Dog Bites in the Workplace

You may have noticed that people are starting to take companion animals just about everywhere. From restaurants and grocery stores to airplanes, folks are bringing their furry friends with them. For many businesses, this is a growing market of consumers, and it makes good sense to attract new patrons by opening the rules and permitting people to bring pets into a business. For others, there may legitimate disabilities that necessitate having a service animal. Of course, service animals are not the same as companion animals.

Unfortunately, as the rise of companion animals continues, dog bites are also on the rise. Many people, including employees of businesses, are now becoming the victim of dog attacks. As states struggle to balance the interests of consumers with safety, the dog bite attorneys from Halpern, Santos & Pinkert, P.A. are here to help if you’ve been injured by a dog or other animal.

When Do Dogs Attack at Work?

There are several scenarios where people can get bitten by dogs in a workplace. The law provides different remedies, depending on who you are, your relationship to the business, and where the injuries took place. Here are several key scenarios:

• Employee bitten by a customer’s animal. When you are at work, your injuries are covered by workers’ compensation insurance. This means under Florida law you cannot sue your employer for these types of injuries. Instead, you can file a claim for work comp benefits. However, you do have a right to bring a direct claim against the dog’s owner as well.

• Employee bitten by co-employee’s or employer’s animal. If the animal is kept at the place of work, there may be strict liability regardless of the work arrangement. This means that you may have additional options, such as bringing a claim for compensation under the dog bite law.

• Employee bitten by stray dog. Many jobs require employees to travel or go into the community. For instance, postal carriers, delivery people, utility workers, and many other individuals may be out and about and get bitten by a stray animal. In this situation, it’s important to identify the actual owner of the dog. If the dog is registered or has a collar that indicates ownership, the owner can be held liable for the conduct of the animal while not under control and running at large.

Florida Dog Bite Law 

Under Fla Stat. 767.04, the owner of a dog can be held liable for the injuries the dog causes if each of the following requirements are met:

• The victim is in a public place
• The victim was lawfully permitted to be on the property where the bite happened
• It is not necessary to show the dog had bitten people before
• The victim was not provoking the dog

Call a Skilled Dog Bite Attorney Today 

For help with your dog bite injury, contact the Florida dog bite attorneys at Halpern, Santos & Pinkert, P.A. All consultations are free and confidential, and often you can receive significant cash compensation for your injuries. But time is limited, so be sure to contact our firm today.

Resource:

leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0700-0799/0767/Sections/0767.04.html