Who Can Be Held Liable for a Dog Bite in Austin Texas?

Have you been the victim of a dog attack in Austin? If so, you may have experienced a range of medical complications including blood loss, bone fractures, nerve damage, scarring, and chronic pain. You may have had to pay a significant amount of money for a rabies vaccination, and you could be experiencing severe emotional distress.

If any of the above sounds familiar, you might be wondering how you can be compensated for both the financial impact of your injuries and the other ways that it affected your quality of life. Your best option is to pursue legal action, but the process of filing a personal injury claim can seem difficult and overwhelming.

Fortunately, the top Texas attorneys at Carabin Shaw can help. Our legal team has years of combined experience assisting clients who are looking for a settlement after a dog attack. Our lawyers offer every potential client a free, no-obligation initial consultation and case review to help them learn more about our services. To schedule yours, call 1-800-862-1260. Our English- and Spanish-speaking telephone staff is available to take your calls at any hour.

If you are thinking about claiming damages for your injuries, it is important to consider who can be held liable for a dog bite in Austin Texas. If you can prove that the owner of the dog was responsible for your injuries through negligence, then they will owe you compensation. However, determining negligence can be a complicated process.

Texas has a “one bite rule” for dog bite liability. This means that the owner of a dog who attacks someone without having shown prior signs of aggression is not necessarily negligent. Some people consider this rule to mean that dog owners get “one free bite” without being liable for the victim’s injuries.

However, that is not always the case. A dog owner’s negligence can lead to an attack if they:

• Allow their dog to roam off-leash outside of Austin’s official off-leash areas
• Fail to provide adequate leashing or fencing around their property, letting their dog escape
• Abuse or starve their dog, therefore encouraging aggressive tendencies
• Intentionally goad their dog to attack someone

Before deciding to file a claim, talk to an Austin dog bite attorney about the details of your case. They can help you figure out whether or not the owner of the dog that bit you is likely to be liable for your injuries.

Austin dog ownership laws classify dogs that have previously demonstrated aggression as either “dangerous” or “vicious.”

• A dangerous dog is a dog who has injured or attempted to injure a person without provocation. Owners of dangerous dogs have to register their dog, buy liability insurance, put a “dangerous dog” tag on their dog’s collar, and ensure that their dog is always either safely enclosed or leashed around other people.
• A vicious dog is a dog who has either attacked three people, seriously injured one person, or seriously injured or killed a pet. Vicious dogs are not permitted in Austin.

If the dog that attacked you was registered as dangerous or vicious, the owner is much more likely to be liable for your injuries. An Austin injury lawyer who specializes in dog attacks may be able to use this information to win you a larger settlement.

Carabin Shaw is dedicated to providing our clients with top-quality legal counsel at no upfront cost. Our attorneys offer contingency agreements, meaning they will not take payment unless your claim leads to a settlement. In other words, you can access professional legal assistance without risking your finances.

For more information on what it’s like working with our team, look into Carabin Shaw’s client reviews. If you have any further questions, call 800-862-1260 to set up your free consultation.