What if Your Child is a Victim of a Dog Attack?

Every year more than 500 Florida residents are bitten severely enough to require an ER. The injury rate is highest with children between the ages of 1 and 9 years old.

The Dog Bite Injury Lawyers at Madalon Law want to go over 3 things you should know if your child was attacked by a dog.

1. Follow the steps after an attack
   • If your child is losing a lot of blood, put pressure on the wound. Call for help.
   • Identify the dog and the owner. You need to find out if the dog has rabies and you also need to know who the owner is for future legal action.
   • Get medical attention from your local hospital or emergency room – around 15-20% of dog bites become infected due to the bacteria in a dog’s mouth. Make sure there is proper documentation made of the treatment and you follow the doctor’s orders.
   • Get the contact info of the eyewitnesses.
   • Take pictures – Use the camera on your phone or any other camera you can find. Take pictures of the injuries, the animal and also the environment. If you are on the owner’s property and see a “Beware of Dog” sign, take a picture of that too – make sure that the picture(s) show where the sign was when the attack happened.
   • Report the incident to your local animal control – File a bite report
   • DO NOT discuss who was responsible for the dog bite with the dog owner.
   • DO NOT talk to the homeowner’s insurance company – Their goal is to pay out as little as possible or nothing. By talking to them, you are allowing yourself to be interviewed and that can hurt the amount of money you may be able to recover. Remember, less than 1% of US dog bites recover money.
2. Be aware of the special rules for Children. There are 2 things that tend to come up with dog bites to children. The first is if the dog was provoked in some way by the child’s conduct. Florida Law says that a child under the age of 6 Years old is not capable of provoking a dog, but if the child is older, they may find themselves in front of a jury trying to prove they were not provoking the dog. The other rule is to determine if the child was exposed to the dog and was attacked partly because the parent failed to adequately supervise.
3. You do need a lawyer for this! Dealing with a dog attack case can be complex. The insurance company will do everything it can to pay little or nothing for your child’s injuries. It is proven time and again that a child who is a victim of a dog attack and hires an Attorney will receives a much higher payout than if the parent were to act as the attorney.

As a family man, Joseph Madalon can only imagine what a parent must go through in an event like this. It is impossible to fight for your child in court and not have resentment for the other party. This emotional factor can damage the case greatly. The Dog Bite Lawyers at Madalon Law know there is nothing more precious than a child. We will take our experience of fighting insurance adjusters and aggressively pursue financial compensation for what your family has experienced. Contact us today for your free consultation and get answers now on what to do after your child has been bitten by a dog.