Florida Injury Lawyer Blawg
A dog that attacked a 7-year-old boy playing with friends in a Fort Lauderdale neighborhood has since been euthanized, according to local media.
The incident happened on Tuesday, Nov. 18, around 3:45 p.m. near 1812 Northwest 15th Court. After he was bitten, the boy ran to a neighbor’s home for help where a Good Samaritan cleaned his wound and attempted to stanch the bleeding with gauze while another neighbor called 911.
The boy suffered a minor leg injury in the attack and was taken to Broward Medical Center.
In an interview with WSVN following the attack, the neighbor who helped the boy lamented about the dangers of not having animals on a leash.
Broward County Animal Care told reporters that the animal’s owner voluntarily surrender the dog and that the pet was euthanized, per county protocol.
Additional information, including whether this was the first incident involving this animal or its breed were not immediately available.
Leesfield & Partners
Leesfield & Partners has nearly five decades of experience handling personal injury cases throughout Florida. In that time, the firm has become among the top personal injury law firms in the country, regularly securing record verdicts and settlements for injured clients and grieving families. Our attorneys are skilled in product liability claims, boating injury cases, cruise ship injuries, medical malpractice, car accidents and animal attacks.
In 2023 insurance claim data, Florida was recorded as the state with the second-highest for dog bite incidents in the U.S. behind California. The dog bite claims recorded for that year was 1,532 in Florida. Children, especially boys, between 1 and 9 years old are at the highest risk for dog bites. These children are more likely to be bitten on the head or neck, which can cause serious and sometimes fatal injuries.
An average of two Floridians die annually and 600 others are hospitalized from dog bite injuries, according to the Florida Department of Health.
In Florida, dog owners are strictly liable for injuries their dogs cause to other people. This means an owner can be held responsible even if the dog has never shown aggression or bitten anyone before.
Premises liability law also requires property owners to maintain their property in a reasonably safe condition for lawful visitors. This duty includes taking reasonable steps to protect invitees from dangerous conditions — such as pets — on the property. If a dog bites or injures a guest, then the property owner may be held liable. This is particularly true if they knew or should have known that the dog posed a risk.
Leesfield & Partners has handled numerus cases in which our clients were bitten and/or attacked by dogs and other pets and who have suffered severe and painful injuries as a result.
What to Do
Although dogs are often beloved companions and widely regarded as friendly, it is essential to remember that they are still animals, and caution should be used if they express any sort of aggression towards humans.
If you are attacked by a dog, your first priority should be your immediate safety. Call emergency services and seek medical attention as soon as possible.
If you are able, gather the names and contact information of the dog’s owner and any witnesses. In today’s world — where many homes are equipped with Ring cameras and other surveillance systems — it may also be helpful to ask nearby residents whether their cameras captured the incident. Be sure to file a police report and request a copy for your records. Photograph all injuries and property damage, as well as the location of the incident and the animal involved.
Finally, never sign or accept any documents or insurance settlements without consulting a personal injury attorney first.
Previous Cases
Trial Attorney Eric Shane recently obtained a confidential result for a client who was attacked by a neighbor’s pet at their Monroe County condominium.
One case involving a dog bite resulted in a $1.5 million recovery for a 77-year-old client. In that case, the elderly woman was walking from her front door to check the mail while walking her leashed dog, a 20-pound Welsh terrier. A neighbor was walking by the home at the same time with their dog who lunged so forcefully at the terrier that the neighbor lost control of the leash.
In an effort to protect her pet, our client stepped between the animals, causing the larger dog to maul her arms. Injuries sustained by the woman in the attack included deep wounds to her forearms and right elbow and broken bones in her left hand. A passerby stepped in to stop the attack.
Leesfield & Partners handled a case in which a woman who was walking down a neighborhood sidewalk in front of the home of an aggressive animal was attacked. The woman was passing by an unlocked gate when a large Chesapeake Bay Retriever who mauled her right arm and shoulder while a dog sitter refused to intervene. Thankfully a passing driver stopped and called 911.
The firm previously represented a therapist making house visits who was attacked by a large dog who bit her in the stomach, its jaws ripped through her hand and tore off an index finger.
In another case, our client was horrifically mauled by a dog who jumped out of the window of its owner’s parked car while the owner, a neighbor, was speaking to our client. Injuries sustained in that case were wounds to her forearm and leg.
In a case involving a dog bite and an animal rescue organization, Leesfield & Partners recovered $800,000 for the injured client.
