Available 24/7 (214) 333-3333
Available 24/7 (214) 333-3333
Available 24/7 (214) 333-3333
Available 24/7 (214) 333-3333
A dog bite or animal attack can change your life in an instant. One moment you are walking through your Dallas neighborhood, visiting a friend, or taking your children to a park. The next, you are facing painful injuries, medical treatment, and the emotional trauma that often follows a sudden attack. Dog bites can cause permanent scarring, nerve damage, infections, and lasting psychological effects. The physical injuries may heal, but the fear and stress can remain long after the attack.
You should not have to face those challenges alone. Texas law allows victims of dog bites and animal attacks to hold negligent pet owners accountable for the harm they cause. However, these cases are often more complicated than they appear. Insurance companies may dispute fault, question the severity of injuries, or try to settle claims for less than they are worth. At Frenkel & Frenkel, our Dallas dog bite lawyers have decades of experience helping injury victims throughout Texas. We know how to investigate animal attacks, preserve evidence, work with medical experts, and build strong cases that insurance companies take seriously.
Our firm prepares every case as if it will go to trial. That reputation matters. Insurance companies know which law firms are willing to fight for their clients in court and which ones are looking for a quick settlement. We work to recover compensation for medical bills, lost income, scarring, disfigurement, pain and suffering, and other losses caused by a serious dog attack.
If you or a loved one was injured in a dog bite or animal attack in Dallas, contact Frenkel & Frenkel today for a free consultation. You pay no attorney fees unless we recover compensation for you.
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KEY TAKEAWAYS
Quick Answer
What Should I Do If I Was Bitten by a Dog in Dallas
If a dog bit you in Dallas, get medical care right away, even if the wound looks small. Dog bites can cause infection and other injuries that are worse than they first seem. Report the bite to Dallas Animal Services by calling 311, and gather any information you can about the dog and its owner. Do not give a recorded statement to an insurance company before you speak with an attorney. Under Texas law, you may be able to recover money for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and emotional distress. A Dallas dog bite attorney can investigate the attack, find all responsible parties, and pursue the full value of your claim. Frenkel & Frenkel offers free consultations, so there is no cost to learn your options.
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In Texas, personal injury claims, including dog bite cases, must be filed within two years of the attack date. This deadline is called the statute of limitations. If you do not file before the two-year period ends, you usually lose the right to pursue compensation in court, no matter how serious your injuries are. Acting quickly matters because evidence can disappear, witnesses can be hard to find, and memories fade. If you were attacked by a dog in the Dallas area, contacting an attorney as soon as possible gives your case a better chance.
Dog bite cases involve Texas laws and local Dallas rules. Knowing how fault works can help you understand your options.
The One-Bite Rule
Texas uses a legal rule often called the one-bite rule. Despite the name, it does not give a dog one free bite. An owner can be held responsible if they knew or should have known that the dog had dangerous tendencies before the attack. A prior bite is one kind of warning, but it is not the only one. If the dog had a history of growling at strangers, lunging at people, or snapping without a reason, that can show the owner knew about the risk.
Negligence
Even if an owner had no prior warning about the dog, you may still have a claim based on negligence. This means the owner failed to take reasonable steps to prevent the attack. Letting a dog run loose, failing to fix a broken fence, or not using a leash in a public place can all be examples of careless conduct that caused your injuries.
Negligence Per Se
If an owner broke a Dallas or Texas animal control law, and that violation caused your injuries, the law may treat the owner as negligent. For example, Section 7-3.1 of the Dallas City Code requires all animals to be restrained at all times. An owner who lets a dog roam off leash in a Dallas park, in violation of that rule, may be presumed negligent if the dog attacks someone.
What Happens After a Bite Is Reported
Under Texas state law, any dog, cat, or ferret that bites a person must be quarantined for 10 days from the attack date. This quarantine is a public health step that checks whether the animal had rabies at the time of the bite. Dallas Animal Services manages this process and decides whether the animal is kept at a shelter, a licensed veterinary clinic, or under approved home quarantine. The animal owner must pay the quarantine cost, not the victim.
This is one of the most common things dog owners say after an attack, and it does not automatically protect them from fault. Under Texas law, a prior bite is not required. If there is proof that the owner knew the dog had aggressive tendencies, such as a history of lunging, growling at visitors, or earlier complaints from neighbors, that may be enough to show the owner knew the dog was a risk. A negligence claim may also apply even if the dog had never bitten before. An experienced attorney can look into the dog’s history and gather the evidence you need.
Where the attack happened matters, but being on private property does not automatically stop you from recovering compensation. If you were lawfully on the property, such as a guest, delivery worker, or neighbor, you may still have a valid claim. Trespassers may face more difficulty, but that depends on the facts. If you were on the owner’s property for a legitimate reason and the dog attacked you without warning, you may be able to seek damages. A Dallas dog bite attorney can review the facts and explain your rights.
