Houston Dog Bite Lawyer

A scar heals differently on a child than on an adult. So does the fear.

If a dog attacked you or your child in Houston, the Houston dog bite lawyer you choose next shapes what your family recovers and whether the owner is held accountable. At Crain Brogdon, LLP, we handle serious dog attack cases across Texas, including bites causing scarring, nerve damage, or wrongful death. Our firm has secured more than $355 million for injured Texans.

Call (214) 522-9404 for a free case review.

What Is Texas Dog Bite Law?

Texas follows a modified “one-bite” rule established in Marshall v. Ranne (Tex. 1974). Owners can be liable when they knew or should have known their dog had dangerous tendencies, or when they failed to use reasonable care in restraining or handling the dog. In Houston, most cases actually involve two or three of the legal theories below at the same time.

Legal Theory	What It Requires	Common Evidence
Strict liability (Marshall v. Ranne)	Owner knew the dog had dangerous propensities	Prior bites, aggression complaints, warnings from neighbors
Negligence	Owner failed to use reasonable care	Unrestrained dog, broken fencing, no supervision
Negligence per se	Violation of a leash or dangerous-dog ordinance	Houston or Harris County ordinance citation, animal control report
Premises liability	Property owner failed a duty to protect a lawful visitor	Landlord or business knew a tenant kept a dangerous dog

Chapter 822 of the Texas Health & Safety Code also creates a criminal offense when a “dangerous dog” causes serious injury or death. Evidence developed in the criminal case, including sworn animal control statements, often supports the civil claim.

Premises liability adds a second layer when the attack happens on rental or business property. See more on the Houston property owners’ duty to prevent dog attacks.

Who Pays for a Dog Bite Injury in Houston?

Usually the dog owner’s homeowners or renters insurance policy. Dog attacks are one of the most common categories of homeowners liability claims, and standard policies typically include liability coverage between $100,000 and $500,000, subject to exclusions.

Beyond the primary policy, other sources of recovery often apply:

• Umbrella policies stacked on top of the homeowners policy.
• Landlord liability, when the landlord knew a tenant kept a dangerous dog and failed to act.
• Business liability policies, for attacks at hotels, apartment complexes, groomers, kennels, or dog-friendly retail stores.
• Employer liability, when the owner was working (dog walker, breeder, groomer) at the time of the attack.

Some insurers exclude certain breeds (pit bulls, rottweilers, wolf hybrids, others). Even when an exclusion applies, the owner’s personal assets can still be recoverable, and the exclusion itself may support a bad-faith claim. Our job is to find every applicable policy, because owners rarely volunteer coverage information voluntarily.

Talk to a Houston Dog Bite Lawyer, Call (214) 522-9404!

What Types of Dog Bite Injuries Do We See in Houston?

Serious ones. Almost always. Even a single bite can cause lifelong scarring, nerve damage, and psychological trauma, and the injuries are frequently to the face when the victim is a child.

Common injuries in Houston dog attack cases include:

• Deep puncture wounds and lacerations
• Facial scarring and disfigurement
• Nerve damage and permanent numbness
• Torn tendons, muscle, and connective tissue
• Infections including rabies, tetanus, MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), and Capnocytophaga
• Post-traumatic stress and lasting fear of animals

Medical and legal professionals often use the Dunbar Dog Bite Scale to categorize severity. The scale helps courts, insurers, and treating physicians communicate about how serious an attack really was.

Level	What Happened	Typical Outcome
1	Aggressive behavior, no skin contact	Warning, no injury
2	Skin contact, no puncture	Minor mark
3	1 to 4 shallow punctures from a single bite	Medical treatment, no lasting damage likely
4	1 to 4 deep punctures, bruising	Significant injury, often surgery
5	Multiple bites, deep punctures	Major injury, plastic surgery likely
6	Victim killed	Wrongful death

Bites at Level 4 and above often produce severe dog bite injuries that go beyond the bite itself, including traumatic brain injury from being knocked to the ground during the attack. That secondary injury is common in young children and elderly victims and is often missed at the first ER visit.

What Should You Do After a Dog Bite in Houston?

Get emergency medical care first. Dog bites carry serious infection risk, and a documented ER visit protects both your health and your claim. Every step after that has to happen within a specific window.

Time	Action
Immediately	Get to an ER or urgent care. Dog bites carry high infection risk.
Within 24 hours	Report the attack to BARC (the City of Houston’s animal shelter and control agency) or the local animal control authority. Save the report number.
Within 24 to 48 hours	Photograph every wound, the location of the attack, and clothing worn during the bite.
Within 1 week	Get the owner’s homeowners or renters insurance information and any prior bite history.
Within 2 weeks	Contact a Houston dog bite lawyer before giving any recorded statement to an insurer.
Ongoing	Save every medical record, prescription receipt, and out-of-pocket cost.

