If you want to know your legal rights after being bitten by a dog or other domestic animal, please contact The Farber Law Firm. The consultation is free and you do not owe us attorneys’ fees and costs unless we recover monies on your behalf.

Animal and Dog Bites

Your child has been bitten and seriously injured by your neighbor’s dog. If this sounds similar to your situation or you are the animal bite victim yourself, it is imperative that you seek legal representation from a law firm that has extensive knowledge of dog bite and other animal bite laws in Florida.

The law can be complicated, especially with Florida’s strict liability statute. For more information about how our animal attacks and dog bite lawyers can help you in the Miami area or throughout Florida, call The Farber Law Firm today at 305-340-2321. We offer free initial consultations.

Florida’s Strict Liability Dog Bite Law: What Does This Mean?

In Florida, a dog bite victim can recover damages pursuant to the Florida dog bite statute and other causes of action to include, but not limited to: negligence, negligence per se and intentional tort. Florida’s dog bite statute, Section 767.04, imposes strict liability upon dog owners who cause injury. Florida Statute Section 767.04, indicates:

“Dog owner’s liability for damages to persons bitten[:] 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 owners’ knowledge of such viciousness.”

So, what does this complicated piece of law mean? In a very general sense, if you are not trespassing or you are in a public place and you get injured by a dog, the owner is liable for damages. However, there are other exceptions such as if the injured victim caused the injury as well. For example, suppose the victim was taunting the dog or the owner warned the victim several times not to touch the dog. In addition, with exception of victims under the age of 6, the dog owner is not liable if he or she had a prominent warning sign including the words “Bad Dog.”

Importantly, even individuals who do not own the dog can be liable for dog bite injuries, like a landlord who has control of a premises and who knows of a dog’s vicious propensity or police officers or others who use dogs in the scope of the performance of their job. Causes of action are not just limited to those bitten by dogs, but from other domestic animals which can include, a horse, pig, goat, and a cat.

As you can see, this is a complicated piece of law and it is important that you consult with one of our experienced attorneys to determine how it applies to your specific situation.