Florida Dog Bite Law and 10 Dangerous Dog Breeds - Provided by Ferrer Shane: Miami Personal Injury Lawyers

MIAMI, FL, May 25, 2011 (Press-News.org) Last week, starting on May 15, it was Dog Bite Prevention week. Old news? Not if you've ever been the victim of a dog bite attack or other type of animal attack, or you've been threatened by an aggressive dog, you know that dog bite prevention is something that should be done year-round.

We all love our dogs. But, simply put, some dog owners are negligent in the way they keep their pets. Depending on the breed of dog, and the animal's particular disposition - has the dog been known to display aggressive tendencies? - allowing dogs to roam free opens up dog owners to liability.

If you or a member of your family has suffered an injury, contact a Miami dog bite attorney for an evaluation of the facts of the case.

List of Dangerous Breeds
People will certainly disagree about what makes a "dangerous" breed. It is important to recognize that dog owners - rather than the dogs themselves, regardless of breed - have responsibility over how the dog is treated and trained and cared for. People think of German Shepherds, for example, as a notoriously dangerous breed of dog, in large part due to the dog's history of use in the police and military, but German Shepherds can also be very loving and safe animals.

The size of the dog seems to determine whether a certain breed is classified as "dangerous." Larger breeds are more powerful. Whether or not the dog intends to cause harm, a larger dog can more easily cause injury.

In alphabetical order, these 10 dogs tend to cause an increase in insurance rates for dog owners:

- Akita
- Alaskan Malamute
- Chow Chow
- Doberman Pinscher
- German Shepherd
- Pit Bull
- Presa Canario
- Rottweiler
- Siberian Husky
- Staffordshire Bull Terrier

Again, a dog owner of one of these listed breeds, such as the Siberian Husky, will know that the Husky rarely shows aggressive tendencies. It is a large dog that likes to roam. So if the Husky is not fenced in, or otherwise restrained, it is likely to get into trouble. But it is generally not any more likely to bite people than any of the other "dangerous" dogs listed.

Florida Dog Bite Law
In Florida, dog owners generally have strict liability in cases of dog bite attack, an area of law which often falls under premises liability. It doesn't matter whether or not the dog had bitten someone in the past, or whether or not the dog owner knows the dog is a "bad dog." The dog owner is liable for any injury caused to a person on or off the dog owner's property.

However, the dog owner's liability for any dog bite attack is offset by the actions of the person who is bitten. For example, if the person who is bitten provokes the dog, his or her own negligence as a proximate cause will offset his or her recovery against the dog owner and insurance company.

These are basic principles of Florida dog bite law - and there are many cases and statutes that allow or disallow financial recovery against negligent dog owners in a variety of circumstances. If you've been bitten by a dog, consider hiring a Miami personal injury lawyer to represent you. For more information, visit our website, http://www.ferrerlaw.com.