Our firm has been handling Florida dog bite cases for a long time. We have been honored to represent hundreds of families over the years after a child or other family member has been attacked, bitten, or even mauled by a dog.
Dog Owners Can Be Held Strictly Liable For Injuries Caused By A Dog
As far as personal injury cases go, the law in Florida on dog bit cases is actually pretty favorable. On its face, Florida law makes the owner of a dog strictly liable for any injuries the dog causes. However, legal responsibility is only one factor that determines whether our clients receive compensation.
Unfortunately, there is also the practical matter of whether the owner of a dangerous dog can be made to pay damages. This is where the existence of insurance becomes key. If a dog owner is properly insured, the insurance company handles - and usually pays the injured person's claim. If a dog owner does not have insurance, the chance of ever recovering money for our client is virtually nil.
When Is Insurance Not Really Insurance?
What makes many dog bite cases even more frustrating is the fact that -- even if the dog owner is paying for homeowner's or renter's insurance -- there still might not be any money available to compensate our injured client. This is because several breeds of dogs are specifically excluded from coverage under many homeowner's insurance policies. Breeds such as pit bulls, Dobermans, Rottweilers, Chows, and a few others are thought by most insurance companies to be too dangerous to insure. For these breeds -- of the dog owner can find dog bite coverage at all -- it is usually an add-on coverage and is very expensive. In fact, I have yet to see a dog owner who had elected to purchase this optional coverage. This is obviously not great news for the dog bite victim, but most times we cannot find out about coverage until after we have already started investigating the case.
If you have questions concerning a Florida dog bite case, call our experienced Florida dog bits attorneys at 407-254-4901.
