Miami Dog Bite Lawyers
Florida holds dog owners strictly liable for bites. That makes the case strong, and it makes finding the right insurance policy the real work.
Dog Bites
How we handle dog bites cases
Under Florida Statute 767.04, a dog owner is liable for bite injuries regardless of whether the dog had ever shown aggression before. The main exception is a prominently displayed 'Bad Dog' sign, which does not apply to children under six or to owners whose negligence caused the bite.
Most dog bite claims are paid by homeowner's or renter's insurance. When the owner is uninsured, we look at landlords who knew about a dangerous dog, property managers and associations. Facial scarring and injuries to children receive careful expert evaluation, including plastic surgery projections.
No prior bite is needed for the owner to be responsible. This is a practice fact, not a case result: we publish no settlement or verdict figures anywhere on this site.
Cases we take
- Bites to children and facial injuries
- Attacks by neighbors' dogs
- Apartment and condo complex attacks
- Delivery driver and mail carrier bites
- Dogs knocking down seniors or cyclists
- Infections and nerve damage from bites
What working with us looks like
Our dog bites process
Every case gets the same disciplined start, adapted to the evidence that matters most for this type of claim.
Report and document
Animal Services report, photographs over time and vaccination records obtained.
Same dayFind the coverage
Homeowner's, renter's and umbrella policies identified for the owner and landlord.
Week oneProject scar care
Plastic surgeons estimate revision procedures and lasting disfigurement.
Until maximum medical improvementSettle with support
Fair offers accepted, lowball offers answered with a lawsuit.
When treatment is complete
Categories, not numbers
Compensation you may recover
Florida law allows injured people to recover economic and non-economic losses. What any individual claim is worth depends on its own evidence and on the insurance that is actually available, so we list the categories and never a figure.
- Emergency and plastic surgery
- Scar revision and future treatment
- Counseling for trauma and fear
- Lost wages for you or a parent
- Disfigurement damages
- Pain and suffering
What affects the value of your case
- Location of bite
- Facial and hand injuries typically result in higher damages due to visible scarring.
- Age of victim
- Children face longer recovery, psychological effects and future scar revisions.
- Owner's insurance
- Some policies exclude certain breeds or prior bites, making landlord claims important.
- Warning signs
- A visible 'Bad Dog' sign can limit claims by adults, but not young children.
My son needed two surgeries after the bite. The team was patient with him and with me, and they made sure the plan covered his future scar care.
Gabriela Fuentes, Westchester. Dog bite client.
No numbers, by policy
Sample dog bites results
- Resolved before suitDog Bite · 2024
Neighbour's dog attacks a child in Kendall
The claim resolved against the landlord's carrier with the future scar revision care accounted for. The neighbour paid nothing personally.
- Tried to verdictWrongful Death · 2025
Commercial van runs a red light on NW 27th Avenue
Liability was conceded during trial and the estate resolved the claim against the carrier and its excess insurer together.
- Resolved in litigationTruck Accident · 2024
Tractor-trailer lane change on Florida's Turnpike
The carrier withdrew the phantom vehicle defence and the case resolved at mediation, with a funded vocational retraining plan built into the resolution.
- Tried to verdictCar Accident · 2025
Distracted driver rear-ends stopped traffic on I-95
A Miami-Dade jury returned a verdict for the plaintiff on liability and damages, assigning the defendant the entire share of fault on the verdict form.
- Resolved before suitMedical Malpractice · 2023
Emergency department misses stroke symptoms
The hospital resolved the claim inside the statutory pre-suit period and revised its posterior circulation triage protocol.
- Resolved in litigationMotorcycle Accident · 2024
SUV turns left across a rider's path on Biscayne Boulevard
The comparative fault argument was abandoned and the claim resolved against the driver's carrier and then the rider's own uninsured motorist carrier, in that order.
- Resolved in litigationSlip & Fall · 2025
Unmarked spill in a Doral supermarket aisle
Constructive notice was established on the documents alone and the carrier resolved the claim before depositions closed.
- Resolved in litigationWorkers' Compensation · 2023
Scaffolding collapse at a Brickell high-rise site
Benefits resumed and the third party action resolved separately. The comp carrier's equitable distribution claim was negotiated down before disbursement.
Illustrative sample matters for this demo website. We publish no settlement or verdict figures anywhere. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Every matter, in fullDog Bites questions
Florida-specific answers. For advice on your situation, request a free review.
No. Florida is a strict liability state for dog bites. The owner is responsible even for a first bite.
Claims are paid by the owner's homeowner's or renter's insurance, not out of their pocket in most cases. Many clients are relieved to learn this.
Dog bite claims generally follow Florida's two-year negligence statute of limitations for injuries after March 2023.
Related practice areas
Slip & FallFalls in stores, condos, hotels, restaurants and parking garages caused by hazards owners ignored.
Medical MalpracticeSurgical errors, missed diagnoses, medication mistakes and birth injuries at hospitals and clinics.
Workers' CompensationDenied or delayed benefits, and third-party claims for injured construction, hospitality and warehouse workers.