Florida dog bite law in Fort Lauderdale
In Fort Lauderdale, as everywhere in Florida, the owner pays for a first bite in public or where you were lawfully. The rule is Fla. Stat. 767.04.
The time to sue is 2 years, set by Fla. Stat. 95.11(5)(a). Insurers know the date too, so do not let it slip.
One more Florida rule to know. "Bad Dog" sign: no defense if child under 6 (Fla. Stat. 767.04).
Read the full Florida dog bite laws for the exceptions and the rules on shared fault.
Reporting the bite and filing in Broward County
Report the bite to Florida Department of Health in Broward County. Give the date, the place, the dog and the owner's name if you know it. The report also becomes a record for your claim.
Fort Lauderdale is the Broward County seat. The Seventeenth Judicial Circuit serves Broward and no other county and the county health department takes the bite report.
If the claim does not settle, it is filed with the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit.
Fort Lauderdale dog bite lawyer: what the free call covers
- Whether Florida's rule fits what happened and what the owner knew about the dog.
- Whose policy pays, usually the owner's home or renters insurance.
- Your own last day to file, which comes sooner against a public body.
Want a rough number first? The settlement calculator asks three questions.
