I was doing.”
Texas dog bite lawyer FAQ.
Straight answers, specific to Texas, to what families ask most after a dog attack. Not sure how it applies to you? A free review sorts it out.
Is Texas a strict liability state for dog bites?
What is the Texas “one bite” rule?
Who pays for a dog bite injury in Texas?
How long do I have to file a dog bite claim in Texas?
What should I do after a dog attack?
Bitten by a dog
in Texas? Let’s talk.
Tell us what happened and we will tell you, honestly, where you stand under Texas law, whether the owner can be held responsible, and which insurance pays for your care. We represent dog bite victims and their families across Texas. The review is free, and you owe nothing unless we win.