It is important for dog bite injury victims in Texas to report their attacks to the correct local authorities. The City of San Antonio keeps track of dog bite injuries so it can control potentially dangerous dogs. Take the following steps with the help of a dog bite injury lawyer in San Antonio to report your dog bite injury correctly if you or a loved one gets attacked in Texas.
Telling the authorities about a dog bite incident can improve public safety. Animal Control can keep track of dangerous dogs and enforce rules against the pet owner, such as muzzling the dog in public. This can help prevent others from getting attacked in the future.
According to Texas Health and Safety Code §826.041, if you believe you could contract rabies from the dog bite injury, you legally must report it. This includes if you find out that the dog is not vaccinated or it is a stray dog, and if the bite breaks the skin. The animal may be quarantined to check for rabies.
How Does Texas’s One-Bite Law Work?
Reporting your dog bite injury is also important for preserving your right (and the rights of others) to seek financial compensation from the owner of the dog. Texas is a one-bite state, meaning that an injured dog attack victim must prove that the animal had bitten or hurt someone else in the past to qualify for financial compensation.
Filing a dog bite report documents the incident for the record so that if the dog attacks again, the victim will have the evidence necessary to make the pet owner pay for the attack. If you get bitten by the same dog, your previous report can support your claim and qualify you for financial compensation from the pet owner’s property insurance company under the one-bite rule.
How to Report a Dog Bite Injury in San Antonio
If you get bitten by a dog within San Antonio city limits, you can report it to your local animal control authority by calling 311 or (210) 207-6000 immediately. You can also submit a request online. This will connect you to Animal Care Services, which will investigate and document the bite. Response time is three hours to three days, depending on whether the report is critical or noncritical.
Animal control authorities may interview you, other witnesses and the owner of the dog during its investigation. A 10-day quarantine of the dog may be ordered to monitor the pet for symptoms of rabies. Meanwhile, you should seek professional medical care for your dog bite injuries. Document your treatments by obtaining copies of your health care records.
What to Do After You File the Report
If you wish to pursue financial compensation for your dog bite injury in San Antonio, put together a file with as much information and evidence regarding the incident as you can. A personal injury lawyer in San Antonio will help you with these legal complexities. Document important facts and details, such as:
- The date, time and location of the incident
- The name of the pet owner or controller
- A description of the dog, including size, breed and color
- The names and phone numbers of any eyewitnesses
- A description of what happened in your own words
- Photographs of your injuries and any property damage
- Medical records and health care bills
- Proof of any lost wages, such as employment documents
Together with your dog bite injury report, this evidence may be enough to hold a pet owner responsible for the attack and recover financial compensation for your losses. For assistance handling the legal process of a dog bite injury claim in San Antonio, contact Hill Law Firm Accident and Injury Lawyers to request a free consultation. Contact us today.