Dog bites can result in painful injuries, significant scarring, and substantial financial losses. If you were injured in a dog attack in Tampa, FL, you may be entitled to compensation for your damages. However, dog bite claims can be complex personal injury cases, so you need a skilled attorney on your side.
At Mincone Personal Injury Lawyers, our Tampa dog bite lawyers have over 15 years of experience. Our legal team has won over 1,000 cases and recovered millions in settlements and verdicts for our clients.
Contact our office to schedule a free consultation with one of our Tampa personal injury lawyers. We’ll aggressively pursue claims against the parties responsible for your dog bite injuries. Call us at (813) 430-3338.
How Mincone Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help With Your Dog Bite Claim in Tampa, FL
A dog bite might not seem like a catastrophic injury. However, some dog attacks can be deadly, and others can cause life-altering impairments and disabilities. All dog bites should be taken very seriously because they could result in infections and other complications.
Proving liability for a dog bite claim can be difficult. Insurance companies often fight and deny valid claims and undervalue damages to save money. The adjuster may blame you for causing the dog to attack or bite you.
Our Tampa dog bite attorneys at Mincone Personal Injury Lawyers have extensive experience handling complex personal injury claims. We have the resources and skills to help you resolve your claim and get the compensation you deserve.
When you hire our top-rated personal injury lawyers in Tampa, we’ll handle all aspects of your case; we will:
- Conduct a thorough investigation of the circumstances surrounding the dog bite
- Identify the parties who could be liable for your damages
- Work with expert witnesses when necessary to strengthen the evidence in your case
- Document and analyze your damages to calculate the value of your claim
- File insurance claims and negotiate settlements
- Fight allegations of shared fault and blame
- File a personal injury lawsuit and take your dog bite case to court if necessary
Talk with our lawyers before accepting a settlement offer for a dog bite injury claim. If you sign a settlement agreement, you give up your right to file a lawsuit. Don’t give up your rights without knowing whether the offer is fair.
Call Mincone Personal Injury Lawyers to schedule a free case evaluation with an experienced dog bite lawyer in Tampa, Florida.
Proving Liability for a Dog Bite Injury in Florida
The injured party must prove the legal criteria to establish liability for damages before they can receive compensation. Depending on the circumstances of your case, you may file a dog bite injury claim based on strict liability, negligence, or negligence per se.
Strict Liability for Florida Dog Bites
Florida’s dog bite law imposes strict liability for dog bite injuries. An owner is liable for damages if their dog bites someone, regardless of whether it has been vicious in the past or whether the owner knew it had aggressive tendencies. You do not have to prove fault or negligence to recover damages for strict liability claims.
However, there are exceptions to the rule. The dog owner may not be strictly liable if any of the following apply:
- The owner posted a “bad dog” sign in a prominent place, and the victim is over the age of six years old
- You were negligent in causing the dog to attack you, such as by provoking the animal
- You were trespassing on the dog owner’s property
Owners of dangerous dogs must take extra steps to prevent the dog from attacking or biting someone. Florida law requires owners of “dangerous” dogs to register the dog with animal control and keep it in a secured, confined area. The dog must be restrained if it is taken out of the secured area. The owner can face criminal charges if a dangerous dog bites someone without provocation.
A dangerous dog is one that has already attacked or bitten someone, seriously injured or killed another animal more than once, or aggressively chased or approached a person in a menacing way without provocation.
Negligence for Florida Dog Bites
A dog owner can also be liable for damages if their negligence caused someone to be bitten or injured. Negligence is failing to use a standard of care that a reasonable person would have used in a similar situation.
Therefore, the owner’s actions are compared to what a reasonable dog owner would have done. If the owner’s actions fall short of the reasonable person standard, a jury may find them liable for damages.
Negligence claims require you to prove fault. Therefore, you must prove that the dog owner’s actions or omissions directly and proximately led to your injuries.
Negligence Per Se for Florida Dog Bites
A person may be liable under the legal concept of negligence per se if they break a law that is in the public interest and someone is injured. Because their conduct was unlawful, they are presumed to be negligent.
For example, a dog owner does not follow local leash laws, and their dog bites someone. In that case, a jury might find the owner liable in a negligence per se case.
Who Could Be Responsible for Dog Bite Injuries in Florida?
One or more parties could be liable for your damages if you are bitten or attacked by a dog, including:
- Dog owners
- Landlords
- Property owners
- Dog walkers
- Pet sitters
- Tenants
Determining liability for a dog bite claim can be complicated. Our Tampa personal injury attorneys will analyze the evidence and all factors in your case to ensure we identify all parties who could be liable for your damages.
What Damages Can I Receive in a Dog Bite Injury Claim in Tampa, Florida?
Dog bite victims can seek compensation for their economic and non-economic damages.
The damages in a dog bite case could include:
- The cost of medical treatment
- Nursing care and personal care
- Diminished quality of life
- Lost wages and benefits
- Future medical expenses
- Mental anguish and emotional distress
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Out-of-pocket expenses
- Rehabilitative therapy
- Impairments and disabilities
- Reduced earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
We’ll work with you and your physicians to determine the severity of your injuries. Our law firm may consult top-rated experts to gather evidence to build a compelling argument for the maximum value of your case.
Can I Recover Compensation if I Provoked a Dog and It Bit Me?
Florida’s modified comparative negligence law reduces a victim’s damages by their percentage of fault for causing their injuries. Therefore, if a jury determines you are 20% to blame for causing your injuries because you provoked the dog, your damages will be reduced by 20%.
However, if a victim’s percentage of fault is greater than 50%, they are barred from receiving any money for their claim.
We Handle All Types of Dog Bite Injury Claims in Tampa, FL
At Mincone Personal Injury Lawyers our lawyers handle claims involving all types of dog bite injuries, including:
- Cuts, lacerations, and puncture wounds
- Soft tissue injuries and nerve damage
- Amputations and loss of limbs
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Back and neck injuries
- Internal organ damage
- Spinal cord injuries and paralysis
- Infections
- Fractured and broken bones
- Wrongful death
The value of your damages depends on your injuries and other factors. Generally, your damages increase as the severity of your injuries increases. However, shared fault and other factors could reduce how much your case is worth.
What Is the Deadline for Filing a Dog Bite Injury Claim in Florida?
Florida’s statute of limitations sets deadlines for filing personal injury lawsuits. Florida recently changed its statute of limitations for claims based on negligence from four years to two years. However, some strict liability claims may have a different deadline.
Calculating the time limit to file a dog bite lawsuit can be difficult to determine without analyzing all the facts of your case. It is best to consult a Florida dog bite lawyer as soon as possible. When you hire our law firm, we will monitor the deadlines in your case so that you don’t need to worry about missing filing dates.
Schedule a Free Consultation With Our Tampa Dog Bite Injury Attorneys
If you want to learn more about dog bite claims in Florida, contact us to request a free case review. We will answer your questions and explain your legal options for recovering compensation for a dog bite injury. At Mincone Personal Injury Lawyers we’ll prioritize your best interests by diligently pursuing the maximum value for your claim.
