Cole, Cole, Easley, and Sciba Trial Attorneys can help you and your family if your child is bitten by a dog in Victoria. It’s one thing when you’re the one that’s hurt by a dog. It’s completely different when it’s your child. But once the emergency passes, there’s going to be questions about what you can do to help your child get better. Our team will be there to answer your questions and help you. Set up a free consultation today.
Does a Lawyer Make Sense When My Child is Bitten by a Dog?
After a dog bites your child in Victoria, you’re already dealing with doctor’s appointments, worried family members, and most of all, a child that’s scared and hurting.
Trying to sort through what happened or argue with an insurance company on top of all of that is usually the point when talking to our lawyers starts to make more sense. Our team can help you and your family by:
- Looking at exactly what happened to figure out who might be responsible and whether the dog’s owner knew the dog had a history of aggressive behavior.
- Explaining how dog bite law actually works in Texas. Unlike some states, Texas doesn’t automatically hold every dog owner responsible, but your family can still have a strong claim depending on what happened.
- Pulling together all the evidence your child’s claim needs, whether that’s medical records, witness statements, photos, or animal control reports.
- Handing all the talks with insurance companies so you can spend your time helping your child recover instead of fighting over paperwork.
At the end of the day, that’s really the point. We handle the legal side so you can focus on your child.
What Happens When Your Child Is Bitten by a Dog in Victoria?
This seems obvious, but a dog bite affects your child differently than it would an adult. That starts with the actual injuries your child is probably going to end up with, like:
- Deep bite wounds to the face, neck, arms, or legs.
- Permanent scarring, especially from facial injuries.
- Broken bones, torn muscles, or nerve damage from larger dogs.
- Serious infections if the wounds aren’t treated quickly.
- Anxiety, nightmares, or a lasting fear of dogs after the attack.
- In rare situations, diseases like rabies.
The hard part isn’t just watching your child get injured in such a traumatic way, although that’s a big part of these kinds of accidents. It’s also that it’s incredibly hard to figure out the full impact right away. You can take care of bite wounds and other physical injuries now, but the emotional and psychological impact can—but often doesn’t—show up until later. But one way or the other, your child is probably looking at a long recovery process. Like any dog bite claim, though, the information you can get in the aftermath is going to be important for what comes next.
Information That Can Help Your Child’s Dog Bite Claim
Every dog bite is different, and every child responds differently to such an attack. And while your first priority should be getting your child to safety and getting them medical care, it’s also about getting as much information as you can. Here’s what to try to focus on:
- Information about the dog and owner. Getting the owner’s name, contact information, and insurance information can be important. If you don’t have all of this right away, that’s okay. We can help investigate and find missing details.
- Medical records. Your child’s medical records tell the story of what happened, what treatment was needed, and how the injury affected their recovery.
- Animal control reports. Reporting the bite creates an official record. These reports may also help uncover whether the dog had previous incidents or whether there were concerns about the dog’s behavior before the attack.
- Pictures and videos. Pictures of your child’s injuries can show the seriousness of the attack and how those injuries change over time. Photos or videos from the location where the bite happened may also provide important context.
- Witness information. Anyone who saw the attack happen may be able to explain what happened and provide details that support your claim.
Keep in mind that you may not be able to get all of this immediately after the bite, and that’s understandable. Your focus should be your child. We can help gather the information needed to fill in the gaps.
Who’s Responsible When My Child Is Bitten by a Dog in Texas?
As we mentioned previously, this is where Texas is a little different from some other states. Texas generally follows what’s called the “one bite rule.” That doesn’t literally mean every dog gets one free bite. Instead, it usually means you’ll need to show one of two things:
- The owner knew—or reasonably should have known—that their dog had dangerous tendencies because of previous aggressive behavior.
- The owner’s own negligence caused the attack, like letting the dog run loose or failing to control it when they should have.
Sometimes the facts are pretty clear. Other times, it takes digging into the dog’s history, talking to witnesses, looking over pictures and medical records, and pouring through animal control records to figure out exactly what happened.
And here’s something else that you might not think about: location. Where the bite happened to your child is important, because it could potentially bring in other sources of liability, like:
- Schools or daycare centers
- Homeowners or landlords
- The city government if the bite happened on public property
- Businesses that allow dogs or event organizers
- Caregivers or other adults that were responsible for watching your child
So yes, it’s not always the dog owner that’s responsible when your child gets bitten. But one way or the other, what happens after you narrow down liability is important for your child’s overall recovery.
What’s the Legal Process After My Child Is Bitten by a Dog?
Even though your child is the one that’s injured, you’ll be the one that’s actually filing the injury claim while they’re still a minor.
And while that’s different, the actual process works the same way. That means you’ll usually either file:
- An insurance claim out of court
- A personal injury lawsuit in court
Most of these kinds of claims start with insurance, but you have to keep in mind that whatever you’re able to get in terms of financial support is going to be tied to any insurance policy in place. And like any insurance claim, what you’re offered probably won’t meet your child’s long-term needs.
If that’s the situation, a lawsuit might be a better option because you can get fuller damages like:
- Medical bills, both now and in the future
- Counseling or therapy
- Lost income if you had to miss work to care for your child
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress, especially your child’s anxiety and PTSD
- Permanent scarring or disfigurement.
- Future care if your child’s injuries continue to affect them
There’s still a two-year deadline to file, but it doesn’t kick in until your child turns 18. That technically gives you extra time, but dog and owner information is much harder to track down the longer you wait. Plus, physical injuries heal, witnesses move away, and it generally just becomes more difficult to put together a clear picture of what happened. But again, you and your family don’t have to go through this alone.
Get Help From Victoria Child Dog Bite Lawyers
No parent expects a normal day to end with a trip to the emergency room because of a dog bite on their child. When it happens, though, it’s natural to have questions about what’s next and whether your family has any legal options.
That’s where our Victoria dog bite lawyers at Cole, Cole, Easley, and Sciba Trial Attorneys can help. We’ll listen to what happened, explain how Texas law applies to your situation, and handle the legal process while you focus on getting your child back on their feet. Set up a free consultation today.
