Fort Lauderdale Dog Bite Lawyer

If a dog bit you or your child in or around the Fort Lauderdale area, you might be entitled to seek compensation for your losses. A Fort Lauderdale personal injury lawyer from the Chalik & Chalik Injury Lawyers team can help you hold the careless person responsible. 

Call us today and discuss your case with a member of our legal team during a free case consultation. 

Money Damages You Can Collect in a Florida Dog Bite Case

Dog bite injuries can be severe, debilitating, and disfiguring, requiring extensive medical treatment. A dog attack can even lead to psychological challenges. Our Fort Lauderdale dog bite lawyer can help you seek every available dollar in your case, considering both your past and future expenses.

Tangible and Intangible Damages You Could Be Eligible to Pursue

Every case is different; however, it can be helpful to be aware of some typical losses that a bite victim might be able to include in a dog bite claim. Here are some examples:

• The medical bills you incurred to treat your dog bite injuries, including the ambulance, emergency room, initial surgeries, doctors, hospital, plastic surgery to reduce or minimize scars, and skin grafts.
• Your lost income, reflecting the time when you were away from the job recuperating from your injuries. People automatically assume that you can recover the wages and salary that you missed, but you might be able to go after other forms of income, like self-employment income and tips. Depending on the circumstances, you may even demand compensation for lost opportunities and promotions at work.
• Intangible losses, also called non-economic damages, can include things like past and future pain and suffering, psychological distress, and disfigurement. Dog bites frequently involve scars on highly visible areas of the body, like the face, hands, arms, and chest.

A dog bite lawyer in Fort Lauderdale, FL from our legal team can investigate your case and help you discover whether you have additional losses for which you could get money damages.

How Much Compensation You Could Seek

Some factors that will determine the amount of damages from the bite incident you can pursue include the following:

• The severity of your injuries
• Residual impairment, like loss of function, strength, range of motion, and mobility
• The amount of time you were unable to work because of your injuries
• How your injuries will impact your ability to work in the future
• Ongoing psychological consequences like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Scarring and disfigurement

There is no flat amount that a person wins for a dog bite injury in Fort Lauderdale. The courts look at the unique facts of each person’s case.

Why Choose Chalik & Chalik Injury Lawyers?

Since 1995, we have been helping injury victims in Florida. Our team takes pride in treating our clients like family, supporting our clients from the beginning to the end of their cases.

At Chalik & Chalik Injury Lawyers, you can expect:

• To work with the firm’s partners, Attorneys Debi and Jason Chalik, directly on your case
• A free case review so that you can learn more about your case’s potential and what it would be like to work with our team
• Empathetic support along with strategic legal representation
• A firm with a track record of multi-million dollar settlements

Throughout the legal process, the legal team with Chalik & Chalik Injury Lawyers will be by your side, providing guidance and support through this difficult ordeal. We will keep you updated on your case, and you can ask questions at any time. 

Our Past Results for Clients

As our client, your healthy recovery is very important to us. You deserve the chance to heal your wounds stress-free, and we can help you achieve that. 

In previous cases for our personal injury clients, we have secured the following results:

• $500,000 for a recreational accident that led to a fatal injury
• $400,000 for a slip and fall that led to a spinal injury
• $22.1 million for a product defect that resulted in a catastrophic brain injury

We will work hard to seek the best possible results for you.

How Can a Dog Bite Lawyer Help With Your Injury Claim?

You do not have to handle your dog bite injury claim by yourself. By working with a personal injury lawyer, you get to focus on getting better while we take care of the rest.

We Can Negotiate With the Insurer for You

Dealing with insurance claims adjusters can be complicated. We can negotiate directly with the insurance carrier on your behalf. The claims adjuster may try to challenge your claim or delay your claims process.

They may argue that:

• You deserve a low settlement offer.
• You contributed to your own attack.
• Your injuries are less severe than you claim.

People who handle their own personal injury claims may find out later that they should have received far more money than they did. We want to protect your legal rights in that situation and fight to get you the fair compensation that you deserve.

We Can Help You Determine the Value of Your Case

In addition to negotiating with the insurer, our personal injury attorneys can handle every other aspect of an injury claim or lawsuit. This may include:

• Determining a fair case value
• Gathering evidence for your case
• Taking your case to court
• Filing any necessary paperwork on your behalf

Call Chalik & Chalik Injury Lawyers today for a free case consultation.

How Do Contingency-Fee Arrangements Work in Dog Bite Cases?

You do not worry about having to come up with thousands of dollars out of pocket at the beginning of your case for us to help you. Our dog bite attorneys in Fort Lauderdale, FL handle dog bite claims, like most other personal injury cases, on a contingency-fee-basis. With this type of fee arrangement, you pay nothing up front.

We get paid out of the settlement proceeds or court award at the conclusion of your case. We do not get paid until you win. Even if it takes many months or longer to resolve your claim, we continue working without getting paid until you get compensation.

How Long Do You Have to File a Lawsuit in Florida for a Dog Bite Injury?

Florida law only gives you two years from the date of the injury to file a personal injury lawsuit against the responsible party whose negligence caused you harm. Two years might seem like a long time, but if you have to endure multiple surgeries, physical therapy, and an extended rehabilitation period, the time can go by before you know it.

The two-year time limit contained in Florida Statutes §95.11 does not get extended if you are negotiating with the at-fault person or the liable insurance company. You must actually file a lawsuit in court before the deadline if the case is not resolved at the claim level. If you miss the deadline for filing a lawsuit, this law may bar you from going after compensation for your losses through the courts.

The ability to file a lawsuit is often used as leverage when negotiating with the insurance companies. Some insurance companies may delay your claim in the hopes that the statute of limitations expires in yours. We can ensure that your case complies with all legal deadlines, but only if you contact us early enough.

How Florida Law Handles Dog Bite Cases

Under Florida Statutes §767.04, when a dog harms a person or another animal, the dog owner is liable. The statute places few limits on this strict liability. The law typically holds the owner liable for any injuries.

Florida Statutes § 767.04 holds dog owners responsible if their dogs bite someone who is in a public place or lawfully on private property, including the owner’s land. However, a dog owner may push back by claiming that:

• You contributed to your own attack or injuries.
• They posted a sign warning of a dangerous dog.
• You were trespassing.

If the victim was partly to blame for the bite, that negligence can reduce the amount of money they receive. However, we will work hard to show that you were not responsible, and instead, the dog’s owner should be solely liable.

Fort Lauderdale City Code and “Vicious Dogs”

Furthermore, the City of Fort Lauderdale also maintains that dog owners must keep “vicious dogs” muzzled and properly restrained.

According to City Code §6-33, vicious dogs include not only animals that were previously known to be aggressive, but any animal that attacks or charges another person in a menacing way. Menacing behaviors could include snapping, growling, or biting.

Call Our Attorneys Today for a Free Consultation

At Chalik & Chalik Injury Lawyers, we fight for our clients. When you work with us, you can expect to work directly with our firm’s founding partners.

You can call us today for a free initial consultation about your case in Fort Lauderdale. There is no obligation.