Fort Worth Dog Bite Lawyer

Fort Worth Dog Bite Lawyer

If you’ve suffered a dog bite injury in Fort Worth, TX, you may be entitled to compensation for your medical bills and other damages.

Stephens Law Firm, PLLC has been fighting on behalf of injury victims in Fort Worth for decades.

Attorney Jason Stephens has recovered substantial sums for his clients, and he’ll fight to do the same for you.

Give Fort Worth dog bite lawyer Jason Stephens a call today at (817) 420-7000, or contact his law office online to schedule a free consultation and learn more.

Why Should I Choose Stephens Law Firm, PLLC to Handle My Fort Worth Dog Bite Lawsuit?

dog bite

Getting bitten and attacked by a dog can be a traumatic experience.

Physical injuries may or may not heal over time, but the emotional distress often lasts a lifetime. Unfortunately, that could prevent you from living your life and enjoying the days to come.

On top of that, you may be faced with rising medical costs and a devastating loss of income.

At Stephens Law Firm, PLLC, Fort Worth personal injury lawyer Jason Stephens will work tirelessly to help you fight to recover a financial award from the dog’s owner and anyone who might have caused you to get hurt. He understands that money doesn’t fix everything, but it can certainly make life a lot easier.

That’s why he’ll do whatever it takes to secure meaningful compensation on your behalf. 

When you call Jason for help, he will:

Determine if the Dog Has a History of Aggressive Behavior: Recovering compensation can be less challenging if the dog has demonstrated vicious tendencies or bitten another person in the past.

Investigate The Circumstances Surrounding Your Dog Bite: Why were you attacked by a dog? What did the owner fail to do to prevent the attack from happening? Did someone else – such as a business owner or landlord – fail to take steps to keep you safe? The answers to these questions will be critical as Jason Stephens builds your case.

Work With Experts: Experts – including medical professionals, mental health professionals, and vocational experts – can help Jason Stephens cover all of his bases. As he analyzes and builds your case, these individuals can provide valuable insight into aspects of your case that are complicated or subjective. Bringing in outside help allows him to make sure that he’s able to support his demands for compensation with strong, expert-backed evidence.

Stand Up to Insurance Companies in Court: He will not hesitate to take your dog bite case to a jury if insurance companies or at-fault parties refuse to offer you a fair settlement. The thought of having to face an award-winning Fort Worth trial lawyer in court is often enough to get insurers to play ball.

Attorney Jason Stephens knows that things are tough right now. You’re recovering from a devastating attack. That’s why he’s here to help. Jason will stand with you and help you fight for the compensation you need and deserve. He’ll handle the ins-and-outs of your case so that you can focus on getting better.

Interested in learning more? Give his Fort Worth law office a call to set up a time to discuss your case in greater detail today.

Dog Bite Facts and Statistics to Know

Even friendly dogs can get scared and attack, causing significant harm. How often do dogs bite? Who’s most likely to get bitten by a dog? How common are dog bites in Fort Worth, TX? Here’s what you need to know.

  • There are approximately 4.7 million dog bites reported in the United States every year. 
  • There are more fatal dog attacks in Texas than any other state in the nation.
  • 80 percent of dog attacks occur on the property where the dog lives.
  • Children under the age of 11 account for more than two-thirds of all dog bite victims.
  • Half of all dog bite victims are kids ages three and younger.
  • In 2013, there were 26 dog attacks involving mail carriers in Fort Worth, landing the city at #16 on the USPS’s list of Top 30 Cities for Dog Bites on Postal Workers.

So, dog bites are fairly common not just in the United States and Texas, but in Fort Worth, as well.

Does Texas Have a One Bite Rule? 

Texas doesn’t have a specific civil dog bite law on the books. However, Texas follows the “one bite rule.” Under this doctrine, if the dog hasn’t been aggressive in the past, it’s more difficult to hold the owner liable (absent negligence on the owner’s part).

In other words, if the dog has bitten or been aggressive before, the owner should know and take reasonable care to prevent further injury. Failure to do so can result in liability.

There are two ways to hold a dog owner responsible for injuries caused by their animal.

Negligence

A dog owner can be liable for injuries caused by their canine if they are negligent in caring for or looking after the animal. Negligence occurs when a dog owner fails to take reasonable steps to prevent the dog from attacking or causing harm. 

This might include:

  • Failing to keep the dog on a leash or in a fenced yard
  • Taunting the dog and grooming it to have aggressive tendencies

It’s important to note that Fort Worth has leash laws. When a dog is away from its home, it must be restrained on a leash at all times. If you were bitten by an unleashed dog in a public space, the owner may be considered negligent per se. Negligence per se means that you suffered an injury because the dog owner violated a safety law that was intended to protect you.

Strict Liability

Dog owners can also be strictly liable for injuries caused by their canine companions. You may not have to prove that the owner was negligent if you were attacked by a dangerous dog. A dangerous dog is one with a history of vicious and aggressive behavior. 

If you were attacked by a dangerous dog, you’d simply have to establish that the owner knew or should have known that the animal had attacked or bitten someone in the past.

The Owner Might Try to Say You Provoked the Dog

Dog owners will not want to take responsibility for your injuries, especially if the dog hasn’t been aggressive in the past. So, be prepared to be blamed for the attack. The owner might admit that the dog hurt you, but only because you provoked the dog. If this defense is successful, they may be able to escape liability.

This is why a thorough, in-depth investigation into the circumstances around your attack is critical. As a Fort Worth dog bite lawyer, Jason Stephens will work hard to gather evidence to disprove these claims and identify the actual circumstances that led to the attack. He has decades of experience handling these challenging cases and knows how to build a strong case on your behalf.

It’s important to note that an owner can’t use the provocation argument if the dog bite victim was a child. Children often don’t – and can’t – appreciate the likely consequences of their actions. When children are harmed, owners are almost always held accountable.

Property Owners, Landlords Could Be Liable For Your Injuries

If property owners or landlords know that there’s a dangerous dog on the premises, they have to take certain steps to protect visitors, guests, and residents from foreseeable harm. Failure to do so could result in full or partial liability for your dog bite injuries.

At Stephens Law Firm, PLLC, a dog bite lawyer in Fort Worth will review the details of your case to identify all liable parties. Once attorney Jason Stephens has determined who might be responsible, he’ll seek damages for:

Call today to set up a free initial case assessment and learn more.

Stephens Law Handles All Dog Bite Injury Cases in Fort Worth

At Stephens Law Firm, PLLC, Jason Stephens represents dog bite victims in Fort Worth who have sustained injuries that include:

There’s a limited amount of time to file a personal injury claim or lawsuit, so don’t hesitate to call Jason’s Fort Worth law firm if you’ve been injured in an attack. He can get started on your case as soon as you ask for help.

Call A Fort Worth Dog Bite Lawyer Today

Have you or a loved one suffered a dog bite injury in Tarrant County? Stephens Law Firm, PLLC can help. Contact Jason Stephens, a skilled personal injury lawyer in Fort Worth, to schedule a free consultation. Jason will gladly review your case, provide a brief overview of your legal options, and address any questions that you might have.

Our personal injury law firm in Fort Worth, TX also provides: