Broward County Dog Bite Attorneys
Dog bite cases can get expensive and stressful, and the stress can rise when the dog owner changes their story or an insurance adjuster starts calling. Broward County cases can also depend on records that can be lost or destroyed before gaining access, like condo hallway footage, security notes, or witness contact details, so acting quickly can protect your medical documentation and protect the facts.
Get the Best Dog Bite Lawyers Working for You
What You Get When You Hire Lesser, Landy, Smith & Siegel, PLLC
- One point of contact for the insurance company, the dog owner, and any property manager.
- A documented timeline that stays consistent from the first conversation through resolution.
- Evidence collection that targets the arguments that lower value in dog bite cases.
- Damage documentation that matches your medical record and your work record.
Intake Details That Let Us Start the Right Work
A first call goes smoother when you have a few basics in front of you, since the details drive who may be responsible and which records we can request right away.
- Bite date and exact location, including the specific spot if you can describe it.
- Dog owner name and contact details, even partial information helps.
- Photos you already took and the names of anyone who saw the bite.
- Medical visits so far and any follow-up already scheduled.
- Any call, text, or letter from an insurance adjuster.
Dog Bite Cases We Handle in Broward County
Dog bite cases can look similar at first, then the details change the analysis, especially when the bite happened in a shared space or the dog owner starts disputing responsibility. Our Broward County dog bite attorneys handle cases across each of those settings, and we adjust the evidence work to fit the location so the case stays centered on responsibility and damages instead of arguments about missing details.
Neighborhood, Sidewalk, and Park Bites
Loose dog cases usually come down to two questions: who owned the dog and who controlled the dog at the time. Proof can get harder once the dog runs back to a nearby home and the owner denies responsibility, so we work from location details, witness contacts, and any nearby camera sources.
Condo, Apartment, and HOA Bites
Common-area bites raise issues that do not come up in a front-yard bite, since a building may have cameras, security notes, pet rules, and prior complaints that show the dog created a known risk. We look for footage sources, retention windows, and written records that connect the dog and owner to the location, and we use those records to cut off “no one knows what happened” arguments.
Home Bites During Visits
Home bites can turn into permission disputes, even when you had a clear reason to be there. We build lawful-presence proof through records that exist outside the dog owner’s story, like texts about an invitation, scheduled appointment records, delivery confirmations, or witness confirmation that you entered normally.
Work, Delivery, and Service Visit Bites
Work-visit bites can create wage loss and job restriction issues that need documentation, not guesswork. We tie the bite to the scheduled visit through work orders, route logs, or appointment messages, and we document missed time and duty limits through employer records that match the injury.
Child Dog Bite Cases
Child bite cases require a different documentation plan because scars can change as a child grows and routine changes can show up later. We build the case around medical documentation, consistent photo records over time, and practical notes that track sleep issues, school issues, and activity changes in a way that holds up.
What We Do First After You Hire Us
The initial work our attorneys do keeps the case grounded in proof, which means we keep the facts consistent, we secure records that can disappear, and we build damages in a way that matches your treatment and work history.
Take Over Insurance Contact
Insurance adjusters may try to push for a recorded statement as well as informal back-and-forth texts, and those conversations may put you on record with short, context-free wording that later gets used to argue fault or to downplay your injuries, which can create disputes later. We handle communications so you do not get boxed into wording that leaves out injury details or makes it sound like the bite happened differently than it did.
Build the Timeline and Responsibility Proof
We confirm the bite location, your reason for being there, and who had control of the dog at the time. We also connect each key fact to a record, a photo, a witness statement, or a video source, so the case does not turn into a credibility contest.
Secure Video, Witnesses, and Key Records
- Cameras: Identify every camera source tied to the bite location, including lobby cameras, elevator cameras, parking cameras, gate cameras, and nearby business cameras.
- Control: Identify who controls each camera system, like a condo association, property manager, a security company, or a neighboring business.
- Preservation: Send a written preservation request for footage, then follow up for the exact time window around the bite.
- Witnesses: Get witness contact information and a short statement that covers what the witness saw, where the witness stood, and what the dog did right before the bite.
