St. Petersburg Accident Blog

Dog Bite - Does Homeowner's Insurance Cover You?

Whether you own a dog, or are bitten by one, it is important to know if Homeowner's Insurance covers you!

Young Dog Bite Victims Often Suffer Emotional Trauma

When children are the victims of dog bite injuries, they often suffer emotional trauma. If you or a loved one has been injured in a Florida dog attack, contact a St Petersburg personal injury lawyer at the Law Offices of William K. Saron at (727) 345-4566 or (866) 836-4947 for legal advice.

What If My Dog Bites Someone While It Is Boarded At The Kennel?

What happens if my dog bites someone while it is at the kennel?  Believe it or not, you are still strictly liable and this issue has been looked at by the Florida Supreme Court.  The Florida Statutes provide for "strict liability" to the "owner" if the owner's dog bites someone as long as the person that got bit was legally allowed to be wherever he was when he got bit (not trespassing, etc.).  The kennel does not "own" the dog, and there is no recognized exception of assumption of the risk, or independent contractor, etc. that will prevent the "owner" from being liable.  I love my dogs, but if I put one of them in the kennel and they bite someone, even an employee of the kennel, I am still responsible as the "owner".

Why Dogs Attack in Florida

A canine attack can leave both physical and emotional scars on the victim.  When a child is bitten by a dog, it is not uncommon for a fear of dogs to develop that can be so debilitating that the child is too afraid to go to the park or to the homes of friends or family members who own dogs.  Dogs can attack for many reasons and in some situations, the canine’s owner can be held responsible for injuries.

Dog bites are prevalent in the United States.  It has been estimated that 2 percent of the total U.S. population have been bitten by dogs, which equals about 4.7 million people every year.  Some people believe that the number of canine attacks is so high because of the close proximity of dogs to humans.

There is debate as to whether certain dog breeds are more likely to attack than others.  For example, the rate of pit bull attacks seems to be higher than some other dog breeds.  Some people have argued that it has nothing to do with the breed, but that the propensity to bite is actually associated with the dog’s owner.

Dogs bite when they are scared, territorial, sick or injured.  Usually a dog will give warning signs of an impending attack, but young children, who are the most common victims, often miss these signals.

If you have been the victim of a Florida dog attack, you should contact a St. Petersburg dog bite lawyer at the Law Offices of William K. Saron at (727) 345-4566 or (866) 836-4947.

Florida Dog Bite Facts & Statistics

Every 75 seconds, someone is bitten by a dog in the United States.  Over 1,000 Americans require emergency treatment for these dog bites. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published a study into the frequency of dog bite injuries and found that approximately 4.7 million dog bites occur every year.  One report by the Animal People News stated that the following percentages of attacks involved pit bulls, rottweilers and wolf hybrids:

• 77 percent of dog attacks caused bodily harm
• 73 percent of dog attacks involved children
• 83 percent of dog attacks involved adults
• 70 percent of dog attacks resulted in death
• 77 percent of dog attacks caused maiming

Researchers have also looked into the types of breeds that most commonly cause fatalities.  According to research, during a 20-year period from 1979 to 1998, at least 25 dog breeds were involved in 238 human dog bite related deaths.  Rottweilers and pit bulls were associated with more than half of these deaths from 1997 to 1998.

Dogs bite for many reasons.  Based on a study in Denver, male dogs are more likely to bite than females and dogs that attack are 2.6 times as likely to not be neutered.  Also, dogs that bite are 2.8 times as likely to be chained as unchained.

Source: Dogbites.org

How to Avoid a Florida Dog Attack

Every year, there are millions of victims of dog bites across the country.  Children, ages 5 to 9, are the ones who are most often attacked by dogs and as a result, they sustain the highest number of dog bite injuries.  When a dog bite occurs, the dog owner can be held liable for injuries under Florida law.

People frequently bring their dogs to parks and other public locations, which increase the odds of a serious dog attack.  Even though dogs are domesticated, they are still animals and their behavior can be unpredictable.  Family dogs have even been known to violently attack.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has created a list of safety tips to help avoid dog bites.  According to the CDC, you should never approach an unfamiliar dog and should always ask the dog’s owner before petting the animal.  If you are approached by an unfamiliar dog, do not move and avoid running or screaming.  Children should never be allowed to play with a dog unsupervised and should be taught the proper way to treat animals.

If you or your child has been attacked by a dog, which resulted in serious injuries, contact the Law Offices of William K. Saron at (866) 836-4947 or (727) 345-4566 for legal advice.  You may be entitled to compensation for the dog bite injuries.

The article, “Avoiding Dog Bites & Vicious Canine Attacks in Florida,” has more information on this topic.