The Florida Statute pertaining to dog bites states in pertinent part:
Dog owner’s liability for damages to persons bitten.—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 persons bitten, regardless of the former viciousness of the dog or the owners’ knowledge of such viciousness. However, any negligence on the part of the person bitten that is a proximate cause of the biting incident reduces the liability of the owner of the dog by the percentage that the bitten person’s negligence contributed to the biting incident……..
This essentially means that in Florida when a dog bites a person, the dog owner is most often strictly liable for the injuries. In a strict liability case such as a dog bite, the victim will be entitled to damages without having to prove that the owner was negligent. It is generally not a defense that the owner was not aware that the dog would bite anyone or believed that the enclosure that the dog was in was sufficient to hold the animal. Damages for dog bites include pain and suffering, scarring, disfigurement, wage loss, medical bills, and expense for plastic surgery.
If you or a loved one have suffered a dog bite call The Trop Law Group today at (954) 981-7150 for your free consultation.