Scars and disfigurement after an injury in Dallas: when to file and what to save
A scar takes time to show its final look. Doctors say scars reach maturity at around 12 to 18 months, but the Texas lawsuit deadline is generally 2 years. For a dog bite in Dallas, report it by calling 311. Photograph the wound now and again at each stage.
Last checked November 9, 2026 · Official sources (31)
When should I file a scar claim in Dallas?
Do not wait for the scar to settle before you act. Scar maturity is around 12 to 18 months, and the Texas deadline for most injury suits is 2 years. That leaves a thin margin. Keep photos from week one, then monthly, in the same light.
Surgery has its own timing. Revising an immature scar gives poor results, and revision improves a scar but does not erase it. Scars often look thicker, pinker, redder or shinier at first, then fade, but they never go away completely.
How do I report a dog bite that left a scar in Dallas?
- Clean the bite with soap and water at once.
- Call 311 to report it. In Dallas a person bitten or scratched by an animal must report it.
- Know that doctors and medical facilities also report dog bites to Dallas Animal Services.
- Dallas Animal Services investigates reported bites. It is at 1818 N. Westmoreland Road, (214) 670-6800.
- Call 214-670-8313 to have a dangerous dog affidavit sent to you.
Dallas Animal Services counted 1,689 total bites in fiscal year 2024-25, and 774 were loose bites. It is an offense in Dallas for an unsecured dog to make an unprovoked bite causing bodily injury away from the owner's property. An owner of a dangerous dog must show financial responsibility of at least $100,000 for injuries.
Can I claim a scar from a burn in Dallas?
Yes. Scarring and contracture are common with burns. Parkland's Burn Center treats adults and children. If an e-bike or e-scooter battery started the fire, keep the device and the charger.
How does Texas value a scar or disfigurement?
| Item | What Texas says |
|---|---|
| Disfigurement | Listed as its own noneconomic item |
| Mental anguish | Listed separately from disfigurement |
| Physical impairment | Must be substantial and go beyond other damages |
| Medical care | Limited to what was paid or owed |
| Doctor negligence | A $250,000 limit per claimant applies to noneconomic damages against physicians |
No page can say what a scar is worth. Settlement terms may not be public. Treatments run from revision to dermabrasion, laser, injections, peels and creams, and each treatment record helps. Treatment can make a keloid bigger, so talk to the doctor about risk first.
What if the scar came from a Dallas sidewalk fall or a city vehicle?
Dallas City Code says the abutting owner is primarily liable for damage from a defective sidewalk. For a claim against the City of Dallas, written notice is due within six months. A scar from a fall may be on the face or hands, so photos with a date matter.
A child's years before age 18 are left out of the lawsuit deadline. The six-month city notice does not pause for a minor.
Questions
Is a scar taxable if I settle?
A physical injury settlement is generally not taxable unless medical costs were deducted earlier.
Who fixes scars?
Treatments range from revision surgery to dermabrasion, laser, injections, peels and creams.
What if a keloid forms?
Keloids are more common under 30, and treatment can make one larger.
Scars and disfigurement in Dallas? See if you are owed money.
A free case review. $0 upfront. No fee unless you win.
See if I’m owed moneySources (31)
- PubMed Central (NIH), checked 2026-11-09. “it takes around 12-18 months for the scar to mature”
- Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003, checked 2026-11-08. “not later than two years after the day the cause of action accrues”
- Dallas Animal Services, Dangerous Dogs, checked 2026-11-08. “A person bitten or scratched by an animal MUST report the incident by calling 311.”
- PubMed Central (NIH), checked 2026-11-09. “scar revision will improve and not erase the scar”
- Texas Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 41.001(12), checked 2026-11-09. “physical pain and suffering, mental or emotional pain or anguish, loss of consortium, disfigurement, physical impairment”
- PubMed Central (NIH), checked 2026-11-09. “Immature scars are prone to hypertrophy and give poor results after scar revision.”
- MedlinePlus (NIH), checked 2026-11-09. “Scars are often thicker, as well as pinker, redder, or shinier, than the rest of your skin.”
- MedlinePlus (NIH), checked 2026-11-09. “Scars usually fade over time but never go away completely.”
- Dallas County Health and Human Services, Rabies and Animal Bites, checked 2026-11-08. “Wash animal bites immediately with soap and water.”
- Dallas Animal Services, Dog Bites, checked 2026-11-08. “Doctors and medical facilities must also report dog bites to DAS.”
- Dallas Animal Services, Dog Bites, checked 2026-11-08. “Dallas Animal Services will investigate the incident.”
- Dallas Animal Services, Dog Bites, checked 2026-11-08. “1818 N. Westmoreland Road Dallas, Texas 75212 Phone: (214) 670-6800”
- Dallas Animal Services, Dangerous Dogs, checked 2026-11-08. “call 214-670-8313 to have an affidavit mailed or faxed to you”
- Dallas Animal Services, Field Fact Sheet, December 2025, checked 2026-11-08. “Total Bites 1,689 358 430 106 134 28 26%”
- Dallas Animal Services, Field Fact Sheet, December 2025, checked 2026-11-08. “Total Loose Bites 774 182 186 50 52 2 4%”
- Dallas Animal Services, Dog Bites, checked 2026-11-08. “a dog owner commits an offense if they fail to secure their dog and the dog makes an unprovoked bite that causes bodily injury to another person”
- Dallas City Code § 7-5.5, checked 2026-11-08. “acceptable proof of financial responsibility in the amount of at least $100,000”
- MedlinePlus (NIH), checked 2026-11-09. “Scarring after traumatic injury or burns”
- Parkland Health, Burn Center, checked 2026-11-09. “Burn Center is the first adult and pediatric burn center in North Texas verified by the American Burn Association”
- Golden Eagle Archery, Inc. v. Jackson, 116 S.W.3d 757 (Tex. 2003), checked 2026-11-09. “the effect of any physical impairment must be substantial and extend beyond any pain, suffering, mental anguish, lost wages or diminished earning capacity”
- Texas Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 41.0105, checked 2026-11-09. “recovery of medical or health care expenses incurred is limited to the amount actually paid or incurred by or on behalf of the claimant”
- Texas Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 74.301, checked 2026-11-09. “shall be limited to an amount not to exceed $250,000 for each claimant”
- U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics, Civil Bench and Jury Trials in State Courts, 2005, checked 2026-11-09. “The terms of settlement agreements and other key information for civil cases resolved prior to trial may not be reported to the court or may not be publicly available.”
- MedlinePlus (NIH), checked 2026-11-09. “These include surgical revision, dermabrasion, laser treatments, injections, chemical peels, and creams.”
- MedlinePlus (NIH), checked 2026-11-09. “These treatments, especially surgery, sometimes cause the keloid scar to become larger.”
- Dallas City Code § 43-33, checked 2026-11-08. “shall be primarily liable in damages for any loss or damage sustained as a result of such defective condition”
- Dallas City Charter, Chapter XXIII, Section 1, checked 2026-11-08. “within six months after the injury was received”
- Texas Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.001, checked 2026-11-09. “the time of the disability is not included in a limitations period”
- Martinez v. Val Verde County Hospital District (Tex. 2004), checked 2026-11-09. “The lower courts held that it is not,[2] and we agree.”
- IRS Publication 4345, checked 2026-11-09. “did not take an itemized deduction for medical expenses related to the injury or sickness in prior years, the full amount is non-taxable”
- MedlinePlus (NIH), checked 2026-11-09. “Black people, Asians, and Hispanics are more prone to developing keloids.”