Miami Dog Bite Lawyer

If you sustained injuries from a dog bite in Miami, Florida, you could be entitled to substantial compensation. An experienced Miami dog bite lawyer at Shaked Law Personal Injury Lawyers can help you fight to recover damages for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more. To learn more, call (305) 937-0191 for a free consultation.

Since 2007, we’ve dedicated our legal practice to fighting for injured clients across South Florida. We’ve recovered hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation for those clients–and we’re well-prepared to fight for your family.

Let us take the lead and handle the legal issues while you recover. Contact our Miami personal injury law offices today to schedule a free consultation to get started with your case.

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How Shaked Law Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help After a Dog Bite in Miami

Dogs can bring companionship and joy to life. However, when dog owners aren’t responsible, dogs can also cause serious damage. Any dog can bite–whether provoked or not. If you or your child were injured by someone else’s dog, you deserve to be compensated.

However, getting fair compensation isn’t always easy. Because dog bites are so common, most homeowners’ insurance companies know exactly how to fight your claim. Our experienced Miami personal injury lawyers can help you fight back.

When you hire our legal team at Shaked Law Personal Injury Lawyers, you’ll have an advocate in your corner to:

Locate the evidence to support your personal injury claim
Protect you if the dog owner blames you for provoking the dog
Handle all communications with the insurance companies
Negotiate with the insurance companies to maximize your compensation award

It’s not your fault that someone else failed to control their dog. Our Miami personal injury attorneys have over 165 years of experience helping clients like you. We’re ready to help you get the money you need and deserve. All you have to do is call to get started.

How Common Are Dog Bites in Florida?

Miami has been ranked as one of the best cities in the U.S. to own a dog. More than 480,000 dogs currently reside in the Miami area.

Unfortunately, when their owners aren’t careful, those dogs can also cause significant damage to humans. The CDC estimates that more than 4.5 million Americans suffer dog bite injuries every year. Over 800,000 bites are serious enough to require medical care.

According to the Florida Department of Health, dog bites injure 600 people and result in two deaths every year.

Many of those victims are children who, because of their smaller size, are even more likely to sustain serious injuries in an animal attack.

What is My Miami Dog Bite Case Worth?

Putting a fair value on any personal injury claim is difficult. Like any car accident victim, victims of dog bites have the right to be made whole again. While money can’t erase the damage, you deserve to recover enough compensation to account for all of your losses.

Serious injuries tend to result in higher settlements and verdicts. In determining the severity of your injury, the following factors are relevant:

The cost, duration, and nature of your medical treatment
How the injury impacts your work and home life
Whether you’ll suffer permanent scarring or impairment
The degree of mental trauma you’ve suffered

The victim’s identity can also play a role. Sadly, children may suffer serious and ongoing mental trauma even after their physical wounds have healed.

To put a fair value on your injury claim, we’ll work with leading experts here in Miami. With their insight, we can get a better understanding of how the injury has and will impact your life.

What Types of Damages Are Available to Dog Bite Victims?

After a dog bite, Florida personal injury laws give victims the right to recover compensatory damages. Those damages are grouped into two categories: economic damages and non-economic damages.

Economic damages are designed to cover your expenses, including:

Past and future medical expenses
Lost wages
Reduced future earning potential
Corrective surgeries
Rehabilitation

Non-economic damages are designed to compensate for all of your non-financial losses. Examples include:

Physical pain and suffering
Mental trauma and emotional distress
Diminished quality of life
Physical disfigurement and scarring
Anxiety, depression, and PTSD
Loss of consortium

Our lawyers will do everything we can to recover the full compensation you deserve. If you or a loved one were injured, reach out to our law firm for a free case evaluation today.

Can I Recover Damages If I’m Being Blamed for Being Bitten by a Dog in Florida?

Most dog bite victims can recover damages regardless of whether the dog owner was negligent. However, it’s possible that your compensation award can be reduced or prevented if you also played a role.

