LIABILITY FOR INJURIES FROM ANIMALS

A survey by the National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta ("CDC") concluded that dogs bite occur to nearly 2% of the U.S. population more than 4.7 million people annually. (Sacks JJ, Kresnow M, Houston B. Dog Bites: How Big a Problem? Injury Prev 1996;2:524.) Almost 800,000 bites per year one out of every 6 are serious enough to require medical attention. (Weiss HB, Friedman D, Coben JH. Incidence of dog bite injuries treated in emergency departments. JAMA 1998;279:51,53.)

Florida law provides that the owner of any dog that bites any person is liable for damages, regardless of the former viciousness of the dog or the owners' knowledge of such viciousness unless the dog was provoked to bite.

If you or a loved one have been injured by a dog, the owner may be responsible for the injuries. It is important to report the incident to local animal control so that the dog can be checked to be sure it has current rabies vaccination. Such an incident can cause substantial medical expense and permanent disfigurement.

My firm is dedicated to providing you with some immediate relief for your problems. I am personally involved with each client. Utilizing my skill as a Board Certified Civil Trial Attorney, my firm and I have the experience and expertise to help you find solutions to your stress, anxiety, and frustration of dealing with the consequences these accidents can cause.

Our team approach utilizes my experience and the experience of my paralegal, who is a former insurance adjuster. Working as a team for you, we are able to provide the necessary skill to help you deal with issues that you cannot handle on your own. All insurance companies have teams of highly trained claims adjusters, lawyers, and investigators whose job is to represent the interests of their insured who is typically the party that caused your injuries. The insurance company does not represent your interests and you cannot rely upon them to deal with you fairly. In order to insure that you are being treated fairly you need to have legal representation for your interests.

I offer a free initial no obligation personal consultation, so that I can better understand your claim. I accept these cases on a contingency fee basis so that the attorney fees and costs are collected from the recovery that we are able to obtain for you. It there is no recovery, you owe nothing for attorney fees or costs.