Invited Guest Suffers Dog Bite Injury in McKinney

My client in McKinney was invited into a person’s home where a dog was allowed to roam freely inside the house. When my client entered, the dog came up behind her and, unprovoked, tore up her legs with several bites. The dog had to be wrestled off the client.

This case involved only two parties, the plaintiff and the homeowner. The client hired our firm because she was also a client in other legal matters and was knowledgeable about our work. In this case, our dedicated dog bite attorneys fought hard to recover the compensation that she deserved.

Evidence in the Dog Bite Case

The client reported the incident to the police, saying she had been badly hurt. There was little evidence to go on in the case other than the client’s side of the story and unverified evidence. Therefore, the firm had to investigate the situation to see if it was a viable case. In Texas, one must show that the animal has a propensity for violence. That can be shown by the dog’s breed or by the dog’s history, which this case provided both.

The dog was a pit-bull mix with another violent breed. That demonstrated a propensity for violence, and the client showed evidence of scarring, so there was a viable case that she had complex regional pain syndrome (CPRS), which used to be known as reflex system dystrophy (RSD). With RSD, because of trauma, the nerves continue to fire a pain signal even if there is no direct damage to the nerve sending the pain signal. The syndrome is often accompanied by temperature differential in the affected limb of the body, changes in skin texture and hair loss in the affected limb. It is a very painful condition and can be lifelong.

Unique Aspects of This Dog Bite Case

Most dog bites do not occur inside the home. Dogs usually are kept outside and may not be adequately fenced, which may lead to a dog bite.  Homeowner’s insurance usually covers the liability if the dog was inside the home.

The city of McKinney has ordinances that applied to the client’s case because of the location of the incident. McKinney, Frisco, and many other cities of more than 10,000 people in Collin County have home rules and regulations concerning the maintenance of dogs. McKinney had regulations requiring a dog to be quarantined or be watched after an attack, a requirement that was relevant in this case.