Cowen Edwards Trial Lawyers represents bicyclists bitten by dogs in the Fort Lauderdale area. Our dog bite lawyers offer free consultations to all injured patients, especially those hurt while just trying to enjoy a bike ride. Contact our offices to find out what you should demand from careless dog owners and insurance companies to help pay for the best care available so you can get back on your bike as soon as possible.
Dog Bite Hazards for Fort Lauderdale Cyclists
Local cyclists are often moving much faster than people and their pets. They wouldn’t usually interact all that much. Unfortunately, some dogs love to chase anything and everything. A dog allowed to run loose by a careless owner may run down a rider for fun. The dog could also be following instincts to protect its property. In either case, a frightening bite could end a ride.
A bicyclist may be in a bike line or on the boardwalk when a dog on a leash is allowed to get too close. A sudden snap and suddenly a rider has a bleeding wound on a thigh or at the ankle.
Victims can suffer nerve damage, broken bones, and more. The saliva that enters the bloodstream through the dog’s teeth can also give patients a viral disease like rabies.
These injuries and others can claim a victim’s health and their ability to live a normal life. Their ability to work and support their families could be at risk. Their emotional health might also be in jeopardy when they can’t return to the bike rides they love.
A Fort Lauderdale bicycle accident lawyer is a necessary safeguard for dog bite cases that involve a serious injury. Insurance companies for dog owners won’t want to accept full responsibility for what happened, but a skilled attorney collects the evidence necessary to force insurers to provide full support.
Who Is Responsible If I’m Bitten By a Dog While I’m Riding a Bike?
Florida law holds the dog owner responsible for all bite incidents, including when a cyclist passing is bitten. Our state follows the legal concept of “strict liability.” It means that dog owners are liable for the consequences of bite wounds, even if it’s the dog’s first reported biting incident.
Strict liability basically makes it much easier for victims to establish who is to blame for a dog bite and secure support. That’s important for cyclists who are suddenly attacked and rely on their physical wellbeing to participate in their favorite athletic activity. Someone who relies on a bicycle to go to school or to work could lose the ability to get where they need to be while down with a painful dog bite injury.
The dog owner would almost always be financially responsible for the resulting ambulance fees and emergency room costs as long as the following were true:
- The dog bite victim didn’t provoke the dog beforehand.
- The cyclist wasn’t trespassing on private property.
Your lawyer would help you prove that a dog owner was fully to blame. Then a claim is filed against the dog owner’s homeowners insurance or renter’s insurance provider. Your Fort Lauderdale dog bite lawyer would begin negotiating to get you the dog bite compensation you need to help you recover and get back to the rides you love.
What If I’m Knocked Down By a Dog While Biking in Fort Lauderdale?
Unfortunately, a bite isn’t the only way a dog can harm a cyclist. Victims can be sent to the road surface or the sidewalk by an aggressive dog.
Riders could be frightened enough to dart into traffic trying to escape a pursuing dog and end up getting hit by a car. A bite might not take place, but victims can hit their heads to suffer Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI). They might break a chest bone or a wrist bone.
Strict liability can’t be used to decide a dog knockdown case, because strict liability only applies to incidents involving a bite. However, cyclists can still seek support for their injuries. But since strict liability doesn’t apply, victims would need strong proof that the dog and the dog’s owner caused the fall from a bike
Cowen Edwards Trial Lawyers would apply a different set of personal injury laws to hold the dog owner liable. Through a full investigation, we’d show the victim was injured due to the actions or inactions of the dog owner. Then we’d seek the maximum in compensation for our client.
What Kind of Compensation Can I Ask for If I’m Riding When I’m Bitten By a Dog?
Dog bite victims can need immediate care and prolonged medical attention in the future to recover from nerve and tendon damage through physical therapy. A dog bite settlement check may need to cover years of rehabilitation and the potential for follow-up surgeries in the future.
These hardships and estimated expenses would all need to be submitted with an accident claim. Anything left off is in danger of becoming an invoice that would be left to the cyclist or the cyclist’s family to pay.
Your Cowen Edwards attorney would be demanding a settlement check that covered a few things victims may not have known could earn additional support:
- Totals on current medical bills and estimates on the cost of care in the future.
- Money to pay for physical therapy treatment for victims to regain the use of their arms or legs so they can get back on their bicycles.
- Long-term costs associated with a permanent physical disability.
- Pain and suffering. This includes the physical pain you endure and the emotional trauma you are put through due to a frightening dog attack.
- Loss of enjoyment of life as your injury forces you to give up family activities and the rides that you rely on for exercise and stress relief.
- Travel costs as you must find ways to get to and from doctor appointments while you are injured.
- Money for property damage including damaged clothing, shoes, helmets, cell phones, and watches.
- Paychecks and benefits you’ve forfeited while missing work.
Contact a Fort Lauderdale Bicycle Accident Lawyer
Dealing with injuries and the emotional fallout from a dog bite can be really difficult. But our experienced team of Fort Lauderdale personal injury lawyers who focus on dog bite cases can make a big difference. We understand these situations well and will protect your rights, helping you get the support and compensation you deserve. We want to see you heal and get back on your bike again as soon as possible.
Don’t hesitate. Contact us now for a free consultation to get started. There’s no obligation, but if you feel we can help you earn more in an injury claim, you won’t need to have the money to pay our lawyers. We don’t get paid unless your case is successful. Then our fee comes out of the money an insurance company must pay you and your family.
