Dog Bites and Animal Attacks

In Florida, the owner of a dog is strictly liable for injuries their dog causes to you. Provocation is a defense the owner of the dog can raise. However, if you did not provoke the animal, your lawyer does not have to prove negligence on the part of the dog's owner. That means as long as you are on private property legally (or you are on public property) the dog owner may be held responsible. The only question is how much money you should be awarded for your injury or loss.

Dog bites can leave serious physical and emotional scars on the victim. The lawyers and staff at the offices of K.L. Foote have the financial resources and experience to help you pursue the maximum compensation for injuries suffered in any animal attack. From our principal office in Pasco County and other offices across Florida, we represent clients throughout the State of Florida on all accidents and negligence cases.

Homeowner's insurance will typically cover damages such as medical expenses in the past and future, lost wages in the past and future, and pain and suffering. A second avenue of recovery may be against the owner of the premises that rented an apartment to the dog's owner. The premises owner would be responsible only if the dog had a history of biting or viciousness that the premises owner should have known about. Your lawyer will need to carefully assess your dog bite injury case to determine what insurance coverage is available and how you can recover damages for immediate expenses such as medical care.

If attacked by a dog:

• Seek medical attention.
• Report the dog bite or attack to the proper authorities.
• Photograph the wounded area.
• Write down names and contact info for any witnesses
• Contact the Florida Accident Attorneys at K.L. Foote

In any dog bite or animal attack case, it is important to contact your lawyers as soon as possible to investigate quickly. Many times dogs will run loose and it may be hard to find out who owned the dog. You should also report the dog bite to police. The police will do a report and contact animal control, who will investigate and file a report. If the dog was not properly registered or vaccinated, animal control will attempt to capture the dog and put it in quarantine to make sure it does not have rabies. It is important to get photos of the dog and dog owner's home, particularly showing any dog warning signs, or lack of such signs.

Contact one of our Florida Dog Bite Attorneys
for a FREE consultation.