Army Ranger Veteran and Dog Bite Lawyer

The personal injury attorneys at our Stuart, Florida law office are experienced in the investigation and prosecution of animal and dog bite claims. We are known for our proactiveness, responsiveness, thorough and hands-on litigation style, investigative and negotiating skills, and our accessibility to our clients. We leave no stone unturned in the prosecution of your injury claim against negligent animal owners.

Our attorney, Tim Nies, is a former senior defense lawyer for the largest insurance defense law firm in the U.S., where he defended dog owners in serious dog bite cases. Tim utilizes this unique experience in the prosecution of animal bite cases. 

Dog owners in Florida have the legal duty to keep their dog confined and to keep guests safe from bites from their dogs. Florida is a strict liability state, meaning that dog owners are 100% responsible for the damages caused by their dog, unless the dog was provoked into biting, or the owner displayed an appropriate “bad dog” sign. 

Specifically, Florida Law on dog bites is a follows: Florida Statutes Section 767.04  Dog owner's liability for damages to persons bitten.--The owner of any dog that bites any person while such person is on or in a public place, or lawfully on or in a private place, including the property of the owner of the dog, is liable for damages suffered by persons bitten, regardless of the former viciousness of the dog or the owners' knowledge of such viciousness. However, any negligence on the part of the person bitten that is a proximate cause of the biting incident reduces the liability of the owner of the dog by the percentage that the bitten person's negligence contributed to the biting incident. A person is lawfully upon private property of such owner within the meaning of this act when the person is on such property in the performance of any duty imposed upon him or her by the laws of this state or by the laws or postal regulations of the United States, or when the person is on such property upon invitation, expressed or implied, of the owner. However, the owner is not liable, except as to a person under the age of 6, or unless the damages are proximately caused by a negligent act or omission of the owner, if at the time of any such injury the owner had displayed in a prominent place on his or her premises a sign easily readable including the words "Bad Dog." The remedy provided by this section is in addition to and cumulative with any other remedy provided by statute or common law.

If you, or a family member, have been bitten by a dog, please contact our attorneys right away, so that important evidence is not lost. All our personal injury cases at Van Riper and Nies are taken on a contingency fee basis, meaning we do not take a fee or charge any costs unless we win.

For more information about our personal injury practice, please call us at 772-283-8712 or e-mail our Personal Injury Department Chair, Tim Nies, at