St Petersburg Dog Bite Attorneys
“Florida Law imposes responsibility on the owner a dog who bites…sometimes the resulting dog attack causes disfiguring and permanent scarring for which compensation may be available…”
-Erik G. AbrahamsonContents hide
Dog Attacks Are Traumatic Events that Can Result in Severe & Permanent Injuries
You might see the same dog in your neighborhood every single day, and that dog might always be placid and playful… until one day it’s not.
Most dog attacks happen suddenly and with little warning. Because dogs attack out of instinct, they often aim to do damage, and they can be quite successful in that goal. Many Central Florida dog bite attacks are violent and traumatic.
It can be hard to predict when a dog might let its wildside show, which is why it’s so important to be careful around them — and why owners need to take precautions when their pets meet the public.
What to Do After an Attack
If you’ve been bitten or attacked by a dog, you should seek medical attention immediately. It may be impossible to diagnose the extent of the damage on your own. You need a doctor to examine your wounds, treat your pain, and to consider potential exposure to rabies or other risks.
Our St. Petersburg Dog Bite Attorneys have worked with many innocent victims whose stories might sound a lot like yours — well-behaved people who were hurt by animals on the attack without reason or provocation. It happens all the time. You aren’t alone, and you don’t have to handle this by yourself.
St. Petersburg Dog Bite Lawyers are there to Protect Victim’s Rights
Florida law generally requires dog owners to take responsibility for the damages their pets cause. That means you may be entitled to financial compensation for your medical expenses, pain, suffering, emotional distress, time away from work, and other such disruptions to your daily life and financial welfare.
Do I Really Need a St. Petersburg Dog Bite Lawyer? Will I Have to Sue My Neighbor / Friend?
Many dog attacks involve a friend or neighbor’s dog, so we understand the initial reluctance that many of our clients feel about filing a lawsuit or taking legal action of any kind. There are a few things to consider, though, that might make you (and your friend) feel more at ease with the whole process:
- Your recovery is likely to cost a lot more than you initially expect. This is true in the majority of moderate-to-severe dog bite attacks. Doctor visits, time away from work, pain and antibiotic medications, insurance costs, rehabilitation, perhaps even reconstructive surgery — these are all expenses that can add up and take a toll on your wallet. A true friend would never expect you to pay these costs yourself when you weren’t at fault for the injury in the first place.
- In most cases, we don’t have to seek compensation out of the pet owner’s pocket. Rather, it’s the pet owner’s insurance company that is usually responsible for compensating you. That insurance company doesn’t work for you, nor does it even work for the dog’s owner. It will try to pay you as little as possible, and the only way you may be able to get a fair settlement or recovery is to have a lawyer on your side.
- As St. Petersburg dog bite lawyers, we can shoulder most of the legal conflict for you. That means you don’t have to be deeply involved in the day-to-day litigation, and the dog owner probably won’t be either. By leaving the negotiation between the lawyer and the insurance company, you can focus on recovering from your injuries and putting this traumatic event behind you.
St. Petersburg, FL Case Types
The highly-experienced St. Pete personal injury law firm of Abrahamson & Uiterwyk provides:
- Personal injury lawyers in St. Pete
- Car accident lawyers in St. Pete
- Motorcycle accident lawyers in St. Pete
- Slip & fall lawyers in St. Pete
- Truck accident lawyers in St. Pete
- Bicycle accident lawyers in St. Pete
- Brain injury lawyers in Florida
- Birth injury lawyers in Florida
- Pedestrian accident lawyers in Florida
- Construction accident lawyers in Florida
- Wrongful death lawyers in Florida
- Actos injury lawyers in Florida
- Boating accident lawyers in Florida
- Business interruption insurance lawyers in Florida
- Defective drugs medical device lawyers in Florida
- Dog bite lawyers in St. Pete
- Drunk driving accident lawyers in Florida
- Insurance disputes lawyers in Florida
- Medical malpractice lawyers in Florida
- Metal hip knee implant lawyers in Florida
- Nursing home abuse lawyers in St. Pete
- Product liability lawyers in Florida
- Work injury / workers comp lawyers in Florida
Service Area for Dog Bite Attorneys Near You
Our dog bite injury lawyers in Florida are ready to help you. Here are just some of the areas we serve:
- Tampa
- St. Petersburg
- Clearwater
- Brandon
- Spring Hill
- Lakeland
- Town ‘N’ Country
- Largo
- Palm Harbor
- Pinellas Park
- New Port Richey
- …and more (see all our office locations here)
