Pit Bull Houston Dog Bite Lawyer

Seeking a Free Consultation with one of Texas’ Houston Dog Bite Lawyers? Call the Houston Dog Bite Lawyer Reshard Alexander today at 713.766.3322.

Houston Dog Bite Lawyer Reshard Alexander helps the victims of Houston animal attacks receive full and fair compensation.

Pit bull is the common name for a type of dog descended from bulldogs and terriers. The pit bull-type is particularly ambiguous, as it encompasses a range of pedigree breeds, informal types and appearances that cannot be reliably identified.^[1] Formal breeds often considered to be of the pit bull-type include the American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, American Bully, and Staffordshire Bull Terrier.^[2]^[3]^[4] The American Bulldog is also sometimes included.^[5] Mixed-breed dogs that physically resemble these breeds often get labeled as “pit bulls” by shelters. Many of these breeds were originally developed as fighting dogs from crossbreeding bull-baiting dogs (used to hold the faces and heads of larger animals such as bulls) and terriers.^[5] After the use of dogs in blood sports was banned, such dogs were used as catch dogs in the United States for semi-wild cattle and hogs, to hunt and drive livestock, and as family companions.^[6] Despite dog fighting now being illegal in the United States, it still exists as an underground activity, and pit bulls are a common type used.^[7]^[8]^[9]

Seeking a Free Consultation with one of Texas’ Houston Dog Bite Lawyers? Call the Houston Dog Bite Lawyer Reshard Alexander today at 713.766.3322.

Temperament

In a 2014 literature review of dog bite studies, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) states that breed is a poor sole predictor of dog bites.^[36] Controlled studies have not identified pit bulls as disproportionately dangerous. Pit bull-type dogs are more frequently identified with cases involving very severe injuries or fatalities than other breeds, but the review suggests this may relate to the popularity of the breed, noting that sled dogs, such as Siberian Huskies, were involved in a majority of fatal dog attacks in some areas of Canada.^[1] Bite statistics by breed are not tracked by the CDC^[37], AVMA^[38] or the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).^[39] State Farm Insurance spokeswoman Heather Paul stated “Pit bulls in particular are often misidentified when a bite incident occurs, so reliable bite statistics related to the dogs’ breed are unreliable and serve no purpose.”^[40] The White House stated that “the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention looked at twenty years of data about dog bites and human fatalities in the United States. They found that fatal attacks represent a very small proportion of dog bite injuries to people and that it’s virtually impossible to calculate bite rates for specific breeds”. ^[41]

In a 2000 review by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which examines data from both media reports and from the Humane Society of the United States, pit bull-type dogs were identified in approximately one-third of dog bite-related fatalities in the United States between 1981 and 1992. However, the review notes that studies on dog bite-related fatalities which collect information by surveying news reports are subject to potential errors, as some fatal attacks may not have been reported, a study might not find all relevant news reports, and the dog breed might be misidentified.^[42] The AVMA has also noted fundamental problems with tracking breed in dog bite-related fatalities.^[38] In a 2013 study of 256 fatalities in the United States from 2000 to 2009, the AVMA determined that valid breed determination was possible for only 17.6% of cases.^[43]

Contrary to popular myth, pit bulls do not have “locking jaws”.^[44] There is no physiological “locking mechanism” in the jaw muscle and bone structure of pit bulls or other dogs.^[45] Pit bull-type dogs, like other terriers, hunting and bull-baiting breeds,^[46] can exhibit a bite, hold, and shake behavior and at times refuse to release.^[12]^[47]^[48] Pit bulls also have wide skulls, well-developed facial muscles, and strong jaws,^[44] and some research suggests that pit bull bites are particularly serious because they tend to bite deeply and grind their molars into the tissue.^[49] Breaking an ammonia ampule and holding it up to the dog’s nose can cause the dog to release its hold.^[47]

Seeking a Free Consultation with one of Texas’ Houston Dog Bite Lawyers? Call the Houston Dog Bite Lawyer Reshard Alexander today at 713.766.3322.

Liability insurance

Dog owners in the United States can be held legally liable for injuries inflicted or caused by their dogs. In general, owners are considered liable if they were unreasonably careless in handling or restraining the dog, or if they knew beforehand that the dog had a tendency to cause injury (e.g., bite); however, dog owners are automatically considered liable if local laws hold an owner strictly liable for all damage caused by their dog, regardless of carelessness or foreknowledge of a dog’s tendencies. Homeowners and renters insurance policies typically provide liability coverage from US$100,000–300,000 for injuries inflicted by dogs;^[66] however, some insurance companies limit their exposure to dog bite liability claims by putting restrictions on dog owners that they insure. These restrictions include refusing to cover dog bites under the insurance policy, increasing insurance rates for homeowners with specific breeds, requiring owners of specific breeds to take special training or have their dogs pass the American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen test,^[67] requiring owners to restrict their dogs with muzzles, chains, or enclosures, and refusing to write policies for homeowners or renters who have specific breeds of dogs.^[66]

Owners of rental properties may also be held liable if they knew an aggressive dog was living on their property and they did nothing to ensure the safety of other tenants at the property; as a result, many rental properties forbid pit bull-type dogs and any other breeds if the rental property’s insurance will not cover damage inflicted by that type of dog. The dog breeds most often targeted by insurance companies include pit bull-type dogs, Rottweilers, German Shepherd Dogs, Doberman Pinschers, Akitas (Akita Inu and American Akitas), and Chow Chows.^[68]