What Do I Do if I am Bitten by a Dog?

Like many other Floridians, I absolutely love dogs. Florida is one of the most dog-friendly states with numerous pet-friendly establishments in just about every city, so it’s not rare to see dogs out and about with their owners on public streets. While dogs are considered man’s best friend, they are still living breathing animals with their own brains, and can be unpredictable at times. This is especially true if they are in an unfamiliar area or if they are meeting a new person for the first time. But, you can’t always blame the dog; dogs that have not had proper training lack manners and even the most basic knowledge of the fact that they should not be aggressive towards other humans. If you had the unfortunate experience of being bitten by a dog, you need to know what comes next.

Florida Dog Bite Law

Even though the state of Florida seems to be very accommodating of dogs in public places, their laws have very little tolerance for dog bites. Florida statute 767.04 states that the dog’s owner is liable for any injuries if the dog bites another person and the victim is in a public place or lawfully in a private place. Florida has a statute of limitations when it comes to filing a lawsuit for injuries sustained after a dog bite. If you’ve been bitten, you have up to 4 years to file a lawsuit in Florida’s civil court system, and if you do not do so within that amount of time, your case will likely be thrown out. However, hiring an attorney to handle a dog bite incident does not necessarily mean you have to sue the dog owner. It’s beneficial to have a dog bite lawyer on hand that can help you deal with your insurance company so that the claim gets resolved without it having to go to court.

When it comes to dog bites, Florida is a “strict liability” state. This means that even if the dog’s owner had no prior knowledge or warning that the dog might bite another person, the owner could still be held responsible for your injuries– you don’t even have to prove that a lack of reasonable care caused the dog to bite.