Dog Bites

Dog & Pet Bite Victims
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Dog Bites

Dog bites can result in very serious injuries to adults and children. Fortunately, dog bite laws in Florida are very victim-centered. If you or someone you love has sustained injuries as a result of a dog bite that occurred in the State of Florida, you may be entitled to monetary compensation under one or more of these laws. Most dog owners don’t carry insurance, or the insurance companies have exemptions in their policies.  Always take pictures of injuries, the animals, and surroundings. call the police and or the animal control unit, seek medical attention and call us immediately. Call Florida dog bite, personal injury attorney Sean King of King Law. Don’t stand alone. We know your rights and what you may be entitled to. Let us take on the fight while you heal.

Florida law provides several bases of recovery for dog bite victims, including statutory strict liability, negligence, negligence per se, and intentional torts. In dog bite cases, as in all Florida personal injury cases, time is of the essence, and the law only provides a set window of time for you to bring a claim against a dog owner or file a lawsuit in the Florida court system.

Liability for Dog Bite Injuries

Liability under the Florida Statue is rather strict. This means that unless you provoked the dog or were trespassing on the dog owner’s property, the owner will be liable for compensating you for your injuries, pain, and suffering. This may also include punitive damages depending on the circumstances surrounding the bite. A vicious attack by a dangerous breed of dog that the owner had reason to know was violent may result in greater compensation to you, as the law will seek to punish that dog owner to a greater extent. A shallow bite, however, from a dog that was simply scared by a noise and had demonstrated no viciousness in the past might not result in a jury awarding a large sum in punitive damages. It is wise to have an experienced Florida dog bite, personal injury attorney analyze the facts of your case.

Complications Arising from Dog Bite Injuries 

According to the CDC, the primary complication arising from dog bite injuries is an infection, which occurs in one of five dog bite cases. The most common diseases and infections suffered as a result of dog bite injuries are as follows:

  • Rabies:A virus that spreads to the brain and is almost always fatal. It can be transferred from the saliva of an infected dog through a dog bite;
  • Capnocytophaga spp.:A type of bacteria that lives in a dog’s mouth and can be spread through a bite, especially to those with weakened immune systems;
  • Pasteurella:The most common type of bacteria found in infected dog bites, which can cause pain, redness, and swelling at the puncture site;
  • MRSA:A deadly type of bacteria that is resistant to many strains of antibiotics and will not show symptoms in infected animals; and
  • Tetanus:A toxin caused by certain bacteria that can cause paralysis in people who are not vaccinated. This is a problem especially if the bite wound is deep.

Although some complications, such as rabies, tetanus, and MRSA can cause serious medical conditions and even prove fatal, many other infections may cause tissue death at or near the infection site, which could require amputation in order to prevent the disease’s spread to vital organs.

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