Although dogs are considered man’s best friend, our canine companions still have the propensity to attack or bite. Although Texas doesn’t have a specific law that covers dog bite cases, a dog’s owner can still be held civilly and criminally liable for an injury caused by their pet.

When it comes to personal injury cases from dog bites, Texas is a negligence—or “one bite rule”—state. In order to recover financial compensation, the injured party must demonstrate that the dog’s owner knew or should’ve known that his/her dog had bitten another person before or otherwise had acted aggressively. On the other hand, if the dog owner was negligent by failing to use reasonable care to control their pet or prevent an attack, the injured party can file a lawsuit.

For example, if a dog bites a person or knocks him/her to the ground, which causes an injury, and the dog owner was aware of the dog’s aggressive or failed to use reasonable care to prevent harm, the injured party can file a lawsuit against the dog owner. Failing to use reasonable care to prevent harm means keeping the dog behind a fence or on a leash.

If a dog bite case involves a serious injury or death, the dog’s owner may be charged with a felony. The prosecution must prove that the owner was aware his/her dog is “dangerous” or failed to secure the dog and the dog attacked another person—unprovoked—outside the owner’s property.

If you have suffered an injury caused by another person’s dog in Dallas, contact the Law Offices of Robert Gregg today at and schedule a free consultation to learn how we can help.