Houston Dog Bite Lawyer
Houston Dog Bite Lawyer
A dog bite in Houston can quickly turn into a situation that requires medical treatment and legal guidance. Recognized as one of the Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch, your Houston personal injury lawyer from Goff Law, PLLC has worked with families who never expected to be dealing with serious injuries after an animal attack.
If you were bitten, your Houston dog bite lawyer from Goff Law, PLLC will listen to your experience and help you pursue compensation that can help you cover your current and future medical care and other expenses that may come up as you continue to heal from the injuries you sustained.
Houston Leash and Containment Laws
In a city as dense as Houston, leash and containment rules exist to keep both people and pets safe. When dog owners ignore those requirements, the chance of serious bites or attacks rises quickly. These laws play a direct part in how responsibility is decided, especially in cases where owners failed to restrain their animals.
City Ordinances Can Affect Your Dog Bite Case
Houston requires owners to leash their dogs or keep them contained, and violations can directly influence liability. If a dog was loose when it bit you, that failure may be used as proof that the owner did not meet basic duties of care. Your Houston dog bite attorney with Goff Law, PLLC can use ordinance violations to build your claim and demonstrate that the attack could have been prevented.
Even when a leash was used, improper restraint can still raise questions about an owner’s responsibility. Courts often look at whether local laws were followed and whether the dog’s behavior should have been anticipated. When ordinances are ignored, it becomes clear that the owner failed to take the steps needed to prevent injuries.
Apartment and Home Owners Association (HOA) Rules in Houston
Dog bites do not only happen on sidewalks or in parks. Many occur inside apartment complexes or residential communities where pets live close to neighbors. Landlords and HOAs often create rules about leash use and containment, and some also restrict certain breeds, but those rules have little value if no one enforces them. Rabies vaccinations are also required under Texas Health & Safety Code § 826.021, and when owners ignore that law it can create additional legal problems in a dog bite case.
For tenants and visitors, these rules influence who may be held responsible when an attack happens. If a landlord or HOA disregarded repeated complaints about a dangerous animal, that failure can add weight to your claim. By pointing out how enforcement broke down, you can show that the incident never should have occurred in the first place.
A Dog’s Past Aggression Could Affect Your Claim
When a dog has a history of aggression, that record can change how your case is handled in Houston. Incidents like earlier bites or repeated leash violations may show that the owner should have taken stronger steps to prevent another attack. A Houston spinal cord injury lawyer with our firm understands how these details can influence the outcome of a dog bite claim. Some of the factors that may be reviewed include:
- Prior citations for failing to restrain the dog
- Multiple leash law violations on record
- Unreported bites involving neighbors, workers, or visitors
- Previous complaints filed with animal control
- Records of the dog being classified as dangerous
- Evidence of attacks on other pets or animals
- Statements from witnesses about past aggressive behavior
- Missed deadlines for required training or containment orders
- Lack of compliance with court-ordered restrictions
When a dog’s background shows repeated aggression, it creates a stronger case for holding the owner accountable. The Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code § 33.001 explains proportionate responsibility, meaning more than one party can share liability if others allowed the dog access despite its history. With a documented record in play, legal strategy can focus on showing that the owner ignored warnings and permitted conditions that led directly to your injuries.
What Businesses and Landlords Must Do to Keep You Safe
When dogs are allowed on a property, the people who control that space have a responsibility to protect guests and tenants. A landlord who overlooks complaints or a business that allows animals without proper safeguards can put everyone at risk. Your Houston catastrophic injury lawyer with Goff Law, PLLC understands how these responsibilities apply in Houston dog bite claims.
When Your Landlord Could Be Responsible for a Tenant’s Dog
Landlords are not responsible for every action of their tenants, but they can share liability when they know a dog is dangerous and fail to act. The Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code § 16.003 sets a two-year statute of limitations for many claims, which gives you time to act if a landlord ignores safety concerns. If you reported aggression or a prior bite and the landlord did nothing, that inaction could make them partly responsible.
Liability can also arise when landlords fail to maintain safe common areas. A broken gate or poor fencing can put you at risk each time you use the property, and leash violations that go unaddressed make the danger worse. When warnings are ignored, it leaves tenants and visitors exposed to dangers that should have been fixed.
How a Business Could Be Held Accountable for a Dog Attack
Businesses that welcome pets onto their property take on responsibilities to keep customers and visitors safe. If a store or restaurant allows dogs without leash requirements, or an office fails to enforce containment rules, the risk of an attack increases and the business may share responsibility when someone gets hurt. A Houston premises liability lawyer with our firm has seen how companies often argue they were not at fault, even when their own policies created unsafe conditions.
Confinement of an animal involved in a bite is required under Texas Health & Safety Code § 826.033, which shows how seriously the law treats these incidents. For you, evidence that a business ignored safety measures, such as allowing aggressive dogs in crowded spaces or failing to act on prior complaints, can be an important part of your claim. By pointing to these lapses, you can demonstrate that your injuries were the result of conditions the business should have prevented.
Reach Out to Your Dog Bite Lawyer in Houston Today
