Florida Injury Lawyer Blawg
Police continue to investigate after an elderly woman was found dead Monday morning following a dog attack a dog attack in Miami Gardens, according to reporting from The Miami Herald.
Investigators have not released whether or not the woman was mauled by one animal or several and no name has been released as of Wednesday morning. The woman was found unresponsive by police around 7:40 a.m. with multiple dog bites in a lot at the 1400 block of Northwest 196th Terrace.
She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police have not found the dog or dogs they believe is responsible for the attack, police told reporters.
Recent Incidents and Florida Data
This marks the third South Florida dog bite in as many weeks to make headlines. While this attack proved fatal, the other two left children with serious injuries. Children, especially those between the ages of 1 and 9 years old, are the groups at most risk of dog bites, according to data from the Florida Department of Health. This can be attributed to children’s misinterpretation of a dog’s body language. Many children also engage in unwanted petting or other behavior — such as touching an animal when they are eating — that can trigger a bite. Boys are also more prone to dog bites than girls, researchers suggest.
The first of the recent incidents took place on Aug. 21 and involved a boy from Margate who was attacked in his home by two pit bulls who belonged to a relative. The dogs have since been euthanized and the boy has undergone several surgeries according to local media and a GoFundMe online fundraiser set up for the family.
The second incident happened on Aug. 24 and involved a 2-year-old girl who was mauled by a rottweiler at a home near the 1700 block of Southwest 24th Street in Fort Lauderdale.
Statewide data shows that at least two Floridians die annually from dog bites and more than 600 are hospitalized. About 86% of bites involving children less than 6 years old were from dogs known to the family and over half occurred at the family’s home. Nearly 40% of dog bite investigations involving young children suggest that they may have been unsupervised while with the pet.
For older children — 15 years old and older — and adults, injuries from biters occurred while the victims attempted to break up a dog fight.
Leesfield & Partners
Leesfield & Partners has several locations throughout Florida, including Key West, Miami and Orlando. In 49 years of personal injury litigation, our attorneys have secured numerous record verdicts and settlements for clients who have been injured or their loved ones killed due to the negligence of a corporation, management company or individual. The work of our tenacious trial attorneys has earned Leesfield & Partners a reputation as one of the top personal injury law firms in the state.
Leesfield & Partners has been routinely recognized by national and local entities, including The Best Lawyers in America, Florida Legal Elite, South Florida Legal Guide Top Firm and Top Lawyers, South Florida Business Journal Key Partners Award, and Super Lawyers.
In Florida, dog owners are strictly liable for injuries caused by their dog, even if the dog has no prior history of aggression. Victims may be entitled to recover damages for medical expenses, lost wages, pain, suffering and emotional distress.
It should be noted that dogs aren’t the only pets prone to attacking people and causing serious injuries.
In an ongoing case being handled by Trial Attorney Eric Shane, a Marathon, Florida, woman violently fell to the ground and broke her hip after her neighbor’s pet bird bit her hand while at her condominium’s community pool. This bird was perched on a fence at the time of the bite while our unwitting client folded discarded pool towels nearby.
This pet has had a violent history against other tenants and residents of the condominium.
On July 1, the Pam Rock Act went into effect. Named for a mail carrier who died after being mauled by a pack of dogs in 2022, the Pam Rock Act ensures that owners of dogs considered to be “dangerous” must microchip their animals, secure them and have at least $100,000 in liability insurance.
This bill defines a dangerous dog as those subject to an investigation or one that has bitten a person to a “certain severity.” This severity is defined as a score of five or higher on the Dunbar bite scale, a system designed to classify dog bite severities.
If an animal is under investigation, authorities will be able to confiscate the dog and humanely euthanize them, under certain conditions.
If an owner does not give up their dog after an incident in which certain conditions are met, or does not come forward after the dog has caused a serious injury, there will be harsher penalties for the owner of the animal.
Previous Cases
Leesfield & Partners attorneys have seen some of the most gruesome dog attack injury cases in recent years. In a case involving a 77-year-old Leesfield & Partners client, the woman was viciously attacked by a neighbor’s dog while walking her own dog to check the mail. Her dog, a Welsh terrier, was on a leash while she walked to the mailbox. A neighbor’s large dog, also on a leash, lunged for the terrier as they approached, causing the neighbor to lose control of the leash.
In an attempt to protect her animal, our client stepped between her pet and the aggressive animal. As a result, she suffered horrific bite wounds to her right elbow, forearms and broken bones in her left hand.
A $1.5 million settlement was secured for the woman in that case.
In another case handled by the firm, a young woman was attacked by a dog while out for a walk. The woman was on a sidewalk when a Chesapeake Bay Retriever rushed at her, escaping from an unlocked gate. The dog lunged for the woman’s neck, but she was able to use her arm and shoulder to push away its snarling jaws.
A dog sitter who was watching over the animal failed to intervene or attempt to control the animal. Emergency services were called by people who passed the attack in their car.
The woman’s arm suffered the brunt of the attack, and a chunk of flesh was ripped off. A six-figure settlement was reached in that case.
In both of these instances, dog attacks were covered by the pet owners’ insurance policy.
If you believe you have an injury claim after an incident with a pet in Florida, don’t wait. Call Leesfield & Partners for a free consultation at 800-836-6400 or 305-854-4900.
