Injury Attorneys for Dog Bite Victims in Miami, Broward, Palm Beach and throughout Florida
Any injury caused by a dog for any reason is covered by Florida’s Strict Liability Statute for dog owners. While dog attacks/bites are most common, the mere act of a dog chasing a person without ever touching them can cause serious injury. Recently, MADALON LAW recovered for a client who was riding a horse when an unsupervised dog caused the horse to throw the client. The dog owner was strictly liable for this equestrian accident.
If you think dog attacks are rare, think again. There are more than 4.7 Million victims of dog bites every year in the US. A dog attack can truly leave a person physically and psychologically traumatized. Besides the obvious physical damage caused by the teeth of the animal, there is also reason to be concerned about being infected with the rabies virus. Rabies is most commonly transmitted through animal bites and is regularly seen in Florida.
A victim’s damages can be covered by most homeowners and renters insurance policies, as well as general liability policies for businesses and public entities, but despite the amount of victims that are bitten each year, only around 15,000 of them receive money from the insurance companies. Here is where you need a Personal Injury Attorney.
The Dog Bite Statute in Florida imposes a STRICT LIABILITY on dog owners for bites that cause injury. What this means for you is that if a dog causes injuries the owner is liable no matter what.
Other grounds for liability:
- Negligence – Negligence in a dog bite case would be a lack of ordinary care. A lack of attention and carefulness a dog owner should have in a situation.
- Negligence per se – If the bite happened because the dog owner violated a statute that was enacted for people’s safety (i.e., violation of leash law, dog trespassing or dog at large).
- Landlord – Did you know the landlord can be held liable for an attack on their premises?
- The special rules involving children – Did the child’s actions provoke the dog? Did the parent fail to adequately supervise the child?
- The “Beware of Dog” or “Bad Dog” sign – was it in a visible place? Was the victim 6 years or younger where they may not have been able to read the sign?
A dog bite incident in Florida may seem like an open and shut case, but there is much more grey area then you might think. The smart move is to hire an Attorney that will help you seek the financial compensation you deserve. Dog Bite Injuries can be traumatizing and the Injury lawyers of Madalon Law know this. We will not charge you for our services unless you receive financial compensation for your injuries, so we will take all the financial risks for you. It’s time to get answers to your dog bite questions. Reach out to us for your free consultation and let Madalon Law fight for you.