Florida Dog Bite & Animal Attack Attorneys

At DearLegal, we connect you with experienced Florida dog bite and animal attack attorneys who know how to enforce Fla.

Free to use — no fee unless you win
Matched with a Florida attorney in 24 hours
30,000+ plaintiffs served nationwide

Free Florida animal incident case review

A Florida attorney will take a look. Or call 1-833-WELEGAL.

How we match your Florida animal incident case

When you submit a Florida animal incident matter, we route it through a national network of independent partner firms and put it in front of the one that fits best — based on the kind of case it is, what it is likely to involve, where it has to be handled, and who has capacity to take it on now.

Case type

A animal incident matter needs someone who handles animal incident work day to day, not a generalist. Practice area is the first filter.

Size and complexity

Some firms are built for catastrophic injury and multi-party litigation; others resolve straightforward claims quickly. We weigh what your matter is likely to involve against how each firm actually works.

Jurisdiction and licensing

Your matter is decided under Florida law, so it goes to an attorney licensed in Florida who regularly appears where your case would be heard.

Capacity and fit

Availability, conflicts of interest and language all matter. If the best-fit firm cannot take your case, we route it to the next one that can — or tell you plainly when no one in the network is the right answer.

Every partner reviews your case for free. Injury and workers’ compensation matters are handled on contingency — no fee unless you win. Other matters are quoted upfront, before you commit to anything.

Get started How DearLegal works

DearLegal provides marketing and matching services and is not a law firm. Submitting a case does not create an attorney-client relationship. Matches depend on case type, jurisdiction and firm availability.

Exhibit A

What happens with an animal incident claim in Florida

Day 0
It happens.
Get medical care and keep every record — photos, names, the report number. In Florida, what you document now is what your claim is built on.
Within 24 hours
Tell us what happened.
Two minutes on this page. A Florida animal incident attorney reviews it for free and, if it’s a fit, you’re matched within 24 hours.
Weeks 1–4
Your attorney builds the file.
Reports, medical records, witnesses, camera footage, insurance policies. This is the part insurers hope you skip.
Months 1–6
Demand and negotiation.
Your attorney sends a demand and negotiates with the insurer. Florida’s fault rule matters here — Modified comparative fault, 51% bar (Fla. Stat. § 768.81, as amended 2023) — recovery barred if you are more than 50% at fault.
Before the 2-year deadline
Suit is filed if it has to be.
Florida gives 2 years from the date it happened. Filing keeps your leverage; missing it ends the claim.
Resolution
Settlement or verdict.
You pay nothing along the way. The fee — typically 33% — comes only out of what’s recovered. If nothing is recovered, you owe nothing.

Statute of Limitations: 2 years
2 years from the date of the bite/attack (Fla. Stat. § 95.11(4)(a), effective for incidents on/after 3/24/2023)
Dog-Bite Statute: Strict liability
Strict liability — Fla. Stat. § 767.04 for bites; Fla. Stat. § 767.01 for general dog-caused damage. Statutory “Bad Dog” sign defense limits liability when properly posted.
Comparative Fault Rule: 51%
Modified comparative fault, 51% bar (Fla. Stat. § 768.81, as amended 2023) — recovery barred if you are more than 50% at fault
Dangerous Dog Law: Fla. Stat. § 767.12
Fla. Stat. § 767.12 — dangerous-dog registration, mandatory containment, and enhanced civil/criminal liability
Leash Law: Local ordinance
Set by county/municipal ordinance (Miami-Dade, Broward, Orange, Hillsborough); violation supports negligence per se
Typical attorney fee: 33%
33%–40% contingency — no fee unless you win

Florida’s dog-bite statute (Fla. Stat. § 767.04) imposes strict liability on dog owners for bites in public places or while the victim is lawfully on private property — no prior-bite history or owner negligence required. But Florida is unusual: § 767.04 includes a statutory “Bad Dog” sign defense — if the owner displayed a prominent “Bad Dog” sign at the entrance and the victim is over six years old, the owner is not liable unless the injury was caused by the owner’s negligence or proximate cause. Florida also shifted from pure to modified-51% comparative fault in 2023 (Fla. Stat. § 768.81). § 767.01 imposes broader common-law strict liability for any damage by a dog, beyond just bites. Local dangerous-dog ordinances and the statewide dangerous-dog statute (§ 767.12) layer in more obligations. An attorney enforces § 767.04, defeats the “Bad Dog” sign defense, and protects the 2-year SOL.