- Records: Request animal control records that confirm the dog’s identity, the reported bite, quarantine steps if applicable, and vaccination status if available.
Organize Medical Proof and Wage Proof
We collect medical records and bills that match symptom progression, then we document missed work time and duty limits with employer records that support the lost income story.
Identify Every Viable Policy That May Pay
We look for homeowner or renter policies tied to the dog owner, and we also evaluate property or business coverage when the location and control facts support it, since one policy may not cover the full loss.
Florida Dog Bite Responsibility Rules and How Our Attorneys Use Them
In Florida, dog bite law starts with a few core rules, and we build the proof that fits those rules. Our Florida dog bite attorneys use the rules to set the responsibility baseline, then we build proof that answers the defenses insurance carriers lean on when they want to pay less.
Owner Responsibility Basics and How We Apply the Statute
Florida law can hold a dog owner responsible for a bite without making you prove the dog had bitten before, but the case still needs clear proof of ownership, control, and bite location.
Ownership can get disputed in shared households, and control can get disputed when another person handled the dog, so our lawyers confirm both with records and witness details instead of relying on a single conversation with the owner.
Lawful Presence on Private Property and How We Prove It
Home bites and gated-community bites can turn into a permission argument, even when you had a normal reason to be there. We can prove lawful presence with records that exist outside the dog owner’s version of events.
Common examples that help:
- Texts or call logs that show an invite.
- Work orders or appointment confirmations for a scheduled visit.
- Delivery records tied to the address.
- Witness confirmation that you entered normally.
Documentation that shows permission can keep the case centered on the bite and the injury, instead of turning into a side debate about entry.
Fault Arguments and How We Push Back With Evidence
Insurance carriers look for ways to assign fault to you because fault can reduce what gets paid. Dog bite fault arguments usually target the minute before the bite, like whether you reached toward the dog, ignored a warning, or moved into a space the owner says you should not have entered.
We respond with specific facts that can be checked, like where you stood, how the dog got access to you, what the leash setup looked like, and what witnesses saw so that it makes it harder for the other side to turn a vague allegation into a percentage of fault.
“Bad Dog” Sign Situations and How We Evaluate the Exceptions
A “Bad Dog” sign issue sounds simple until you look at the details that decide it. Sign placement and readability can become the entire argument, and exceptions can apply even when a sign exists. We look at points like:
- Whether a person could see the sign before entry.
- Whether a person could read the sign from the entry path.
- Whether the dog owner’s conduct created the risk even with a sign posted.
Fact-checking the sign against the entry route keeps the case tied to the physical layout and the entry route, instead of letting the other side rely on a broad sign argument.
Damages Our Attorneys Fight For in Dog Bite Cases
A dog bite case should cover the costs you already faced and the costs that continue after the first visit, and the documentation needs to support each category.
Medical Expenses and Future Care
Medical expenses can start with an ER or urgent care visit, then continue with wound care, antibiotics, and follow-up appointments. Specialist care can apply for hand injuries, facial wounds, infection concerns, or scarring treatment. Future care can be part of the case when a doctor documents a need for additional visits or procedures.
Lost Income and Work Limits
Lost income can mean missed shifts, reduced hours, or restrictions that keep you from doing core job duties. Proof can come from time records, a supervisor note, a job description, or a written restriction that matches the medical record, and pay stubs help most when they are paired with something that explains the work change.
Scarring, Disfigurement, and Visible Changes
Scarring changes over time, so photos should track progression with dates and consistent distance and lighting. Medical notes that describe scar size, sensitivity, and treatment recommendations can help show long-term impact.
Pain and Day-to-Day Limits
Pain and limitations can affect sleep, walking, grip strength, and daily routines. A case record works best when it ties limits to specific dates and treatment points, and a short log can help capture what changed week to week.
Evidence Our Attorneys Use to Build a Broward Dog Bite Case
- Medical Records: Treatment notes should describe the wound, infection concerns, and any limits in movement or function, and follow-up records should match the symptoms you report over time.
- Photos: Photos carry more weight when they follow a consistent routine, with similar distance and lighting each time, and progress photos can show bruising changes, wound closure, and scarring development.
