Were you or your child bitten by a dog in Deerfield Beach, FL?
At The Andres Lopez Law Firm, we pursue full compensation for dog-bite victims on a contingency basis, and you owe no attorney fees unless we recover for you.
If a dog bit you or your child in Deerfield Beach, responsibility almost always falls on the animal’s owner, and compensation typically comes from that owner’s homeowner or renter insurance rather than from the owner’s own finances. The Andres Lopez Law Firm finds the applicable policy and seeks full medical damages, from the first hospital visit through any surgery still to come. That preparation is the work of our Deerfield Beach, FL dog bite lawyer.
Dog Bite Lawyer Deerfield Beach, FL
A dog bite case is a claim against the owner of an animal that injured someone, usually a bite but sometimes a knockdown or a scratch that leads to infection. A dog bite is not just a puncture wound. Deep bites cause nerve damage, infection, and scars that can need surgery years after the wound has closed.
Dog bites send roughly 337,000 people to emergency rooms across the country each year, and children are bitten more often than any other group. Most bites come from a familiar dog and happen at or near a home, not in an encounter with a stray. In Broward County, every reported bite brings a health-department review, because a bite can carry infection and, in rare cases, rabies.
Types of Dog Bite Cases We Handle in Deerfield Beach
A dog bite is rarely just a scratch, and the person responsible is almost always the dog’s owner. We represent the person who was bitten, and we pursue the owner’s insurance so a serious injury does not come down to a neighbor’s savings. These are the situations we handle most often.
- Bites by a neighbor’s or friend’s dog. Most bites come from a dog the victim knows, and the claim runs against the owner’s homeowner or renter insurance, not the owner personally. That coverage allows a victim to recover without pursuing a friend’s personal assets.
- Bites on rental property. When a dangerous dog lives in a rental, a landlord who knew of the danger can share responsibility along with the dog’s owner. A prior complaint or report can show the landlord knew.
- Bites to children. Children are bitten far more often than adults and are more likely to suffer face and neck wounds that call for reconstructive surgery.
- Attacks causing scarring and disfigurement. Deep bites leave permanent scars and nerve damage, and a full claim accounts for the revisions and treatment that follow for years. Scar revision is often staged over several procedures, and the claim should reflect all of them.
- Bites in parks and public places. A dog off its leash in a public space puts everyone nearby at risk, and the owner remains responsible for the harm it causes.
- Repeat and known-dangerous dogs. An owner who knew a dog had bitten before, or had shown aggression, faces added exposure for ignoring the warning. Prior bite reports and neighbor accounts help establish that history.
- Infection and delayed complications. A bite that looks minor can turn into a serious infection or a lasting loss of function, and the claim should reflect the full course of care. Puncture wounds to the hand and deep tissue carry the highest infection risk.
- Knockdown and non-bite injuries. A large dog that jumps or charges can knock a person down and cause fractures without ever biting, and those injuries are compensable as well.
- Fatal dog attacks. When an attack takes a life, we help the family pursue accountability and the support Florida law provides. A wrongful-death claim can cover funeral costs and the family’s loss.
Why Choose The Andres Lopez Law Firm as my Dog Bite Lawyer in Deerfield Beach, FL?
What Our Case Results Show
Our firm has recovered millions of dollars for injured people across South Florida. Mr. Lopez’s membership in the Million Dollar Advocates Forum reflects that record.
- $700,000, slip and fall recovery
- $345,000, slip and fall settlement
- $155,000, slip and fall settlement
- $100,000, policy limits settlement
- $50,000, policy limits settlement
Valuing the Full Injury
Andres Lopez founded The Andres Lopez Law Firm and has practiced personal injury law since 2006 in Maryland and 2009 in Florida. He earned his undergraduate and law degrees at the University of Maryland and belongs to the Florida Justice Association and the Broward County Bar Association. A serious bite rarely ends at the emergency room. As a personal injury lawyer in Deerfield Beach, FL, we value each claim around the scarring, surgery, and treatment a bite can require for years.
Understanding Dog Bite Cases
Damages, Liability, and Compensation for Dog Bite Cases
An owner is responsible for a bite when the injured person was lawfully present and did nothing to provoke the dog. The money to pay a claim almost always comes from a homeowner or renter policy. Most of these policies include liability coverage for a dog’s bite, though some limit or exclude a dog with a bite history, so identifying the exact policy terms matters early. A dog-bite claim can recover:
- Emergency treatment, wound repair, and any reconstructive surgery
- Scar revision and long-term care for nerve or tissue damage
- Lost wages, including a parent’s time away to care for an injured child
- Pain, disfigurement, and the emotional effects of an attack
A victim’s own conduct can matter. If provoking the dog or ignoring a clear warning contributed to the bite, that share of fault reduces what the owner owes. Recovery still comes through the owner’s policy, and we handle disputes over coverage, including the claim denials that sometimes arise. The value of a claim reflects not only the bills already paid but the future cost of care, which for a child can extend into adulthood. Where more than one party is responsible, such as an owner and a landlord, each applicable policy can contribute to the recovery.
What Are Important Aspects of a Dog Bite Case?
Whether the bite happened in a public place or on private property affects the owner’s responsibility. Public property bites follow their own rules. Local leash and animal-control rules also bear on fault, because a violation can help show the owner was negligent. Children are involved in a large share of bites and face a higher risk of serious facial injury, which raises both the medical stakes and the value of a claim. A bite should be treated and reported promptly. Florida also sets a two-year window to file a negligence claim for an injury on or after March 24, 2023.
What Should You Bring to Your Dog Bite Consultation?
A few things help us evaluate a dog-bite claim quickly.
- Photos of the injuries and, if you can, the dog
- The owner’s name, address, and insurance information if you have it
- Medical records, bills, and the emergency-room report
- The name of the agency you reported the bite to
If the dog’s rabies history is unknown, report the bite so the animal can be observed for rabies, a process the county health department coordinates with animal control. Keeping any torn clothing or an object involved in the attack can also help document its force. There is no charge for the consultation.
What Is the Dog Bite Case Timeline?
A dog-bite claim moves through predictable stages, though the length of time before a resolution depends on how long the injuries take to heal. Medical care and wound treatment come first, followed by a record of the injuries as they heal, which for scarring can take many months. We identify the owner and the policy that covers the bite, and animal-control records can confirm whether the dog had bitten before. We then present a demand once the long-term picture is clear, and if the insurer will not pay a fair amount, we file suit and prepare the case for trial. A scarring claim in particular should not be resolved until a treating physician can assess whether further surgery will be needed.
Reach Out to The Andres Lopez Law Firm to Schedule a Consultation
The Andres Lopez Law Firm handles dog-bite claims on a contingency basis, so you owe no attorney fees unless we recover for you, and you can contact us for a free case review whenever you are ready. Our Deerfield Beach dog bite lawyer can review how the bite happened and tell you whether the owner is liable.