Partner
Mark J. Miller
Mark's biography describes work in insurance defense and prosecution before his plaintiff-side practice. That background informs the firm's evaluation of liability disputes and insurance positions.
A bite involving a neighbor, visitor, or family setting
Pembroke Pines Dog Bite Lawyer
A dog bite can be difficult to address when you know the owner or the injured person is a child. Miller & Jacobs helps Pembroke Pines families review owner responsibility, the facts of the incident, and possible insurance without assuming that familiarity removes the legal questions. A consultation can begin with the concerns about care, records, and the next contact from an insurer.
Your consultation is free. No attorney fee is owed unless compensation is recovered for you. The written fee agreement explains fees and costs.
$300M+
Reported Recoveries for Injured Clients
50+ Years
Combined Legal Experience
230+
Combined Jury Trials Across Their Careers
Former Prosecutors
Experienced Trial Attorneys
The relationship and the law
Knowing the owner does not settle responsibility.
Florida's dog-bite statute addresses an owner's liability for qualifying bites in public or when the person is lawfully on private property. The statute does not require a prior bite. The exact facts and available defenses still need review.
An invited visit
An invitation or permission can be important to lawful presence. Keep messages, witness details, and the circumstances of the visit. Knowing the owner does not by itself waive a claim, but it also does not establish that every legal element and coverage requirement is satisfied.
A child's circumstances
Age and the events leading to the bite matter. The statute's Bad Dog sign exception has specific limits, including children under six and negligent owner conduct. A child's case should not be evaluated by simply applying assumptions about an adult visitor.
The disputed interaction
The bitten person's negligence, if causally connected to the bite, can reduce the owner's liability under the statute. Preserve truthful accounts of the interaction. The statutory rule and a separate negligence claim may require different analyses; do not assume they use identical defenses.
Confidence after the incident
Ordinary places may feel different after a bite.
Walking past a yard, visiting a friend, or returning to an activity can become difficult. Keep an accurate account of changes and seek appropriate professional care where needed. Emotional effects deserve attention, but a legal claim should use supported evidence rather than assume a particular diagnosis.
For a child, save treatment and school-related information and describe age-appropriate effects without coaching an account. The child's recovery, authority to act, and any settlement approval can involve separate considerations. Tell us the child's age and who is responsible for care.
Building the record
Gather the basics while appropriate care continues.
Medical care and safety are the priority. A parent or family member can help save existing information without approaching an unsafe dog or pressuring witnesses. The record should reflect what people actually observed.
Identify the dog and owner
Keep names, contact details, the location, and a description of the animal. Note whether someone else was handling it. Ownership, keeping, and control can raise different legal questions, so retain the facts rather than labeling every participant the owner.
Report and preserve
Notify the appropriate animal-control or health authority and keep the report reference. Save original photographs, witness contacts, and relevant messages. Authority reports may help confirm information but do not necessarily establish insurance coverage or decide the civil claim.
Follow the treatment history
Keep provider names, instructions, bills, and records of follow-up care. Retain accurate photographs of visible changes over time. A clinician should guide treatment; gathering legal evidence does not replace medical evaluation of the wound or later symptoms.
Insurance and losses
Evaluate coverage and consequences separately.
A claim may involve a homeowner or renter policy, but coverage depends on the contract and facts. The damages evidence also needs to show the effect on this injured person, including ongoing needs supported by clinicians.
The possible policy
Save the insurer's name, claim number, letters, and any denial. A neighbor may not know every policy term. An insurer may raise exclusions or limits. We review potential coverage without representing that every dog owner has insurance or every bite is covered.
The physical effects
Medical expenses, scarring, pain, and functional limitations may be relevant where supported. Future care or procedures require appropriate evidence. A claim for a child needs an individual account of the effect and the applicable legal safeguards, not an adult settlement estimate.
The household and work effects
Keep records of missed work, necessary expenses, and changes to school or ordinary activities. Which losses are recoverable and by whom requires review. A parent's concern or time spent assisting does not automatically create every requested damages category.
A free consultation
Ask about the claim without having every answer.
Call 954-465-8733 for a free consultation about a Pembroke Pines dog bite, owner information, insurance correspondence, or a child's claim. Fees and costs are explained in the written agreement if the firm accepts representation.
Before a final decision
The claim type controls the legal calendar.
Our Pembroke Pines injury overview provides general guidance. A dog incident requires review of the bite facts, the defendant's role, and the possible statutory or negligence theories before choosing the next step.
Bites and other injuries
A chase, collision, or knockdown may involve a different theory from the owner-liability bite statute. Claims against non-owners also need their own basis. Describe the mechanism and each person's conduct so the analysis matches what happened.
Filing and child-related rules
Statutory-liability and negligence claims can have different filing periods under section 95.11. A child's age does not justify assuming that every deadline is suspended. Specific facts, legal exceptions, and settlement-approval questions should be checked early.
Statements and releases
Save any proposed statement, authorization, or release. Confirm who has authority to act and what rights are affected. If the injured person is a child, additional approval or protection requirements may apply. A proposed amount does not answer those legal questions.
Your questions
Pembroke Pines dog bite questions for families
Can I ask about a claim if the owner is a friend?
Yes. A consultation can examine the incident and possible coverage without assuming that friendship removes the legal issues. Liability, insurance, and the decision to pursue a claim are separate questions. Keep the facts and any insurer correspondence so those choices can be discussed accurately.
Does a dog need a dangerous-dog designation first?
A qualifying claim under Florida's owner-liability bite statute does not require a prior dangerous-dog designation or prior bite. Animal-control classifications involve separate rules. Location, lawful presence, causal contribution, and statutory exceptions remain relevant to the civil claim.
What is different when a young child is bitten?
Age can affect statutory exceptions, the factual assessment, authority to act, and settlement safeguards. The sign exception has particular limits involving children under six. Provide the child's age and circumstances; do not assume that the same analysis used for an adult visitor resolves the case.
Can someone other than the owner be responsible?
Possibly, under a supported legal theory tied to that person's conduct or duty. The owner-liability bite statute does not automatically make every handler, landlord, or other participant liable. The facts of control, knowledge, and the incident require individual review.
Does a child's age give the family unlimited time?
No. Do not assume every filing period is paused until adulthood. The cause of action, dates, parties, and specific statutory rules need review. Calling early can also help preserve evidence while medical prognosis and potential settlement requirements develop.
What do I need for the first call?
The location and date, owner or handler details, child's age if relevant, report information, provider names, and any insurer communication are useful. Call 954-465-8733 for a free consultation. The firm serves Pembroke Pines from its Pompano Beach office.
Miller & Jacobs
The partners serving Pembroke Pines.
Partners Mark J. Miller and Rick S. Jacobs serve Pembroke Pines clients from the firm's Pompano Beach office. Your consultation can address the evidence, the applicable claim, and the decisions ahead.
Partner
Rick S. Jacobs
Rick's biography describes his service as an Assistant State Attorney in Miami-Dade County and his trial work. Read the published background for details of his professional experience.
Our South Florida office is at 1600 S Federal Highway, Suite 1101, Pompano Beach, FL 33062. Call 954-465-8733 before visiting.
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