Fort Myers Dog Bite Lawyer
They come in all shapes and sizes, and most are entirely harmless. The friendly family chow, golden retriever, and chihuahua are not known for their viciousness or danger to children and senior citizens. However, all dogs are capable of inflicting a painful bite, and others are known to do much worse. Dog attacks are responsible for 885,000 serious injuries every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Even minor dog bites can be traumatizing, especially when inflicted on young victims. The lasting memory of a dog attack can haunt an injured person for years afterwards, both psychologically and physically. Victims can be left with post traumatic stress disorder, a permanent fear of dogs, and, of course, serious injuries. Of the 4.4 million dog attacks annually, few are fatal, yet many end in serious injury. According to one source, 31,000 dog attack victims required reconstructive surgery in 2006. Life-saving procedures, reconstructive surgery, and overnight stays at hospitals can easily add up to well in the six figure range. The emotional and physical pain and suffering is an even higher cost of such an injury.
When a dog attack leaves the victim with permanent scarring to the hands, arms, and face, or if the attack resulted in creating a permanent disability, the financial compensation can be extensive. If you or a loved one has been injured by a dog, contact an experienced Fort Myers dog bite lawyer at once for legal advice on what to do next and your options for seeking financial compensation from the negligent owner of the dog. A dog owner in the state of Florida does not need to have prior knowledge of their dog’s viciousness to be held liable for damages that it causes. In fact, dog owners will be held liable anytime their dog attacks a person on the owner’s property, if they were there lawfully, and anytime in public. Due to Florida’s pure comparative negligence statute, liability may be divided between the victim and the dog owner depending on whether the attack was provoked by the victim.
Dog Attacks and Young Children
Over half of dog attacks happen to very young children. An unproportional amount also happen to older people, both groups being easier targets for aggressive dogs. Additionally, the vast majority of fatal dog attacks are by guard dog breeds, the foremost being pit bulls, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, despite hard evidence that pit bulls (as well as rottweilers) kill over half of all fatal dog attack victims, there is still a public, and heavily biased, debate taking place about the safety of these vicious attack dog breeds. In fact, many organizations and individuals propose more dog and dog attack education for children and adolescents as the solution to the problem, in typical victim-blaming fashion. Yet, a study entitled “Education of Children and Adolescents for the Prevention of Dog Bite Injuries,” published in the U.S. National Library of Medicine back in 2009 found that there is no conclusive evidence that education can help prevent dog attacks on children.
Contact Our Fort Myers Dog Bite Lawyers
If you or a loved one was bitten by a dog, make sure to reach out to a skilled Fort Myers dog bite lawyer who can help you recover due compensation. Contact The Pendas Law Firm at 1-844-200-0000 today for immediate assistance.