Do not give a recorded statement to the owner’s insurer before speaking with a lawyer. Do not post the attack on social media. The insurance company is already building a defense.

What Is My Houston Dog Bite Case Worth?

Case value depends on the severity of injury, the location of the wounds on the body (facial scars almost always drive higher settlements), the age of the victim, the insurance available, and whether the dog had shown aggression before the attack. Any lawyer quoting a settlement figure without those facts is guessing.

Recoverable damages in a Houston dog bite case typically include:

• Emergency medical treatment, surgery, and reconstructive or plastic surgery
• Future medical and mental health care
• Lost wages and reduced future earning capacity
• Physical pain and mental anguish
• Physical impairment and disfigurement
• Loss of consortium in severe cases

Punitive damages may apply when the owner knew the dog had bitten before, ignored a “dangerous dog” designation under Chapter 822, or acted with gross negligence.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, children between the ages of 5 and 9 face the highest risk of serious dog bite injury, and children are more likely than adults to need medical treatment for a bite. Facial injuries in growing children are especially serious because they often require multiple surgeries spread across years of continued growth.

Call (214) 522-9404 for a Free Case Review.

How Long Do I Have to File a Dog Bite Claim in Texas?

Two years from the date of the attack for adult personal injury claims, and two years from the date of death for wrongful death claims, under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code §16.003. The clock runs longer for children.

Under §16.001 of the same code, the two-year window for a minor is tolled until the child turns 18, giving the child until their twentieth birthday to file. Parents can and usually should file sooner, because evidence, medical documentation, and witness memory all fade quickly.

Attacks by dogs owned or handled by a government entity (police K-9s, county service animals) may fall under the Texas Tort Claims Act, which requires formal written notice within six months and sometimes sooner under local ordinances.

Ask Crain Brogdon

How much does a Houston dog bite lawyer cost?

Nothing up front. Crain Brogdon takes Houston dog bite cases on a contingency fee, which means the fee comes out of the settlement or verdict, not your pocket. If we do not recover money, you owe no attorney’s fee. Case expenses like medical experts, plastic surgery evaluations, and depositions are advanced by the firm.

What if the dog had never bitten anyone before?

You may still have a case. Texas dog bite liability does not always require a prior bite. Owners can be liable for negligent handling (like failing to leash a dog in violation of a Houston or Harris County ordinance), for violating Health & Safety Code Chapter 822, or for knowingly keeping a dog that showed aggressive behavior short of an actual bite.

What if my child was attacked by a family friend’s or neighbor’s dog?

You can still pursue the claim without creating personal conflict, because the recovery almost always comes from the owner’s homeowners insurance, not their pocket. That is what the coverage is for. A written demand from your lawyer to the insurer keeps the personal relationship out of the negotiation.

Can I file a Houston dog bite claim if I was bitten at work?

Yes, and often you have two claims running at once. If the attack happened while working (postal carriers, delivery drivers, meter readers, home health workers), workers’ compensation may cover initial medical costs, and a separate third-party claim against the dog owner or property owner runs alongside it.

Call (214) 522-9404 to Talk Through Your Options

FAQs

What if the dog was on a leash but still bit me?

A leash does not automatically protect the owner. Owners still have a duty to control the dog, and allowing a leashed dog to approach or lunge at a person can support negligence liability. What often matters most is whether the owner already knew the dog reacted aggressively to strangers, children, or other animals.

Is a dog owner liable if the bite happened on their property?

Often, yes. Being on the property does not remove the owner’s duty to warn about a known dangerous dog or to prevent a foreseeable attack. Trespassers have fewer rights than invited guests, but even trespassers can recover in cases of gross negligence or intentional conduct.

What if I was bitten while walking my own dog?

You may still have a claim against the other dog’s owner. Under Texas law, the owner of a dog that attacks a person, including during a dog-on-dog fight, can be liable for the human injuries. Evidence of prior aggressive behavior by the attacking dog strengthens the case.

Does the firm handle Houston dog bite cases involving children?

Yes. Child victims make up a significant part of our dog bite practice. Children are disproportionately bitten in the face and head, and the injuries often require repeat surgeries as the child grows. We work with plastic surgeons, pediatric mental health specialists, and life-care planners to document the full future cost of recovery.

Talk to a Houston Dog Bite Lawyer Today

A short call with our team costs nothing and carries no obligation. We will listen to what happened, tell you honestly whether we think we can help, and if we can, we go to work.

Learn more about our full Houston personal injury services or call (214) 522-9404, available 24/7. We take dog bite cases in Houston, throughout Harris County, and across Texas.

Attorney Quentin Brogdon

Quentin Brogdon has over thirty years of experience and expertise in the field of personal injury trial law. He is board certified in both personal injury trial law and civil trial advocacy. Quentin has received an AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell, the highest possible rating. This rating reflects an attorney’s ethics and abilities according to reviews from fellow attorneys. [ Attorney Bio ]