Boca Raton Dog Bite Lawyer
A dog bite is a serious matter. Medical professionals will tell you the biggest risk is the potential for infection. Dog bite victims often require hospitalization and intravenous antibiotics to prevent potentially life-threatening complications. And aside from the physical injury, a dog bite often leaves the victim with significant psychological trauma that requires professional mental health care.
Florida law imposes strict liability against a dog owner whose animal bites another person. This means that victims have the right to demand compensation for their medical bills and other damages arising from the attack. The qualified Boca Raton dog bite attorneys at Steinberg Law can assist you in seeking such compensation and holding dog owners accountable.
What “Strict Liability” Means for Dog Bites
In some states, a dog bite victim must prove the animal’s owner knew–or should have known–that their animal had a propensity to bite people. This is commonly known as the “one-bite” rule. Florida, in contrast, follows a strict liability rule in dog bite cases. This means that a Florida court will not require a dog bite victim to prove the dog that bit them ever bit anyone else before–or even that the animal showed tendencies towards aggressiveness or biting. Additionally, Florida law separately holds dog owners strictly liable for non-bite injuries caused by their animals.
Even with a strict liability standard, however, a dog owner may have one or more possible defenses against a dog bite claim. Some common dog bite defenses include:
- Trespassing: Strict liability only covers situations where the dog bite victim was lawfully in the place where the bite occurred. For example, if a dog escapes their leash and bites you while you were jogging in a public park, the owner would be strictly liable. But if you were trespassing on the dog owner’s property, they would not be liable if their guard dog bit you.
- Provocation: If the victim provoked the dog in any way, the owner could cite that as grounds for reducing the amount of compensation owed. Florida is a “comparative fault” state, meaning a court must take into account the relative fault of the victim in assessing a personal injury claim.
- “Bad Dog” Sign: Believe it or not, a dog owner can avoid strict liability for dog bites that occur on their property if they simply post a “BAD DOG” sign on the premises. This does not, however, absolve an owner if the dog bite victim is a child under the age of 6.
Contact Steinberg Law Today
Through a personal injury claim, a dog bite victim can seek compensation for their economic and non-economic damages. Such damages encompass medical bills, lost wages due to time missed from work, and pain and suffering, among other losses. This can often be a substantial amount of money depending on the nature of the dog bite attack and the circumstances of the victim’s recovery.
So if you have been harmed by someone else’s animal, you should not hesitate to speak with a qualified Boca Raton bog bite lawyer as soon as possible. Contact Steinberg Law today to schedule an initial consultation.
