When a dog attacks, a single bite can penetrate the victim’s skin, tear through muscles and nerves and even crush bone. Given the size of kids who are aged four to seven, they’re particularly vulnerable to dog bites, wounds, and scarring at the face and neck levels.

Strict Liability

About 36 states have made owners of dogs that bite strictly liable for the injuries and damages that are caused, so long as the bite occurred in a public place or the victim was lawfully in a private place. Liability attaches regardless of the viciousness of the dog in the past or the dog owner’s knowledge that the dog was vicious. Aside from strict liability, dog bite lawsuits can also be brought pursuant to counts of negligence, negligence per se, or even an allegation of an intentional act. Given these types of allegations, dog bites certainly fall under the purview of personal injury law Orlando-based.

Fatal Dog Bites

When a dog attacks, its bites can even be fatal. In 2020, a woman died as a result of a dog attack while walking her poodle. The owner of the dog that attacked the woman had tied it to a post with a piece of wire, but the wire broke when the woman passed by with her dog.  If a death results that’s contemplated by a strict liability dog bite statute, the decedent’s family can bring a wrongful death action.

Each state has its own statute of limitations regarding when a dog bite lawsuit might be filed. A different deadline applies to bites to minors. Each state allows for sufficient time for a victim to file a personal injury lawsuit in a dog bite case. If you or your child were injured by a dog bite, conduct due diligence and get your lawsuit on file in a timely manner.