South Florida Personal Injury Blog

Broward accident attorney Andrew Alitowski represents south Floridians in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach Counties in a variety of personal injury lawsuits, including swimming pool injuries, employment discrimination, harassment at work, nursing home abuse and neglect, and motor vehicle accidents. He also represents plaintiffs who have suffered injuries from another person’s animal. Fort Lauderdale personal injury lawyer Alitowski says that these injuries are most commonly dog bites, although injuries from other animals can and do occur.

Canine attacks can be terrifying for adults and children alike. They may even cause lifelong injuries, as well as a fear of “man’s best friend.” Pet owners have a responsibility to ensure that their animals do not injure other people who may come across them. Hundreds of thousands of Americans suffer serious injuries from dog bites every year, in the Fort Lauderdale area and around the nation.

According to Fort Lauderdale accident lawyer Alitowski, the state of Florida is serious about holding pet owners responsible for the actions of their animals. Under state law, a dog owner is liable for the injuries his dog inflicts in almost all cases. If the owner warns of the presence of a dangerous animal through a sign, however, then he may not be liable, unless the injured person was a young child.

Dog bites are occurring more frequently in Florida, although animal control officials are unsure why the numbers are rising. In any case, if you are bitten by a domestic or wild animal, take immediate health precautions. Because even a domesticated pet could carry rabies, it is important to report the incident to animal control authorities as soon as possible, so that they can take precautions for your safety and the safety of other people who could be affected by an animal’s poor health. Likewise, if your pet is bitten by another animal, take similar precautions.

Rabies is not always easy to detect to the naked eye, so any biting animal without sufficient veterinarian and vaccine records should be tested or kept under observation. Animals in the later stages often display odd behavior and may appear to have difficulty walking properly. Wild animals, like raccoons, may seem unusually friendly towards humans. In domesticated animals, cats are more likely to contract rabies than dogs.

Broward injury lawyer Alitowski reminds Fort Lauderdale residents to remain especially vigilant about dog bites affecting children. Children are less equipped to escape from a dangerous dog and may suffer devastating injuries if attacked. They should not be permitted to pet unfamiliar animals, who may seem friendly to a child accustomed to a family’s dog or a neighbor’s pet.