McAllen Dog Bite Injury Lawyers Will Help You Seek Compensation
Dog attacks can be very serious incidents, often leaving dog bite victims suffering from physical pain, permanent disfigurement and lasting psychological scars such as post-traumatic stress disorder, emotional distress, and a phobia of dogs. Sadly, they happen frequently here in Texas, and McAllen is no exception.
The personal injury lawyers at J.A. Davis & Associates, LLP are highly qualified legal experts, standing by your side when you need them most. We vigorously fight for our injured clients by taking on the insurance companies or bringing your case to court. One way or another, we will make sure that you receive a fair settlement by holding the at-fault party responsible.
Too often, you hear about a deadly animal attack caused by a negligent owner. If a dog bite injures you or a loved one, it is important to obtain legal help so that you can seek rightful compensation for your injuries.
You shouldn’t have to pay the price for a dog owner’s negligence; let one of our experienced dog attack lawyers help you with your legal right to pursue financial compensation. Call our law office for a free consultation at (956) 994-0565, and let our personal injury lawyers help you find a successful outcome by seeking just and fair compensation.
Did You Know
According to USPS, there were 411 dog bite incidents in Texas in 2023, up from the 404 incidents in 2022. Texas dog attack rankings by city are 56 incidents in Houston and 39 incidents in Dallas, though many incidents go unreported.
What you need to know about dog attacks in McAllen
Dog bites are potentially dangerous – always seek immediate medical treatment
• Most dog attacks happen because of negligent pet or property owners • A dog bite victim may be entitled to a wide range of financial compensation for bodily injuries, pain and suffering, medical bills, and lost wages. In some cases, we might be able to pursue punitive damages. For example, in a case where the dog owner ordered his animal to attack you for no apparent reason.
• Our McAllen dog bite attorneys can help protect your legal rights. Do not hesitate to act if a dog bites you or a loved one. Dog owners are required by Texas law to exercise control over their dogs at all times, yet most dogs bite for lack of restraint or control exercised over them.
It’s not just a dangerous dog that can attack; even the friendliest and smallest of dogs can inflict injury at any time. No matter how minor an animal bite might appear at first, it can dramatically impact your life in the long run, affecting you and your family for many years to come.
What to do when a dog has bitten you
If you have suffered a dog attack, there are certain steps you need to take. Be sure to follow these steps immediately and to the best of your ability, as they can help you protect both your health and your legal rights.
1) Seek medical attention immediately. The first step following a dog attack is to seek professional medical care. This step is crucial to avoid infection and a worsening of the injury. Also, medical records will document the injury and prove the extent of the injuries and when the attack occurred.
Keep track of any related medical expenses and work you may have missed. It’s also a good idea to keep a journal with details of your recovery, including any emotional or mental suffering you may be experiencing. These records may prove invaluable to your dog bite lawyer for strengthening your case.
2) Attempt to obtain the animal’s veterinary information and vaccination records.
The next step is to attempt to find and contact the dog’s owner and obtain all of the proper information relative to the animal, including the dog’s veterinary history and vaccination records. This information could be useful to your doctor when treating your injuries, particularly if the dog is not up to date on its vaccinations. If you are not successful in gathering this information, we will make sure to take care of it.
3) Hire our personal injury lawyers.
Once a medical professional has examined your injuries and you have attempted to obtain the relevant information from the dog’s owner, you must seek our legal help as soon as possible.
Your San Antonio dog attack lawyer will establish a reasonable compensation request based on your physician’s opinion of the impact your injuries will have on your life or the life of your child.
Don’t Do It Yourself!
Those who decide to pursue a claim independently and do not seek legal representation will typically receive only 10-20% of the compensation they could have obtained if they had received the help of our experienced attorneys. You cannot rely on the insurance company to pay you the full amount you are entitled to when they are busy looking after their bottom line.
A dog attack attorney in McAllen will be able to evaluate your case and provide you with all your legal options. Our personal injury attorney will be an invaluable asset in your fight for financial compensation, so call our professional law firm with experience in dog bite cases.
You need our McAllen dog bite attorney by your side. It may not seem apparent just after a dog attack first takes place, but medical treatment bills can quickly add up following the injury. From hospital bills to the cost of reconstructive surgery, rehabilitation, doctor visits, psychological counseling, assistive devices, and lost wages, these expenses can end up costing you a fortune and put your financial future in jeopardy.
Of course, it’s not just economic damages that you can suffer from. Non-economic damages are also a serious problem for many dog attack victims, including physical and mental or emotional suffering, disfigurement and disability, and a loss of ability to enjoy life.
As it is with bite injury claims, you may claim both economic and non-economic damages. However, it is more difficult to prove non-economic damages as they can differ from victim to victim and are considered subjective.
Additionally, with a Texas dog bite claim, you will typically need to prove that the pet’s owner knew their dog was aggressive or dangerous and that they failed to prevent the bite or exercise reasonable control over the dog.
That’s why you need our skilled personal injury attorney with vast experience in dog attack cases. With J.A. Davis & Associates, LLP, you know you will have a qualified attorney assisting you with your case details and fighting for your rights in a personal injury claim.
Many dog bite injuries could have been prevented. America is known as a nation of dog lovers, and pet owners love to pamper their pooches. In fact, pet spending, which has seen a year-on-year increase since 1994, reached nearly $63 billion in 2016, according to the American Pet Products Association.
While people may see their pets as being part of the family, it’s important that owners remain responsible for their dogs. The sad truth is that negligent owners usually cause dog attacks.
There are many reasons why dogs bite, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association, including:
Other ways to reduce the risk of your dog biting someone is to socialize your dog, take them to training classes, fulfill basic animal-care responsibilities, always supervise when a child is present, and err on the safe side. Most dog attacks involve pets that have not been spayed or neutered, so this should be done as soon as possible.
If your dog shows signs of aggressive behavior, do not wait for an accident to happen. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals advises owners to seek help from a qualified expert, such as a veterinary behaviorist, Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, or qualified Certified Professional Dog Trainer.
Dog bites in Texas: the startling facts. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), approximately 4.5 million dog bites occur in America every year. Of those bitten, an estimated 368,000 will need to visit their local emergency room.
Biting dogs are a particular issue in Texas, which led the nation in the number of deaths from dog attacks in 2014. While 42 people were killed by dogs in the whole of the United States, seven of those fatalities occurred in Texas, and pit bulls carried out most.
It’s important to be aware that any dog can bite, no matter how much you may think you can trust them. Even chained dogs can be a danger, with more than 450 people, most of who were children, having been injured or killed by a chained dog since 2003. Remember, when in doubt, always err on the side of caution.
Get Help from a San Antonio Dog Bite Attorney
Contact our McAllen dog attack law office today. If you have been the victim of a dog attack and would like to learn more about how we can help you protect your legal rights, call us at (956) 994-0565 for your free consultation. Alternatively, fill out our online form, and one of our experienced accident attorneys will get back in touch within 24 hours.
At J.A. Davis & Associates, LLP, we understand how difficult it can be to deal with the effects of a dog bite attack. We have dealt with many dog attack cases in the past and are here to provide you with the assistance you need during this trying time so that you can focus on your recovery.