Hollywood Dog Bite Attorney
Demanding Compensation After Traumatic Dog Bite Attack in South Florida
The trauma that comes with a dog attack often haunts victims for years to come. Painful injuries, scarring, disfigurement, and dangerous infections can plague dog bite victims, many of whom are young children.
If you or your child has been attacked by a dog, you need an experienced dog bite attorney to help you pursue compensation for medical care, missed time from work, as well as the physical and emotional pain and suffering you have endured. At Rosen & Ohr, P.A., our compassionate attorneys have more than 50 years of combined experience securing full and fair compensation for dog bite victims throughout South Florida. You can count on our dedicated dog bite lawyers to:
- Meticulously calculate how much your injuries have affected you and will continue to affect you in the long run. Our firm will solicit expert opinions from medical specialists and financial professionals to determine how much compensation you will need to recover from this injury.
- Aggressively pursue maximum compensation from every liable party. In many cases, we will pursue a claim through the homeowner’s insurance. But we may also identify compensation options through renter’s insurance or general business liability insurance, depending on the circumstances of your case.
- Handle your case with compassion and sensitivity. As one client said: “I did not want my case to be one of a grouping of 1,000 cases … I wanted a smaller firm that could really focus on me and my needs. I have never regretted choosing a ‘personal attorney,’ and have always been treated with great compassion and expertise by Mr. Rosen and Mr. Ohr’s office.”
Dog bite attorneys Ronald Rosen and Jerrad Ohr are proud to have a long track record of success in demanding justice for injured people. As lifetime members of the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, they are honored to be recognized by an organization that includes less than 1 percent of lawyers nationwide.
Schedule a free consultation today to discuss your dog bite claim, and learn how our team can help you during this difficult time.
Who Could Be Held Responsible for Dog Bite Injuries?
In general, Florida dog bite law indicates that the dog’s owner should be held liable if his or her negligence led to your injury. However, there are various circumstances under which other parties may be held liable. Depending on the circumstances of your case, our dedicated dog bite attorneys may demand compensation from:
- The owner of the dog that bit you
- The landlord of the property where you were injured
- A dog sitter or dog walker
- Kennel owners who were responsible for caring for the dog
If you were bitten by a dog that belongs to a family member, friend, or neighbor, you should know that you will likely be pursuing a claim through their homeowner’s insurance, not filing a dog bite lawsuit against them personally. So you should not hesitate to speak with an experienced attorney about your options for seeking the compensation you need to heal.
Compensation for Dog Bite Victim in Florida
At Rosen & Ohr, our experienced dog bite attorneys will thoroughly evaluate your claim to determine how this injury has impacted you (and will continue to). Depending on the details of your case, we may demand compensation for:
- Medical bills, including any treatment you may need in the future related to the bite
- Lost wages, including reduced earning capacity if you are not able to do the work you did before your injury
- Physical and emotional pain and suffering as a result of the attack
- Punitive damages, which are awarded in claims involving extreme misconduct
If an insurance company has approached you with a dog bite settlement offer, do not agree to anything until you speak with an attorney.
Dog Attack Compensation Claim: Proving Fault
Florida dog bite law is tough on dog owners being held responsible for injuries from dog bites. The law states:
In Florida, owners may be held responsible for dog bite injuries if they did not exercise reasonable care to protect the victim or if they violated rules or ordinances such as leash laws.
In addition, people other than the owner can be held responsible if they knew the dog had bitten someone before or acted like it was going to bite someone.
Beware: An insurance company may argue that you were partly to blame for the dog bite. That’s because Florida dog bite law allows for the victim’s negligence to be taken into account in determining damages. If the insurance company can show that you were 25 percent to blame, for example, your compensation could be reduced by 25 percent.
Dog Attack: Florida Laws
Florida places certain restrictions on dogs that are deemed “dangerous” by local authorities. Florida law defines a “dangerous dog” as any dog that:
- Has aggressively bitten, attacked, endangered, or inflicted severe injury on a human being on public or private property
- Has more than once severely injured or killed a domestic animal while off the owner’s property
- Has, when unprovoked, chased or approached a person on the streets, sidewalks, or anywhere else in public in a menacing fashion or with an attitude that suggests an attack
You do not have to prove that a dog has been declared dangerous in the past in order to pursue a dog bite claim in Florida.
Common Dog Bite Injuries in South Florida
Almost 5 million people nationwide are attacked or bitten by dogs each year, and almost 1 million require medical attention. Unfortunately, most dog bite injuries are to minors. According to the American Humane Association, more children suffer dog bite injuries than measles, mumps, and whooping cough combined.
Dog bites can cause a number of serious injuries, including:
- Deep muscle or tissue injuries
- Torn ligaments Scarring or disfigurement
- Debilitating nerve damage
- Infection or virus Post-traumatic stress disorder
Dog bite injuries may require reconstructive surgery, and in some cases, dog bites can be fatal.
Contact Our Dedicated Dog Bite Lawyers in Florida
At Rosen & Ohr, our highly skilled dog bite attorneys are committed to fighting for full and fair compensation for injured people across South Florida. Schedule a free consultation now to learn how we can help you.
Our firm represents dog bite victims in Hollywood, Pembroke Pines, Aventura, Hallandale, Ft. Lauderdale, North Miami Beach, Miami, Sunny Isles, Cooper City, Dania Beach, Pompano Beach, Davie, Boca Raton, Tamarac, Hialeah, Kendall, Miami Lakes, Coral Springs, Miramar, Homestead, Broward County, Miami-Dade County, and Palm Beach County.