Each day, about 1,000 U.S. citizens require emergency care treatment for a dog bite injury.  Last year, Florida had the eighth highest number of a dog bite insurance claims in the nation.

If you are the victim of a dog bite, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries.  In Florida, a dog bite victim can recover compensation under statute or under the doctrines of negligence and intentional tort.  Florida’s dog bite statute places strict liability on dog owners when the bite causes injury to a human being.  The statute provides that 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 the person bitten, regardless of the former viciousness of the dog or the owners’ knowledge of such viciousness

Any negligence on the part of the person bitten that is a direct cause of the biting incident will reduce the liability of the dog owner by the percentage that the bitten person’s negligence contributed to the bite. If a dog that has previously been declared dangerous attacks or bites a person or a domestic animal without provocation, the owner is guilty of a first-degree misdemeanor.  The dog will be impounded for a period of ten days during which time the owner of the dog may request a hearing.

If a dog bites you, you should seek medical treatment as soon as possible. You should also try to identify the dog that bit you and report the incident to the local county animal control agency or the sheriff’s department.  Finally, take photographs of your visible injuries.

If you are the victim of a dog attack or bite, seek the compensation you deserve for your injuries.