- Witnesses: Statements can confirm leash status, dog behavior, and what happened right before the bite, and reliable witness contact information can support the case if the insurance carrier disputes the facts later.
- Animal Control Records: Reports can confirm dog identity and ownership details, and they can document bite reporting and quarantine steps when applicable.
- Vaccination Information: Vaccination records can support the timeline and help explain rabies-related treatment decisions when that becomes part of medical care.
- Property Records: Security desk notes, incident reports, and access logs can support the setting facts in condo, apartment, and HOA cases.
- Camera Footage: Video can support location and control facts, so camera sources should get identified and preserved before routine deletion.
Insurance Claim Problems Our Dog Bite Attorneys Handle for You
Insurance carriers look for ways to narrow the payout by shaping the written record, limiting what they accept as related care, and arguing about who owns the dog. We handle those issues directly so your case stays tied to proof and treatment.
Recorded Statements
A recorded statement can end up in the insurance file as the “official” version of events, even when you have not finished treatment and even when you do not yet know whether the bite will leave scarring or ongoing symptoms. We handle the carrier contact and decide whether a statement serves your case, then we keep any statement tied to documented facts and current medical care.
Low Offers and Release Papers
Low offers can arrive before the injury picture settles, and a release can waive payment for later care or complications tied to the bite. We review the release language closely and address problems before you sign anything.
Broad Medical Authorizations
Broad authorizations can give the carrier access to unrelated medical history, then the carrier uses that history to argue that pain, limits, or follow-up care did not come from the bite. We narrow record requests to relevant treatment and protect your privacy.
Owner Identity Disputes
Owner identity disputes come up when the dog ran back to a nearby home, when a household has more than one adult, or when someone other than the owner held the leash. We use records, property information, and witness proof to connect the dog to the owner responsible for the bite.
Multiple Policies and Policy Limits
One policy may not cover the full loss, especially when medical care continues or scarring creates long-term impact. We check for additional coverage and evaluate whether the bite setting supports another policy source.
Florida’s Personal Injury Statute of Limitations
In Florida, a dog bite case runs on a time limit set by the statute of limitations for personal injury, and Lesser, Landy, Smith & Siegel, PLLC confirms the correct date at intake and tracks it through the life of the case so you keep the option to file a lawsuit if the insurance carrier will not resolve the case on reasonable terms.
- Most dog bite cases: Florida sets a two-year limit for an action founded on negligence, and many dog bite cases fall under that rule.
- If the bite caused death: Florida also uses a two-year limit for wrongful death actions, and the date runs from the death, not the bite.
- If a government entity may be responsible: Florida’s sovereign immunity statute adds a written notice requirement to the appropriate agency and the Florida Department of Financial Services within three years, and the statute also builds in a waiting period tied to the agency’s response.
Attorney Fees and Costs
Most people want to know two things right away: how attorney fees work and what expenses can come up while the case moves forward. A clear answer helps you decide whether hiring counsel makes financial sense for your situation.
Contingency Fee Basics
A contingency fee means attorney fees come out of the amount recovered, not out of your pocket month to month. If there is no recovery, you do not pay attorney fees. Fee terms get put in writing, and you get a chance to ask questions before you sign.
Case Costs
Separate from attorney fees, a case can have expenses tied to building the record. Common costs can include charges for medical records, fees for reports, and investigation costs when the facts require it. A lawsuit can add costs like filing fees, deposition expenses, and expert costs, and those expenses should get discussed before the case takes that path.
Medical Bills and Liens
Medical billing can keep running while the case is pending, and a settlement usually needs to account for medical balances and lien claims. We track bills and liens as the case develops, then we address them during settlement talks so the numbers make sense and nothing shows up at the end as a surprise.
Let Us Fight for Justice and the Compensation You Deserve
After an initial conversation to determine if you may have a case, we schedule a more detailed consultation to go through what happened, your treatment, and the issues that can affect value. Lesser, Landy, Smith & Siegel, PLLC keeps the process clear and professional, and we fight for the compensation that will account for your losses today and any future care or limitations tied to the attack.
Call our dog bite lawyers in Broward County at (954) 495-2715 to get started.
