Florida Injury Lawyer Blawg
A 6-month-old baby girl in Texas was killed after her family’s dog attacked her earlier this month.
The attack happened on Tuesday, April 1 just before 4 p.m. at an apartment complex in Baytown, a city that is about a 30-mile drive east of Downtown Houston. The dog involved is allegedly a 1-year-old red-collared pit bull mix who animal control has already taken custody of along with another pit bull mix. Since the attack, the family has agreed to sign a surrender order, which would allow the city to euthanize the dog, according to multiple media outlets.
Only the red-collared pit bull was involved in the attack. The second dog was inside a kennel at the time of the incident.
A neighbor who spoke to reporters with People Magazine as an anonymous source said that they were the one to call 911 after the child’s mother, a new neighbor to the complex, knocked on her door asking for help.
Neighbors described to other news outlets the gruesome scene.
The child later died at the hospital from her injuries.
Leesfield & Partners
Animal attacks are some of the most frightening ordeals and can leave victims with lasting physical and emotional wounds. Animals, and dogs in particular, can attack when they feel fear or feel threatened. Some dogs may attack if they feel you are encroaching on their territory. Other reasons for attacking may include pain, illness or poor socialization. Some dogs may attack because they have suffered through previous abuse or trauma. Animals with a history of mistreatment might have unpredictable reactions. However, is a person has not harmed the dog and they are attacked, then the animal’s owner could be held liable for damages.
In Florida, dog owners are strictly liable for injuries their dogs cause to other people. A dog owner can be held liable even if their dog has never shown signs of aggression before the attack.
Under premises liability law, a person must ensure that their property is in a reasonably safe condition. This includes ensuring that invitees to their property are protected from any pets that reside at the property. If a dog bites or injures a guest, the property owner may be held liable under this legal principle, especially if the dog owner knew or should have known that the dog posed a threat to that person.
Leesfield & Partners has over 48 years of experience handling personal injury cases throughout Florida. In that time, the firm has become among the top personal injury law firms in the country, regularly securing record verdicts and settlements for clients. Our attorneys are skilled in product liability claims, boating injury cases, cruise ship injuries, medical malpractice, car accidents and animal attacks.
In 2023 insurance claim data, Florida was recorded as the state with the second-highest for dog bite incidents in the U.S. behind California. The dog bite claims recorded for that year was 1,532 in Florida. Children, especially boys, between 1 and 9 years old are at the highest risk for dog bites. These children are more likely to be bitten on the head or neck, which can cause serious and sometimes fatal injuries.
An average of two Floridians die annually and 600 others are hospitalized from dog bite injuries, according to the Florida Department of Health.
Previous Cases
One case involving a dog bite resulted in a $1.5 million recovery for a 77-year-old client. In that case, the elderly woman was walking from her front door to check the mail while walking her leashed dog, a 20-pound Welsh terrier. A neighbor was walking by the home at the same time with their dog who lunged so forcefully at the terrier that the neighbor lost control of the leash. In an effort to protect her pet, our client stepped between the animals, causing the larger dog to maul her arms.
Injuries sustained by the woman in the attack included deep wounds to her forearms and right elbow and broken bones in her left hand. A passerby stepped in to stop the attack.
Leesfield & Partners handled a case in which a woman who was walking down a neighborhood sidewalk in front of the home of an aggressive animal was attacked. The woman was passing by an unlocked gate when a large Chesapeake Bay Retriever who mauled her right arm and shoulder while a dog sitter refused to intervene. Thankfully a passing driver stopped and called 911.
The firm previously represented a therapist making house visits who was attacked by a large dog who bit her in the stomach, its jaws ripped through her hand and tore off an index finger.
In another case, our client was horrifically mauled by a dog who jumped out of the window of its owner’s parked car while the owner, a neighbor, was speaking to our client. Injuries sustained in that case were wounds to her forearm and leg.
In a case involving a dog bite and an animal rescue organization, Leesfield & Partners recovered $800,000 for the injured client.
More recently, Eric Shane, a Leesfield & Partners Trial Attorney, filed a lawsuit in a case in which a Monroe County woman, 83, was injured after a bird attacked her. The woman was at her community pool when the bird bit her hand, causing her to fall violently to the ground and break her hip. This is allegedly not the first time that the bird has attacked someone on the property.
That case is ongoing.
