Texas dog bite expert witness Richard Polsky, Ph.D. presents a selection of noteworthy news on dog bite incidences from the Lone Star State. These incidences illustrate how dangerous dogs can become, particularly if the dog is not managed properly. Texas does not impose strict liability on the owner for dog bites. Hence, legal liability in Texas must be based on negligence or on how the dog was managed. And, if the dog was managed recklessly, or with blatant disregard for public safety, then a claim of punitive damages may be warranted. Another section of this website lists information about dog attacks in other states of the USA.
- Pit bull mauls one year old child to death in Magnolia, Texas. A March 2011 attack by a pit bull dog killed a
one-year-old boy in Magnolia Texas, a small town about 50 miles north of Houston. Read more - Labrador retriever dog bite leads to lawsuit in Galveston, Texas. Joggers are often attacked by dogs, possibly because of the movement which triggers predatory tendencies in some dogs, and this may have happened in a dog bite incident in Galveston, Texas in September 2011. The victim, Jack Kaufman, was jogging, and according to his complaint the dog bit him, tearing his skin and causing severe injuries to his legs. The lawsuit also alleges that this particular Labrador retriever had exhibited prior dangerous propensities which were “abnormal to its class”, and that the dog had attacked other people prior to September 2011. Plaintiff also listed a number of areas of negligence by the defendant in their lawsuit, such as failure to properly control the dog.
- Texas leads nation in fatal dog attacks. There have been approximately 34 dog bite fatalities between January 2005 and February 2013 in Texas, making Texas the leader in incidences of fatal dog attacks in the USA. Children under the age of 11 represented 68% of fatal dog bite cases. Read more
- DNA analysis fails to identify dogs involved in fatal dog attack in Dallas Texas. DNA analysis is the standard in canine forensics when the identification of dogs involved in the fatal dog attack remains uncertain. DNA analysis is nearly 100% accurate provided that the collection of forensic evidence is not contaminated accurate …Read more
- Dog bite to the face by a German Shepherd in a Texas Petco store. Increased risks of dog bite attack exists for customers of Petco stores given the aggressive temperament of some dogs and the management practices of Petco. Read more
- An unsupervised two-year-old toddler was killed in Hunt County, Texas by a pit bull who escaped from the yard in which it was confined. The incident happened in July 2020.
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- Fatal dog attack on homeless person in Houston marks first dog bite fatality in USA for 2014
- Divine intervention when Bibles used to stop pit bull attack in Texas?
- Bull mastiff inflicts a fatal dog bite 2-year-old toddler in Killeen, Texas in March 2014
- Mom bites off ear of pit bull to save 2 y.o. daughter
- Animal behavior perspective on fatal dog bite to 83-year-old woman in Texas
- Predatory attack by pit bull kills two year old infant
- The dangerous nature of Boerboels in Texas dog bite lawsuits
- Pack of stray dogs kill 52-year-old lady in Dallas, Texas
- Labrador retriever led dog pack kills process server in Austin
- Study finds serious dog bite problem caused by stray dogs in southern Dallas, Texas
- Toddler killed in fatal dog attack in Hunt County, TX.