The Reality of Dog Bites in Florida

In an occurrence that can only be described as a tremendous tragedy, a ten-month-old baby was recently bitten in the head by a dog in Deerfield Beach and had to be airlifted to a local hospital for treatment for his injuries.  According to an article from Local 10 news, the child thankfully was in stable condition but emergency responders interviewed by the media advised that they airlifted the boy to the nearest level one pediatric trauma center in an abundance of caution to ensure he was able to receive the treatment he needed.  The child reportedly was bitten in the head by a golden retriever.  There are no reports at this time as to what provoked the dog to attack the baby and whether the dog will be euthanized or turned over to animal control at this time.  Nevertheless, this latest incident is just a part of a larger trend of dog bite injuries to infants and young children that is taking place across Florida, which already has some of the highest rates of dog bite incidents of any state in the country.

Why Do Dogs Tend to Disproportionately Bite Young Children? 

Dog bites, both in Florida and throughout the country, seem to disproportionately involve young children.  This is due to several factors.  First, many dogs may not be used to children.  In contrast to adults, whose movements and behavior are more deliberate and predictable, children, especially younger ones, can make sudden movements and noises that can startle even the gentlest of dogs.  This can sometimes cause a normally mild-mannered dog to feel threatened and lunge out at what it perceives to be a threat.  This can also occur if the child makes a move the dog senses as a threat to its water or food or a favorite toy.  This often then results in the dog biting the child.  In other cases, someone may deliberately keep an aggressive dog breed as a pet and then, to compound matters, not adequately train the dog.

The Reality of Dog Bites in Florida 

Persons attacked by dogs, particularly if the victims of the dog bite are children and infants, often suffer permanent injuries that can require costly and serious medical treatment, surgeries and therapies (also often accompanied by often excruciating pain and suffering) that often may not even truly fix the damage caused by the dog bite.  Many dog bite incidents like the recent incident in Deerfield Beach involve infants and small children, who may end up with scarring and disfigurement from the incident for the rest of their lives.  Thankfully, based on media reports, that does not appear to have been the case in this instance, but is nonetheless a real possibility that accompanies every dog bite, particularly when the victim is an infant or small child like in this case.

Contact the Experienced Personal Injury Attorneys of Schwed, Adams & McGinley Today

If you, your child, or a loved one have been the victim of a dog bite in Florida, contact the experienced personal injury attorneys of Schwed, Adams, & McGinley, P.A. today.  Our attorneys have more than 150 years of combined practice representing victims of dog bites and their families.  We understand how devastating it can be when someone you love, particularly an infant or young child, is mauled by a dog, and we will do everything in our power to ensure that the dog’s owner compensates you to the maximum extent permitted under Florida law. Therefore, if you, a family member or a loved one have been injured by a pet owner’s failure to properly restrain or control his or her dog or other animal, contact Schwed, Adams & McGinley, P.A today at 877-694-6079 or contact@schwedlawfirm.com for a free consultation