Florida follows a modified comparative fault rule in personal injury cases. If your portion of responsibility for the dog bite injury exceeds 50%, you’ll be barred from recovering a monetary award. If your share of fault is 50% or less, your compensation will be reduced in proportion to your degree of fault.

We’ll Fight to Recover Compensation for All of Your Dog Bite Injuries

Like humans, dogs come in all shapes and sizes. Depending upon the dog breed, size, and general circumstances, a dog attack can cause serious damage. Our lawyers can help you seek fair compensation.

Some common injuries sustained by dog bite victims include:

Soft tissue damage
Puncture wounds
Broken bones
Infection
Traumatic brain injuries and concussions
Eye injuries
Facial injuries
Dental injuries
Spinal cord injuries
Other head and neck injuries
Back injuries
Amputations
Paralysis
Catastrophic injuries

Dog bites and animal attacks also have the potential to be fatal. If you lost a loved one, our wrongful death attorneys at Shaked Law Personal Injury Lawyers can help you hold the responsible party accountable.

Am I Required to Prove Negligence to Recover Damages for a Dog Bite Injury in Florida?

Florida is a strict liability state when it comes to dog bites. That means most dog bite victims won’t be required to prove negligence to recover damages.

The dog owner can be held liable under Florida law if:

The victim was in a public place or lawfully on or in a private place (including the dog owner’s property), and
The dog bites the victim.

This Florida dog bite law applies regardless of whether the dog had displayed vicious propensities in the past. The dog owner can be liable even if the owner had no prior knowledge of the dog’s vicious tendencies. In other words, Florida does not have a “one bite rule” to allow dog owners to escape liability.

Recovering Compensation Based on a Dog Owner’s Negligence

The strict liability dog bite law only applies if your injuries were caused by a dog bite. If the animal attacks, but doesn’t bite, you may still be required to establish negligence.

Negligence occurs when you’re injured because the person responsible for the dog breached a legal duty of care. Dog owners can still be held liable for injuries caused by their dogs even if they aren’t covered by the strict liability law.

For example, a dog owner may be liable if the dog attacks because the owner:

Failed to comply with leash laws in Miami-Dade County
Allowed the dog to wander off the property
Failed to confine a dangerous dog to prevent injury to others

Dog bite claims can be complex. It’s not always easy to get the proof you need to support your personal injury claim. Our lawyers will dig deep to find the evidence you need to establish liability after a dog bite injury. Just give us a call today to learn more.

Defenses to the Strict Liability Dog Bite Law

The strict liability dog bite law doesn’t mean that the owner will always be liable. The dog owner may be able to pay a reduced damages award or escape liability entirely if:

You were trespassing when the dog bit you
The owner claims you provoked the dog
The owner prominently displayed a “bad dog” sign and the victim was at least six years old

Depending on the circumstances, these defenses could jeopardize your right to compensation. Our Miami dog bite attorneys at Shaked Law Personal Injury Lawyers can work to minimize the impact of these claims to protect your right to fair compensation.

How Long Do I Have to File a Lawsuit After a Dog Bite in Florida?

The statute of limitations in dog bite cases is typically two years. You’ll have two years from the date the dog bite occurred to file a personal injury lawsuit. If you miss the deadline, you may lose your right to recover compensation.

Historically, dog bite cases and other claims based on negligence had a four-year deadline in Florida. However, the state’s statute of limitations was shortened on March 24, 2023. Therefore, if your dog bite occurred after that time, you’ll be subject to the two-year timeframe.

There are a few exceptions to the rule. You may have more or less time depending on the circumstances. If you have questions about preserving your right to compensation, it’s always a good idea to speak with an experienced attorney sooner rather than later.

Contact a Miami Dog Bite Lawyer for a Free Consultation

Were you or your child bitten by a dog? We’re here to help you fight to hold the dog owner responsible for their animal’s attack. Call an experienced Miami dog bite lawyer at Shaked Law Personal Injury Lawyers to schedule a free consultation today.

Our personal injury law firm in Miami, FL also provides: