Go to navigation Go to content
Toll-Free: 800-354-6275
Phone: 817-294-1900
Anderson Law Firm
A- A A+

Who is Responsible When a Loose Dog Causes a Traffic Accident?


As a North Texas personal injury lawyer, I know that most dog attacks occur near the victim's home, so it's not surprising to learn that the majority of these animal are owned by the victim's neighbors who have negligently allowed their pet to run wild up the street and around the neighborhood. It's really not uncommon at all to see loose dogs running at large in many Dallas-Fort Worth neighborhoods. This also means additional hazards to drivers who are forced to either brake or swerve if the unleashed dog runs into the street. Sometimes the dogs are chasing other cars, or sometimes they're just happy to run down the road, oblivious to the traffic.

 Most of the time motorists are able to perform an emergency stop to avoid hitting a loose animal, but this not only causes a frustration to the driver, but it creates an unnecessary hazard. If another vehicle was following close behind them, for example, they could crash into the first car. Alternatively, if a dog ran into the roadway ahead of a car, that driver might be forced to swerve to avoid it, hitting another parked vehicle, or other stationary obstacle such as fire hydrant. This can not only cause property damage, but also bodily injury requiring expensive medical treatment.

In traffic accidents caused by a loose dog, regardless of whether one or more motorists involved were partially at fault too, there is still potential for a personal injury claim to be made against the negligent dog owner who allowed their animal to roam freely around the neighborhood without regard for the danger they posed to other people. In such cases, your attorney would not make a claim against the pet owner's auto insurance, but against their home insurance, since that is the policy their animal would be covered under. This is particularly important to realize, because the chances are that it will be one of your own neighbors whose insurance you will be making a claim against. Making a claim against someone's home insurance is not the same as making a claim against their car, motorcycle or truck insurance because it will not count against them and hurt their premiums, since home insurance prices are based on all the homes in a given area, not on the number of claims that one individual home owner has made against their policy. So if a loose dog was the cause of your car crash, you absolutely should make a claim against their insurance.

For more information, or to schedule a no fee, no obligation consultation on your case, call us toll free at 800-354-MARK (6275) or locally at 817-294-1900. Alternatively, you can write us a description of your personal situation, and one of our experienced attorneys will call you back as soon as possible.



Other Articles You Might Be Interested In:
Obtaining a Rental Car After the Accident
Will a Judge or Jury Decide My Car Wreck Case?
Making a Dog Attack Claim When The Owner Is Someone I Know
Why do I have to pay back my health insurance company?
5 Important Things to Help You with Your Injury Claim





The Anderson Law Firm offers free no obligation consultations to people injured in accidents or who have suffered physical harm as a result of someone else's actions. We do not charge you to initially discuss your situation and establish whether you have a claim to pursue. You can call us and discuss your case over the phone, we can set up an appointment for you to come into our office, or we can visit you in your home anywhere in the metroplex.

If after meeting with us you decide that we are the best personal injury lawyer for you, then we will enter into a contingent fee agreement. This means that we only get paid when we win a settlement or jury verdict in your favor. You don't pay us anything up front. We will cover all expenses spent working on your case. Only when we win for you will you need to pay us. If we don't win, then you owe us nothing.

Contact us online now or call us 24 hours a day toll free on 1-800-354-MARK (1-800-345-6-275). You can also call us locally in Fort Worth on 817-294-1900 or in Dallas on 214-327-8000.


best personal injury lawyer arlington pi attorney fort worth