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The Villages Dog Bite Lawyer

The Villages Dog Bite Lawyer

Ocala Personal Injury Attorney Near MeIf you or someone you love sustained injuries from a dog bite, you may be entitled to pursue monetary compensation.

In dog bite cases, time may be of the essence. In Florida dog bite cases, a lawsuit must be filed within four years of the date on which the dog bite victim sustained injuries. This is a hard-and-fast deadline.

If a claim or lawsuit is not filed within the required four-year period, the dog bite victim is forever barred from filing suit or seeking monetary recovery for injuries and damages sustained in the dog bite incident.

A Villages dog bite lawyer can ensure that all applicable time deadlines are considered and met in your case. A lawyer can also review the facts and circumstances of your dog bite claim and can use Florida’s dog bite laws to pursue damages.

If the insurance company refuses to offer you full and fair compensation for your dog bite injury, a dog bite injury lawyer in The Villages can file a lawsuit on your behalf.

Contact us for a free case evaluation.

Dog Owners and Strict Liability

Florida, like many other states in the country, utilizes a legal standard known as statutory strict liability in dog bite cases. Pursuant to Section 767.04 of the Florida Dog Bite Statute, dog owners can be held strictly liable when their dog bites a person and causes an injury.

In other words, a dog owner can be deemed liable for a dog’s bite injuries, even if the dog never bit anyone in the past or previously exhibited vicious or aggressive behavior, such as growling or gritting its teeth at passers-by. However, Florida’s strict liability rules do not apply to everyone, including the following individuals:

  • Trespassers on the dog owner’s land
  • Police or military dogs acting in the line of duty
  • Property damage caused by a vicious dog

Negligence in Dog Bite Cases

In addition to statutory strict liability, a dog owner may also (or alternatively) be liable to a dog bite victim if the owner did something a reasonable owner would not have done – or failed to do something a reasonable owner would have done. For the dog bite victim to have a legal cause of action through a Villages dog bite lawyer, the dog owner’s negligence must have directly resulted in the dog bite and the victim’s subsequent injuries.

Under Florida law, a dog owner is presumed to have acted in a negligent manner for violating a law or statute that is already on the books. Therefore, if a dog owner walks a dog without a leash or lets the dog roam around the neighborhood “at large,” the dog owner may be presumed negligent if the dog later bites and injures someone.

Intentional Torts in Dog Bite Cases

An intentional tort, such as an assault or battery, requires a specific intent on the part of the dog owner to cause the dog to bite another person. Intentional torts can arise in cases of provocation, where the dog owner provokes or incites the dog to bite someone.

Call a Dog Bite Lawyer Today to Discuss Your Case

In dog bite cases, dog owners frequently accuse the bite victim of trespassing on their land or somehow provoking the dog to attack. A Villages dog bite injury lawyer could defend against these accusations and help you obtain monetary compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.

Call to learn more about how an experienced attorney could help you seek compensation.