The Villages Dog Bite Lawyer
Did a dog bite you or a loved one? You are likely facing severe injuries, considerable physical pain, possible infection, lost wages, and a newfound fear of dogs. This can be an even more taxing situation if your child was bitten. You deserve compensation to cover your injuries, losses, and anxiety and move forward with your life.
Our dog bite lawyers in The Villages will fight for every dollar you deserve. Call Meldon Law for a free consultation today: (352) 373-8000.
Recoverable Damages After a Dog Bite
Victims of dog attacks often leave money on the table because they aren’t aware of all the damages they can recover. Our personal injury lawyers in The Villages won’t let you do that. We’ll identify every damage you are entitled to and fight for a settlement that covers all your losses. You could recover compensation for:
- Medical bills, such as emergency care costs, copays for doctor’s appointments, preemptive rabies treatment, infection treatment, reconstructive surgery, skin grafting, cosmetic surgery, counseling costs, physical therapy, and ongoing care costs
- Lost wages, if your injuries required recovery time (if you needed to take time off work to care for your injured child, we can fight for those lost wages)
- Lost earning capacity, if your injuries required you to work fewer hours, change to a lower-paying job, or retire
- Miscellaneous expenses, such as the costs of traveling to and from appointments
- Pain and suffering, including mental anguish, post-traumatic stress disorder, a new fear of dogs, emotional trauma, disfigurement and humiliation, loss of enjoyment of life, and loss of consortium
We want to help you recover the compensation you deserve, like this $150,000 settlement we obtained for the survivor of a dog attack. While previous settlements and verdicts are not necessarily indicative of what you can recover, we hope this shows you our dedication to getting you what you need to move forward.
Recovering Compensation When You Know the Dog’s Owner
Many dog bite victims are afraid to file an injury claim because they know the dog’s owner. However, it’s important to note that, in most cases, you’ll be recovering compensation from the dog owner’s insurance policy, not the dog owner themselves.
Our dog bite lawyers will also handle all communication and negotiations so you don’t need to worry about your injury case affecting your relationship.
Why You Want Meldon Law in Your Corner
An animal attack is extremely traumatic. You deserve the time you need to recover both physically and emotionally. You shouldn’t add the burden of attempting to build a legal claim on top of it. Our team will handle every aspect of your case. We:
- Investigate the accident to determine whether the dog’s owner or their insurer might try to use any denial tactics against you. This can be difficult to do without legal experience.
- Truly care about you and your family. You aren’t just a case number to us.
- Won’t back down from a fight. Insurers don’t want to pay you what you deserve. We’ll stand toe-to-toe to make sure they do. If the insurance company refuses to offer fair compensation, we’ll take your case to court.
- Have over five decades of experience helping injured people all over Florida. You don’t want to work with someone who just got started in the industry. You want someone with the knowledge and experience to successfully handle your case.
Dog Bite Laws in Florida
Florida follows a strict liability dog bite law, which means you only need to prove the dog bit you while you were in a public place or lawfully on private property.
Defenses the Dog’s Owner May Use
While dog owners are strictly liable in most situations, there are a few defenses the insurer may use to avoid paying your claim:
- The owner prominently posted a Bad dog sign. (This defense is not applicable if your child was under six when they were bitten.)
- You were trespassing. Our team will establish you were on the property legally at the time of the attack.
- The dog was defending its owner.
- You provoked the dog/your negligence caused or contributed to the attack. Florida follows a modified comparative negligence law, which holds that dog bite victims can recover compensation even if they contributed to the attack (so long as they were not more than 50% responsible.) Your level of fault will decrease the compensation you can recover.
We can help you understand whether the dog’s owner or their insurance company may be able to use any of these defenses in your case. If so, our personal injury attorneys will build a case proving that you did not cause your attack to occur. Call us today to get started: (352) 373-8000.
What to Do After a Dog Bite
The most important things to do after a dog bite are to stay calm, get to safety, and get immediate medical care. If possible, you should also:
- Get the dog owner’s information.
- Call 9-1-1 to the scene. Allow paramedics to examine and treat you.
- Get a copy of the police report. If you did not call the police to the scene, report the dog bite.
- Continue with medical care. If you skip appointments or ignore doctor’s orders, you’re giving the insurance company a reason to devalue or deny your claim.
- Take note of any swelling, redness, red lines, warmth, pain or any leakage from or around the wound. If you see any of these signs or have a fever, chills, night sweats, diarrhea, vomiting, confusion, or muscle pain, seek medical attention immediately. You could have a serious infection that requires immediate treatment.
- Take care when speaking with the dog owner’s insurance company. It wants to pay you as little as possible for your injuries. Some tactics the insurance adjuster may use include getting you to admit that you caused the dog attack or that you are uninjured. Saying something that jeopardizes your case is easier than you think; we recommend that you refuse to give a recorded statement and direct any questions to us.
- Work with a dog bite attorney in The Villages. Our team can build a robust case against the dog’s owner to recover the compensation you deserve. Call the Meldon Law team today to get started: (352) 373-8000.
You must act quickly. Per Florida Statute 95.11, you have only two years to file a dog bite lawsuit. This applies to both personal injury lawsuits and wrongful death lawsuits. If you fail to file within two years, you risk recovering nothing.
The court could dismiss your case and the insurance company could stop negotiating because you have no leverage (you can’t threaten to sue if it doesn’t offer you fair compensation). If this occurs, you have to take what you can get, which could be thousands less than you need and deserve.
Our team will manage all deadlines associated with your case, but you should call us earlier rather than later. This gives us the time we need to build a case.
Can I Afford Help from a Dog Bite Attorney?
Yes. Our law firm handles cases on a contingency-fee basis. We:
- Don’t accept a retainer
- Don’t charge hourly fees
- Only get paid if you do
This way, you can be sure that your case matters as much to our team as it does to you.
Injuries from Dog Bites
Dogs attacking children are a leading cause of emergency room visits, according to the World Journal of Pediatric Surgery. Dog bites can also be more severe with older people. While dog bites can have more serious effects with children and older adults, anyone can suffer injury.
Common dog bite injuries include:
- Bite wounds
- Broken or fractured bones
- Nerve damages
- Torn ligaments
- Avulsions
- Amputations
- Disfigurement
- Infection (There are several types of infections that can occur after a dog bite. A few include cellulitis, lymphangitis, MRSA, Pasteurella, tetanus, and sepsis.)
- Long-term psychological stress
Some dog bites are fatal. If you lost a loved one due to a dog bite, please accept our sincere condolences. Our wrongful death lawyers can help you seek justice.
Our Dog Bite Lawyers Can Help You Fight for Compensation in The Villages
A dog bite likely left you with considerable medical bills, an inability to work, physical pain and mental anguish, and maybe even a fear of your family dog. If another person’s dog caused you, your parent, or your child injury, you deserve compensation. Let us take the burden of your case off your shoulders while you recover from your injuries or care for your injured loved one.
Call to get help from our personal injury attorneys in The Villages today: (352) 373-8000]. The initial consultation is free, and you only pay us if we win your case.
