Each year millions of Americans experience dog bites. Dog bites cause almost $500 million in damages annually. These damages many times result in costly medical bills, missing time from work, scarring and /or disfigurement.. Fortunately the victim is able to bring a lawsuit for compensation.
Dog Bite Laws Entitle You to Compensation
Dog bite victims must prove they are entitled to compensation for their bite injuries. There are several legal arguments you can make to prove that the dog’s owner should cover your losses. Florida has a special law dealing with damage caused by dog bites. According to Florida Code section 767.04: “The owner of any dog that bites any person while such person is on or in a public place, or lawfully on or in a private place, including the property of the owner of the dog, is liable for damages suffered by persons bitten, regardless of the former viciousness of the dog or the owner’s’ knowledge of such viciousness.” This law says that dog owners are strictly liable for all bite incidents. This means you can recover compensation for losses caused by a bite even if the dog’s owner didn’t know the animal had aggressive tendencies and even if the dog’s owner did nothing wrong.
When a dog bites and you want to obtain compensation for losses, you typically will take legal action against the dog’s owner. However, there may be others who are responsible for your injuries as well. For example, when a dog attack occurs on a rental property, the landlord could be held legally liable if the property owner was aware of the dangerous dog. Sometimes, taking legal action against both the dog owner and the property owner increases the chances of being fully compensated for all damages caused by the dog.
Although the law says you are entitled to compensation after a dog bite, it is up to you to pursue your claim. you for a dog bite, especially when you have sustained serious injuries that necessitate costly plastic surgery or other expensive treatment.
If you’ve been attacked and bitten by a dog and want to bring legal action we can help. Alex Arreaza of the Arreaza Law Firm has been representing victims for almost three decades. Let our knowledge and experience work for you.