Dog Bites Attorney in Florida
Not an employee or member of law firm[/caption] Dogs are the number one household pet in America. But unfortunately, dog bites can and do happen every day, affecting friends, family members, neighbors, and strangers.
Dog bites can cause serious injuries that require immediate medical attention. A dog bite can quickly become infected, and if it is severe enough, it may even maim or impair a victim, scarring them for life.
Florida dog owners are fully liable for the actions of their dogs, regardless of where the dog bite happens. The dog bites attorneys at Accident Attorney Group P.A are experts in Florida dog bite laws. If you’ve been attacked by a dog, we can help you pursue compensation for the damages you sustained.
Florida Dog Bite Laws
Florida has very strict dog bite laws. If a dog bites someone, whether the incident occurs on public property or private property, the owner can be served with a personal injury lawsuit for the resulting damages.
Dog owners can be personally liable for bite injuries even if they had no idea the dog might be aggressive. There is zero tolerance for violent pets in the state. The owner may be liable both civilly and criminally.
There are three exceptions to dog bite liability laws in Florida. Dog owners may not be liable for personal injury if the dog was provoked, if the victim was on the owner’s property illegally, or if the dog was defending their owner from an attack.
What Kinds of Damages Can Dog Bites Cause?
Dog bite victims usually need immediate medical care. Sometimes. they need to be transported to a hospital via ambulance for emergency care.
Whether the victim needs to visit an urgent care center for updated shots or they must visit a hospital for more severe wounds, medical care costs money. When you’ve been the victim of an unprovoked dog attack, you shouldn’t be responsible for the resulting medical bills.
Personal injury lawsuits are civil suits filed against another party for harm that their actions have caused. The purpose of these legal claims is to ensure that the victim is compensated for their injuries, pain, and suffering.
Going to the hospital for medical treatment after being bitten by a dog is not cheap. Depending upon the severity of your injuries, there may be a myriad of costs, including:
- Ambulance transportation
- Emergency room doctors, medications, and supplies
- Surgeries
- Hospital stays
- X-rays, CT scans, and MRIs
- Blood tests
In some cases, a dog bite victim will need to go through months or years of rehabilitation. Some unfortunate victims lose limbs or suffer lifelong disfigurement. That’s why personal injury lawsuits also include damages for pain and suffering. Non-economic damages for dog bites can account for:
- Lingering pain
- Loss of mobility
- Loss of limb
- Disfigurement and scarring
- Loss of job or income
- Emotional trauma and scarring
- Anxiety, fear, and depression
All of these expenses can add up over time, too. If a dog bite victim misses work for three months while recovering from her injuries, she may not be able to provide a home for her children.
A mail carrier attacked in the course of their duties may be scared to return to work, where they may encounter dogs regularly. This change may in turn affect their career, forcing them to pursue another position.
At Accident Attorney Group, P.A., our experienced dog bites attorneys are here to help fight for every bit of compensation you deserve.
What to Do If You’ve Been Bitten by a Dog
If you are bitten by any dog, get away from it as quickly as possible. If the bite is minor, wash it thoroughly with soap and water. Take pictures of the bite area, just in case it swells or becomes inflamed later. The pictures will help medical specialists see what the bite originally looked like.
If the bite broke skin extensively, seek immediate medical attention. This is particularly important if the bite is severe. Severe dog bites can cause loss of mobility, damage nerves and blood vessels, and deep infections.
It’s particularly important to determine who the dog belongs to. If you know the owner, then it will be easy to determine whether the dog is current on its rabies vaccinations. A stray dog or one you don’t personally know could pose additional risk.
Write down everything you remember about the dog, including the color, estimated size and weight, and where it came from or went to afterward. If your clothes were torn or bloodied, keep them in a bag for evidence.
Report the bite to the police. If the dog belongs to a friend, you may be hesitant to do this, but Florida requires any dog who bites to be registered as dangerous or potentially dangerous. The more severe the dog bite, the more important this step is.
Lastly, contact a personal injury attorney for a free case evaluation. Many people feel uncomfortable taking steps to recover damages from a dog bite, particularly if the dog belongs to a friend.
But as a victim, there is no reason you should have to pay extensive medical bills out of pocket. When the bite is severe enough to need ongoing medical care and rehabilitation, you may be faced with significant costs.
Most home insurance policies will cover this type of liability. However, insurers do not operate in the best interests of those who make a claim. That’s why it’s so important to have a skilled dog bites attorney on your side, who can fight the tactics of insurers to delay, undervalue, or deny your claim.
Skilled Dog Bites Attorneys
You should have to face significant emotional trauma, mounting medical bills, and negotiations with insurance companies on your own. If you’ve been bitten by a dog, take action right away. Contact the experienced dog bites lawyers at Accident Attorney Group, P.A, for a free, no-risk case evaluation.
We’ll discuss the facts of your case and help you to understand your legal options. There is no cost to you unless we win or settle your case.
