Dog Bite FAQ Hallandale Beach

No. What you’re really doing is making a claim against their insurance, usually their homeowner’s policy. The insurance company pays, not your neighbor personally. That’s exactly why people carry insurance in the first place.

No. Filing an insurance claim doesn’t mean the dog is taken away or euthanized. That’s a common fear, but it’s not how it plays out.

Yes. In Florida, a dog doesn’t get a “free bite.” Owners are responsible even if the dog has never been aggressive before. We had a case where our client was bitten by a super-friendly and adorable-looking doodle, and we recovered for our client.

Don’t panic, because Florida’s modified comparative fault law still allows recovery if you are less than 50% at fault. The key is proving the other side’s share of blame.

Kids heal differently, scar differently, and are affected emotionally in ways adults aren’t. A bite can impact confidence, development, and even how a child grows. Those long-term effects matter a lot.

Absolutely. We look at the dog owner’s assets, landlords, condo associations, or anyone else who had control over the property or knew the dog was a problem. There’s often another path.

Insurance companies often try to say the policy doesn’t cover dog bites, or they’ll claim the injured person somehow provoked the dog. That’s why we always demand the actual policy and go through it line by line. We’ve caught adjusters flat-out misrepresenting what it covers. As for the “provocation” argument, it usually doesn’t hold water.

Florida dog bite cases don’t turn on who was careless or not. Owners are responsible, period. Whether the dog was provoked is often just noise meant to scare people off valid claims.

Scars change over time. Especially on the face. You need to see how healing, treatment, and possible future procedures play out before putting a value on the case.

We don’t run cases on autopilot. We actually talk to clients, explain what’s happening, and tailor the case to the person, unlike our bigger competitors.

You’ll never be treated like a file number.

A lot of shared spaces, such as condos, rentals, short-term visitors, and common areas. That creates more responsibility for owners, landlords, and associations to keep people safe.