Tampa Dog Bite Attorney

Were you attacked by a dog?

Robert Sparks Attorneys represents clients injured by dog bites in Tampa, Florida. We are dedicated to seeing that our clients get the compensation they need to finance the medical care and other help they need to fully recover. Dog bites can cause serious injury including disfigurement and death. What’s worse is that many victims are children. If you or a family member was attacked by a dog, we invite you to contact a Tampa personal injury lawyer from our firm to discuss your case.

Overview of Liability in Dog Bite Case

In Florida, dog owners are held strictly liable for bites caused by their dogs regardless of whether they had cause to know of their dog’s dangerous tendencies. The exception is where the victim antagonized the dog – there, the negligence will be apportioned between the victim and the dog. For example, if the victim is judged 50% negligent and the dog 50% negligent and the victim has a $10,000 claim, the victim will get $5,000.

Florida Dog Bite Statute § 767.04

Florida’s dog bite law is detailed in § 767.04 of the Florida Statutes. It says that anyone bit by a dog can hold the dog’s owner liable to pay damages suffered regardless of the dog’s former viciousness. In some states, attack victims have to prove that the dog had a vicious streak or history of viciousness. That is not required in Florida.

This statute also says that if a person is bitten by a dog because of something they did (such as provoking the animal), they can be held partially responsible for the attack. Anyone trespassing on a person’s property and bitten by a dog does not have the legal right to file a dog bite claim.

Personal Injury Lawyer Representation

The dog bite victim, of course, needs to get immediate treatment; this may require inoculation against diseases carried by dogs. It is also necessary to identify the dog and his owner. Following that, we encourage you to contact a personal injury attorney from our firm. When we take on a case, we thoroughly investigate by interviewing witnesses, contacting the client’s doctor, and more. Our goal is to recover medical expenses, hospitalization costs, emotional pain and suffering, scar removal costs and any loss of income or lost earning capacity for our clients.

There is no attorney fee until we reach a settlement or obtain a verdict in court. Contact us today.

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