Victims of dog attacks in Texas may be able to recover several types of compensation, depending on the facts. Medical expenses are often the biggest immediate cost and can include emergency care, surgery, hospital stays, wound care, physical therapy, and future treatment related to your injuries. You may also be able to recover lost wages if the attack kept you from working, as well as loss of earning capacity if your injuries affect your future ability to work. Pain and suffering, mental anguish, and emotional distress are also recoverable, especially when the attack left you with lasting effects such as anxiety or a fear of dogs. In cases involving permanent scarring or disfigurement, courts may award more compensation. Every case is different, and the amount you can recover depends on the severity of your injuries, the strength of the owner’s fault, and the insurance coverage available.
Quick Answer
Can I recover more compensation if multiple parties are responsible for my dog attack?
Potentially yes. Each at-fault party may carry their own insurance policy. Identifying multiple defendants — such as the dog owner, the property owner, and a landlord — can open up multiple sources of recovery that a single-defendant case would not. This is one of the most important reasons to hire an attorney who investigates the full picture, not just the dog owner.
At Frenkel & Frenkel, we work on a contingency fee basis. That means you pay nothing upfront. We only collect a fee if we recover money for you.
There is no charge for your first consultation. You can call us, tell us what happened, and we will let you know if we think we can help. There is no pressure and no obligation.
We advance all case costs, including hiring medical experts, obtaining animal control records, documenting injuries, and investigating the dog’s history. You do not pay us back unless we win your case.
Our attorneys have spent more than Decades of Combined Legal Experience combined fighting for people hurt by dog and animal attacks. We have the knowledge and resources to take on even the most complex cases involving dangerous animals, negligent owners, and property-related fault.
Our founding attorneys used to defend insurance companies. Now, they use that inside knowledge to fight for injured people like you. We know the tactics companies use, and we know how to counter them.
We have recovered over $1 Billion in settlements and verdicts for our clients.* For 16 straight years, our attorneys have been named among the Best Lawyers in Dallas.
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Dog attacks rarely happen without a reason, even if the cause is not obvious right away. Knowing what led to the attack can help show who is responsible for your injuries. Common causes include:
Dog bites cause puncture wounds, lacerations, or crush injuries.
Attacks that cause permanent scarring or disfigurement, especially on the face, neck, or hands.
Dog attacks involving children, who face a greater risk of serious head and facial injuries.
Attacks on elderly or vulnerable victims.
Cases where the attacking dog had a known history of aggression and was classified as a dangerous or aggressive dog under Texas or Dallas law.
Off-leash dog attacks in Dallas parks, neighborhoods, and public spaces.
Attacks where the owner broke a local ordinance or state animal control law.
Cases involving infections, nerve damage, or psychological trauma such as PTSD after an attack.
Attacks by other animals, including cats, livestock, and exotic animals.
Wrongful death cases involving fatal animal attacks.
Not necessarily. A prior bite can help show that the owner knew the dog was dangerous, but Texas law does not require it. Evidence of other aggressive behavior, such as growling, lunging, or snapping, may be enough to show the owner knew about the risk. A negligence claim may also be available even if the dog had never bitten before, depending on the facts.
You should not give a recorded statement to any insurance company before speaking with an attorney. Insurance adjusters are trained to reduce claims, and they may use your own words against you. Even a simple comment about how you feel or what happened can be used to lower the value of your case. Contact Frenkel & Frenkel first, and we will handle the insurance calls for you.
First, get medical care even if the wound seems small. Dog bites carry a real risk of infection. Second, report the bite to Dallas Animal Services by calling 311. Third, document everything you can: photos of your injuries, the location of the attack, and the dog if it is safe to do so. Try to get the owner’s name and contact information if you can. Then call Frenkel & Frenkel for a free consultation before you speak with any insurance company.
There is no single answer because every case is different. The value of your claim depends on the severity of your injuries, the cost of medical treatment, how long you missed work, whether you have permanent scarring or lasting emotional effects, and the amount of insurance coverage available. At Frenkel & Frenkel, we review every factor carefully to pursue the maximum compensation possible for your situation.
Texas follows a modified comparative fault rule. If you are found partly responsible for provoking the attack, your compensation may be reduced by your share of fault. If you are found to be more than 50% at fault, you may not be able to recover anything. Whether you did something that may have contributed to the attack is something we would review closely as part of your case. Do not assume you cannot recover just because the owner is blaming you.
Many dog bite claims are paid through the owner’s homeowners or renters insurance policy. If the owner has no insurance or the policy limits are too low to cover your losses, other options may still exist. We can look for all possible sources of compensation and explain the realistic paths forward in your case.
Nothing upfront. Frenkel & Frenkel handles dog bite cases on a contingency fee basis, which means you pay no attorney fee unless we recover compensation for you. Your first consultation is always free. If we take your case, we cover the costs of investigating and pursuing your claim. You can focus on healing while we handle the legal work.
