West Palm Beach Dog Bite Attorney

Any sort of animal attack can be overwhelming or devastating. Often, a dog bite attack can be a shocking experience that might cause serious and enduring injuries. The sufferer of a dog bite may have emotional injuries and physical scarring. Mr. Quackenbush is an experienced attorney who has effectively handled claims on the behalf of dog bite victims, either through litigation or negotiations with the dog owner’s insurance company. To learn more about your legal options, it is important to contact a lawyer quickly if you or a loved one has been bitten by a dog.

Every type of dog breed is capable of biting a person. But, some breeds are likely to bite. Such breeds include pit bulls, and Mr. Quackenbush helps victims of pit bull bites. If you have been bitten by somebody else’s pet, the liable party is typically the pet owner.

In some situations, dogs attack because they are not in good health. In some situations, dogs might not be going to the veterinarian as they should be. If dogs bite people and cause injuries because of this, then dog owners could be liable.

In many cases, the owners of dogs give their dog's training to fight. This happens frequently with pit bulls. Nevertheless, if the owner of the pit bull trains his or dog to fight and, because of this, the dog attacks a person, then the owner could be liable.

If you’ve been attacked by another person’s dog, then you will most likely pursue a case against that person. In that situation, you won’t necessarily need to prove that the other person was negligent. That is because, in the State of Florida, dog owners are said to be “strictly liable” for their dogs. This means that, even if the dog owner didn’t do anything wrong, he or she will be liable if his or her dog attacks somebody else and causes injuries. That is, the dog owner will be responsible just due to the fact that he or she owned the dog.

Only dog owners can be strictly liable. In other words, “strict liability” won’t apply to third parties. However, third parties can still be responsible for their own negligence which leads to a dog bite. For example, if a veterinarian allows a dog out which bites a customer, then the veterinarian can be held liable for its own negligence.

Call Mr. Quackenbush at 954-448-7288 if you’ve been injured due to a dog bite anyplace in the State of Florida (including Miami, Miami-Dade County, Broward County, and Fort Lauderdale). He will talk to you about your case for free.

In a dog bite or animal attack case, the most frequent challenge is finding insurance coverage to compensate the injured person. For example, when a dog attack takes place on a rental property, the property owner/landlord could be held legally responsible if he or she was aware of the hazardous dog. In some cases, taking legal action against both the dog owner and the property owner increases the probability of being completely compensated for all damages caused by the dog. It is also important to keep in mind that when you bring a case against a dog owner or property owner, that person is not always going to pay the costs directly out of his or her own pocket. Homeowner’s insurance and renter’s insurance may cover the cost of dog bite claims. However, homeowner’s insurance companies began inserting “exclusions” into their policies. These exclusions stated that the insurance companies wouldn’t pay compensation to victims who had sustained injuries as a result of dog bites or animal attacks.

In that situation, Mr. Quackenbush must look to other options to get clients compensated for their injuries. For example, if your incident occurred at an apartment complex, then Mr. Quackenbush will investigate to see if the complex 1) knew of the existence of the dog at the complex and 2) knew that the dog was a bad/aggressive dog. If the apartment complex was aware of these things, then it could be liable for your injures – and you may be able to pursue compensation from the complex’s insurance policy.

On the other hand, if the dog bite occurred at a veterinarian’s office, then the vet could be responsible if its negligence somehow contributed to the attack.

Lacerations due to dog bites frequently cause permanent scarring. Scars might necessitate surgery for repair. In Florida, if somebody is bitten by a dog or another animal, he or she might be able to compensation for medical bills, lost wages/time missed at work and pain & suffering.

A dog bite might result in emotional issues as well. Such emotional issues might lead you to be diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In fact, your trauma might require treatment with a psychologist, therapist, psychiatrist or counselor.

In Florida, you have four years from the date of a dog bite/animal attack to file a lawsuit. So you must not delay filing a case.

Further, if the dog owner had a “bad dog” sign at his or her property, then he or she will not be responsible for his or her dog biting another person (i.e., the dog owner won’t be strictly liable) – unless the dog owner’s own negligence somehow contributed to the dog bite/animal attack.

If you were bitten by a dog or attacked by another animal anywhere in Palm Beach County (including Belle Glade, Boca Raton, Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, Greenacres, Jupiter, Lake Worth, Lantana, North Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Palm Springs, Riviera Beach, Royal Palm Beach and Wellington), contact Mr. Quackenbush at 954-448-7288 for a free consultation. This West Palm Beach Dog Bite Law Firm has the experience required to help you.