Tampa Florida Dog Bite Lawyer
Dog Bite Accidents
Last year, more than 800,000 people in the United States were bitten or attacked by a dog and sadly, the odds that the victim of a fatal dog attack will be a child are 7 out of 10. Dog bite injuries for children and adults may include disfiguring facial injuries, broken bones, lacerations, puncture wounds, rabies treatment, plastic surgery, mental and emotional trauma, and even death.
After a dog bite accident, the pet owner will often turn any claim over to their homeowners’ insurance policy. In our experience, the insurance company will find any possible way it can think of in order to deny or reduce your claim. In fact, if they think that they may be found liable for the incident and forced to pay the claim, they will use the tactic to delay as long as possible to see if the claimant will accept a lower amount. As such, it is a good idea to have an experienced advocate on your side when dealing with the insurance company.
An action to recover from the owner of a dog for an injury suffered in an attack by a dog will be brought under Florida Statute §767.04. Pursuant to this statute, in order to establish a successful case, the plaintiff must show that he or she was injured in an attack by a dog owned by the defendant owner and that at the time of the attack the plaintiff was lawfully present on private property. The plaintiff is not required to establish that the dog had vicious propensities or that the owner of the dog knew of any vicious propensity of the dog.
Our Firm has experience handling dog bite cases that cause serious injury. Our Firm also understands that your immediate goals after going through such trauma are to get your medical bills paid and covered, make sure you do not suffer financially through any lost wages, and make sure the dog owner’s insurance company will pay for future treatment relating to your injury. Our experienced legal team will discuss your situation and go over the options available to you, as well as work with insurance companies and other parties involved in your case to make sure all your needs are handled quickly and appropriately.
If you or a loved one has been injured as a result of a dog bite, contact us online or call us at (813) 933-1234 or toll free at (877) EDGARGUZMAN to set up a FREE consultation to discuss your legal options.