Exhibit B

When to call an animal incident attorney in Florida

Does any of this sound like you? Tap what applies.

0of 6 apply

Tick anything that applies. Even one is reason enough to talk to a Florida animal incident attorney before you talk to an insurer.

Talk to an attorney anyway

Meanwhile, don’t

Not reporting the bite to Miami-Dade, Orange, or other county animal services — required for rabies-protocol and the evidence record
Failing to photograph injuries, the dog, the scene, and any “Bad Dog” signage before wounds heal
Accepting a cash offer from the dog owner before full medical and plastic-surgery costs are known
Talking to the homeowner’s insurance without counsel — recorded statements get used to argue comparative fault under § 768.81
Missing Florida’s new 2-year personal-injury SOL under § 95.11(4)(a) — shortened from 4 years in March 2023
Settling before scar-revision and PTSD-treatment estimates are complete

Exhibit C

Animal Incident cases we take in Florida

Which one is closest to yours?

Domestic dog bites on owner’s property

Bites occurring when a lawful visitor is on the owner’s Florida property. § 767.04 strict liability applies; “Bad Dog” sign defense and comparative-fault reduction may apply.

Sound like yours? A Florida attorney reviews it free — no fee unless they win.

Start my free review

Exhibit D

How much do Florida animal incident attorneys cost?

Sample settlement statement

Florida · Animal Incident

Recovery$100,000

Attorney fee · 33%− $33,000

Case costs (advanced by firm)repaid at the end

To you$67,000

Due today$0

Try a different recovery$100,000

$5,000$3,000,000

Illustrative only. Your fee terms are set in a written agreement with your attorney and may include costs and expenses regardless of outcome.

Most Florida animal incident attorneys work on contingency: the fee is a share of what they recover, and nothing if they don’t.

Florida dog-bite and animal-attack attorneys typically work on a contingency-fee basis — 33% to 40% of the total recovery. With § 767.04’s strict-liability framework and the new 2-year SOL, early representation is decisive. Case costs are typically advanced by the firm and deducted from the final recovery.

A good attorney walks through every number at your free consultation — before you sign anything.

Get startedTakes about two minutes. No obligation.

Exhibit E

What your Florida animal incident compensation can include

A Florida animal incident recovery is built from several parts. Tap one to see what it covers.

Medical Expenses

ER care, wound treatment, antibiotics, rabies post-exposure prophylaxis, plastic surgery, scar revision, and future reconstruction.

DearLegal is a legal referral service, not a law firm. We connect individuals with licensed attorneys who can evaluate their case. Nothing on this page constitutes legal advice. Results vary based on individual circumstances.

Exhibit F

Florida animal incident questions, answered

Still unsure? Tell us what happened and a Florida attorney will review it for free.

Start free review

Fla. Stat. § 767.04 imposes strict liability — you only need to prove (1) the defendant owned the dog, (2) the dog bit you, and (3) you were in a public place or lawfully on private property. No prior-bite history or owner negligence is required. The owner can raise the “Bad Dog” sign defense or argue trespass.

Fla. Stat. § 767.04 includes a statutory “Bad Dog” sign defense — if the owner displayed an easily readable sign at the entrance that includes the words “Bad Dog” and the victim is over six years old, the owner is not liable unless the injury was caused by the owner’s negligence or by causing the bite directly. Children under six cannot be barred by the sign. Many homeowner’s policies still cover the claim through general negligence.

Usually yes. Standard Florida homeowner’s policies include personal-liability coverage that typically applies to dog bites. Breed exclusions and prior-incident exclusions are common in Florida’s tight homeowner’s market.

Renter’s insurance often covers dog bites. Florida landlords are rarely strictly liable but may be liable under common-law negligence if they had actual knowledge of the dog’s viciousness and the legal right to remove it.

Yes — § 767.04 requires identifying the owner. Florida counties require quarantine of biting dogs for rabies observation (typically 10 days). Unidentified dogs trigger post-exposure rabies prophylaxis.

Florida’s rabies-control rules require quarantine. Under § 767.12, a dangerous-dog designation can require registration, containment, muzzling, $100,000 insurance, and after a serious injury or second incident, euthanasia.

The § 767.04 statute applies only when the victim is in a public place or lawfully on private property. Trespassers cannot use the statute and must proceed under common-law negligence or scienter — and may face comparative-fault reductions under the new 51% bar.