Fort Lauderdale’s Cowen Edwards Trial Lawyers represent dog bite accident victims bitten while running. Our runner dog bite injury lawyers offer free consultations to all injured victims. Contact our offices to find out what your case may be worth and how to hold careless dog owners and insurance companies fully responsible for recovery costs.
Do I Need a Lawyer After I’ve Been Bitten While Running in Fort Lauderdale?
If a dog bite only causes minor injuries, like small cuts and bruises, you may not need the help of a lawyer for your case. But when more serious injuries are involved, like broken ankle bones or a deep wound, you should speak with a skilled Fort Lauderdale Dog Bite Attorney about your case.
Runners who are bitten on the legs or arms often need expensive medical care before they can return to their exercise routine again. These costs will drive insurance providers for dog owners to look for ways to blame a bite incident on you. They’ll also be looking to downplay the injury you’ve received, no matter what a doctor says about the severity.
These are tactics all insurance companies use to get out of having to help victims, but your Cowen Edwards representative is a safeguard against this treatment. Your lawyer would collect powerful evidence that forces an insurance adjuster to turn over the maximum in injury compensation available.
Who Is Responsible for a Dog Bite If I’m Bitten While Running?
Florida law holds the dog owner responsible for all bite incidents, including when a runner passing by 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 only known 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 runners and those out for a peaceful walk who are suddenly attacked.
Any dog that’s not properly restrained by an owner may go after a runner. Some dogs will enjoy pursuing someone, but they can either play too hard or nip at someone’s extremities. The pet could also feel threatened or protective and chase someone down.
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 runner 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 Cowen Edwards dog bite lawyer would begin negotiating to get you the dog bite compensation you need to help you recover and get back to the runs you love.
What If I’m Knocked Down By a Dog While Running and Injured?
If your incident didn’t involve a bite, strict liability laws wouldn’t apply and help you. However, different personal injury laws would apply.
Strict liability can’t be used in a case if no bite occurred, although a bite that doesn’t leave a mark still counts.
But runners can still be seriously hurt without a bite involved. They may be knocked to the ground by a big dog, even if the dog was just being friendly. Runners can fall and try to catch themselves and break a wrist or fingers. Victims might suffer a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) after hitting their heads on a sidewalk.
Without the advantage of strict liability that makes proving fault easier, your lawyer would need to prove that a dog’s actions caused your fall and that the dog owner allowed it to happen. Your Cowen Edwards personal injury lawyer would go to work immediately collecting evidence to show the dog owner’s negligence. Then your legal representative would aggressively seek injury support on your behalf.
Compensation for Fort Lauderdale Runners Bitten By Dogs
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 victim or the victim’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 full use of their hands or learn how to walk and run again after a bite on the leg.
- 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 enjoyable routines like exercise and running.
- 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, cell phones, and watches.
- Paychecks and benefits you’ve forfeited while missing work.
Frequently Asked Questions
What If I Can’t Find the Dog’s Owner?
See to your safety first. Then take a photo of the dog or jot down a description before you forget if the dog has run away. Contact police and allow them to work with animal control to track down the dog and the owner. Talk to neighbors in the area if possible to see if anyone knows who the dog belongs to.
How long do I have to file a dog bite injury claim?
The Florida statute of limitations on filing a personal injury claim is two years from the date of your injury. You shouldn’t wait years to file. Evidence can be harder to find the longer you delay.
What if I can’t afford to pay for a dog bite attorney?
You won’t need to have any money on hand to hire a Cowen Edwards lawyer. We don’t get paid unless we win your case for you. Then our attorney fee comes out of the settlement money insurance companies must provide you with.
Contact a Fort Lauderdale Dog Bite 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 to running.
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.
