A dog bite can leave deep wounds, scarring, and lasting fear — especially for a child. In Florida, the dog's owner is responsible the very first time their dog bites, even if it never showed signs of aggression before. We help injured people in Broward County hold owners and their insurers accountable.
If a dog bit you or your child, talking to a Fort Lauderdale dog bite lawyer early can change the outcome. Florida law puts the responsibility on the dog's owner — not on you — and the right steps in the first days protect both your health and your claim.
First, get medical care, even for a wound that looks minor. Dog bites push bacteria deep under the skin, and infection or nerve damage can show up days later. Ask for the wound to be photographed and documented. If the bite is on the face or hands — common with children — get a referral to a specialist about scarring early, because that record matters later.
Second, find out who owns the dog and where they live. Get the owner's name, address, and phone number, and ask whether the dog is licensed and vaccinated. If neighbors or other parents saw what happened, write down their names. In most Broward cases, the money that pays your claim comes from the owner's homeowner or renter insurance — so knowing whose dog it was, and where, is the key fact.
Third, report the bite to Broward County Animal Care. A report creates an official record, helps confirm the dog's rabies status, and can protect the next person. You do not have to decide about a lawsuit to make a report — and you should not give a recorded statement to any insurance company before you talk to us.
Some states let an owner off the hook the first time their dog bites because the owner "didn't know" the dog was dangerous. Florida is not one of them. Here is the law that decides who pays.
Fla. Stat. § 767.04
If a dog bites a person who is lawfully in a public place — or lawfully on private property, including the owner's own yard — the owner is liable for the damages. It does not matter whether the dog ever bit anyone before or showed any sign of being dangerous. The owner's lack of knowledge is no defense. This is what people mean when they say Florida has "no one free bite" rule.
Fla. Stat. § 95.11(4)(a) amended 2023
A 2023 change to Florida law (House Bill 837, effective March 24, 2023) shortened the deadline for most negligence injury claims from four years to two years. Dog-bite injury suits should be filed within that window. Miss the deadline and the court can throw the case out, no matter how strong it is. The clock can be different for a child — see below.
Fla. Stat. § 768.81 amended 2023
Florida reduces your recovery by your own share of fault. The same 2023 law made this stricter: if a jury finds you more than 50% at fault, you recover nothing. An owner may argue you provoked the dog or ignored a warning. We build the record to keep the fault where it belongs — on the owner who failed to control the animal.
Fla. Stat. §§ 768.16–768.26
If a dog attack is fatal — a tragic risk with small children and infants — the claim is brought under the Florida Wrongful Death Act by a court-appointed personal representative of the estate, generally within two years of the death. These are different rules from a survivor's injury claim. Read more about a Florida wrongful death claim.
This page provides general information about Florida law and is not legal advice. Statutes and case law change; your specific case requires a consultation.
Most dog bites do not happen on the news — they happen on an ordinary walk, at a friend's house, or at the park down the street. We know the Broward neighborhoods and gathering spots where our clients get hurt.
No matter which Broward street or park it happened on, the law asks the same question first: whose dog was it?
You will not be passed to a call center or a rotating cast of associates. Robert DiStefano has practiced Florida personal-injury law for more than 40 years, and he is the lawyer who works your dog-bite claim.
Dog-bite cases are won on details: pinning down the right insurance policy, documenting scarring and future surgery for a child, and refusing to let an insurer blame the person who was bitten. We work these claims on contingency — no fee unless we recover for you — so getting strong help costs you nothing up front.
For examples of how we have resolved serious-injury matters across Broward, see related case results →
Call or send the form. Your free, confidential review is same-day, and you talk through it with our office — not a screener.
We identify the owner, locate the homeowner or renter insurance, gather records, and report the bite the right way.
We push for the medical bills, lost income, scarring, and the pain this caused — and try the case if the insurer will not be fair.
This page is part of our catastrophic injury practice. When a young child is hurt, our work on injuries to children often overlaps a dog-bite claim. You can also meet Robert DiStefano or reach the office here.
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