Other Practice Areas
Click on each of the practice areas below to read more about what the Law Firm of W. Brice Cottongame can do to help you.
Animal Bites
The Law Office of W. Brice Cottongame & Associates represents victims of dog bites and their families. This Fort Worth dog bite attorney is an expert at navigating the courts to get victims and families the compensation they deserve. Dog bites can cause significant physical and psychological injuries that often require extensive and expensive medical treatment, especially for children.
About 4.5 million people suffer dog bites in the U.S. each year; half the victims are children. Nearly one in five people who suffer dog bites require medical attention. Medical injuries can range from minor to severe and can include:
- Pain and Suffering
- Disfiguring Scars
- Infection
- Bone Fracture
- Rabies
- Nerve Damage
- Amputation
- Death
Injuries resulting from dog bites are expensive. Medical bills, prescription medication and pain management programs, lifesaving or reconstructive surgery, ongoing treatment and time away from work can cost tens of thousands of dollars. More than 27,000 Americans underwent reconstructive surgery to repair damage caused by dog bites in 2012.
Psychological damage including nightmares, embarrassment, and stress from loss of income and medical bills may occur, in addition to physical harm. These emotional effects can last for many years or even a lifetime. Some dog bite victims require counseling to help them overcome psychological damage or adjust to disability caused by the dog bite.
Under Texas law, dog bite victims and their families can file a lawsuit with the court against the dog owners. This lawsuit would make the owners responsible for damages and losses the victim or family incurred. These claims are typically covered under the dog owner’s homeowner’s insurance policies. Along with their claim, victims would submit copies of medical bills, medical records, eyewitness accounts and photographs of the locations of the attack and injuries sustained.
While legal action cannot reverse the damage caused by dog bites, it can help the victim secure financial compensation for injury-related costs. In cases where the victim dies as the result of the dog bite, families can file a wrongful death claim. The Law Office of W. Brice Cottongame & Associates is ready to fight on behalf of victims and their families.
Any dog can bite, regardless of breed, age or gender. All pet owners must be responsible for preventing their animal from inflicting harm upon another person. Legal action also sends a loud and clear message to negligent dog owners that behavior resulting in harm to another is a serious matter.
You need a Fort Worth dog bite attorney who understands the finer points of dog bite law in the city. The Law Office of W. Brice Cottongame & Associates also provides counsel in cases of other types of animal attacks and mauling. Contact the Law Office of W. Brice Cottongame & Associates today to learn more about dog bite lawsuits in Fort Worth, Texas.
Dangerous/Defective Products
When we purchase a product, whether it is something as simple as a toothbrush or as complicated as a video surveillance system, we expect that product to operate in a safe and effective manner according to the manufacturer’s promise of providing us with an exemplary product.
Unfortunately, manufacturers do not always take the time to ensure their products are free of dangerous defects. Consequently, thousands of people each year are injured due to products that have not been assembled correctly or contain faulty parts. When someone is burned, electrocuted or suffers other serious harm because of manufacturer negligence, a product liability claim may be filed in court so that the plaintiff can be fairly compensated for pain, suffering and medical bills.
Exploding batteries are just one example of a product liability case. The Law Office of W. Brice Cottongame and Associates has experience representing persons injured by exploding batteries. These injuries are painful, expensive to treat and can cause extensive scarring. Call us today if you have been injured by an exploding battery in a cell phone, vaping device or any other battery operated instrumentality.
Insurance Litigation
When we purchase an insurance policy, whether it is for health, home, auto or business related reasons, we expect that policy to protect us from financial disaster if a situation arises which necessitates using that policy to pay for unexpected and exorbitant expenses. However, insurance companies are solely in the business to retain and consistently increase their profits gained from receiving more payments than they remit on submitted claims. Policy holders attempting to use their insurance to pay for medical bills or vehicle accidents will often find themselves being manipulated by insurance agencies that use delaying tactics or repeated denial of claims that make it difficult, if not impossible, for these policy holders to obtain funds that rightfully belong to them.
Insurance policy holders who are up-to-date in payments should be honored by their insurance agencies to pay for a service they promised to give to customers who trusted them to provide assistance when it is needed. In Texas, all insurance companies are expected to act in “good faith” by addressing claims submissions in a timely and ethical manner. However, when claims are delayed or denied without a justifiable reason, policy holders are strongly urged to contact the Law Office of W. Brice Cottongame & Associates for immediate assistance from a proactive, experienced Fort Worth attorney who understands the underhanded strategies employed by some insurance companies to avoid paying on claims that are legal and justified.
Brice is dedicated to fighting for honest, hardworking individuals who have had the unfortunate experience of dealing with “bad faith” claims handling practices.
Insurance litigation attorney, Brice Cottongame, handles all types of insurance cases, including disability (long and short-term), employee benefit, life insurance and retirement insurance benefit claims. If you are being given the “run around” by your insurance company and need to pay medical, business, home or car repair bills today, contact us immediately and start fighting back against double-dealing insurance companies by having Brice Cottongame represent you in court.
Wildland/Rangeland Fire Litigation
Fire season in Texas causes concern for ranchers, farmers and homeowners alike. Mother Nature causes her share of Wildland or Rangeland Fires, but Mother Nature doesn’t cause all of them. Negligently maintained power lines and oil and gas wells can cause a range fire and the damage associated with it.
We have experience in making the entities responsible for starting a wildland/rangeland fire pay for the losses incurred by our clients. Frequently, a fire loss is underinsured or uninsured. Damages may also include loss of market or property value or the cost of re-forestation, and loss of business income. These cases will frequently require experts on the cause and origin as well as the spread of the fire. The Law Office of W. Brice Cottongame & Associates has experience in representing property owners who have sustained a loss as a result of a negligently started wildfire.
As in all cases requiring expert witnesses, it is important to get an attorney as soon as possible so that evidence can be analyzed by experts retained to protect the land, business or homeowner’s interests. The Law Office of W. Brice Cottongame and Associates represents persons harmed by negligently caused wildland/rangeland fires on a contingency basis, which means we don’t get paid unless and until our clients get paid. If there is no recovery, no attorney fees are owed.
Call us today at 817-877-4900
