In most cases, yes. In Florida, a dog owner's homeowners or renters insurance policy usually pays for injuries the dog causes to other people, up to the policy's liability limits. Coverage can be limited or excluded by the policy's terms, such as an animal exclusion, a specific-dog exclusion, or a rule barring claims by household members.
Florida law makes a dog owner responsible for bites to people in public places or lawfully on private property, even if the dog never bit anyone before. That rule is explained on our Bradenton dog bite lawyer page. In practice, though, whether a dog bite victim actually recovers often depends on one question: which insurance policy applies, and what does it cover?
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☎ Call NowThe dog owner's homeowners or renters insurance company usually pays for a dog bite in Florida. The liability section of these policies covers injuries the policyholder or their pet causes to other people, including medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering, up to the policy's liability limit.
According to the Insurance Information Institute, homeowners and renters policies typically carry liability limits between $100,000 and $300,000. Florida was among the top three states for dog-related injury claims in 2024, along with California and Texas.
Most homeowners policies also include medical payments coverage, which pays a guest's medical bills regardless of fault. That coverage usually has a much smaller limit than the liability coverage and is meant for prompt payment of smaller medical bills, not for the full value of a serious injury.
Usually not. The personal liability coverage in a homeowners or renters policy generally follows the policyholder and their dog, so a bite at a park, on a sidewalk, or at a neighbor's house is often covered by the owner's policy. The policy's exact wording controls.
When a bite happens at a business, the business's commercial general liability policy may also apply. If a dog walker, pet sitter, groomer, or boarding kennel had the dog when it bit someone, that business's own insurance may be involved too.
Homeowners insurance may not cover a dog bite when the policy excludes all animal or dog liability, excludes a specific dog after a prior bite, excludes certain breeds, excludes injuries to members of the owner's own household, or excludes harm the owner caused intentionally. Some policies also exclude dogs kept for business purposes.
An exclusion in the owner's policy does not erase the owner's legal responsibility. It only means that a different source of payment, or the owner personally, may have to cover the claim.
If the dog owner rents, the owner's renters insurance policy usually provides the same kind of personal liability coverage a homeowners policy does. If the owner has no renters insurance, the landlord's policy generally covers the landlord's own liability, not the tenant's dog.
A landlord may share responsibility when the landlord knew the tenant's dog was dangerous and had the ability to remove it or require changes. Those claims depend on what the landlord knew and could control. Our premises liability lawyer page explains property owner responsibility.
Yes. Under Florida's Pam Rock Act, effective July 1, 2025, the owner of a dog officially classified as dangerous must carry at least $100,000 in liability insurance covering injuries the dog causes. The law also requires owners who know of a dog's dangerous tendencies to securely confine it as if it had been declared dangerous.
The Act is named for Pam Rock, a postal carrier killed by a pack of dogs in Putnam County in 2022. A prior dangerous dog classification, or earlier complaints to animal control, can also be important evidence that the owner knew the dog was a risk.
Start by asking the owner for their homeowners or renters insurance company and policy number, and check whether the animal control or police report lists it. Florida law also allows an injured person to make a written request to the owner's liability insurer, which must respond within 30 days with a sworn statement of the coverage.
That sworn statement must list the insurer, each insured, the liability limits, any coverage defense the insurer believes it has, and a copy of the policy. It covers every known policy, including umbrella and excess coverage. The owner or the owner's insurance agent must also identify each known insurer when asked in writing. This disclosure request is one of the most useful early steps in a dog bite claim, because it shows whether there is enough coverage and whether the insurer is planning to rely on an exclusion.
If the dog owner has no applicable insurance, the owner is still personally responsible under Florida law, but collecting a judgment from an individual can be difficult. Other sources may include a landlord's policy, a business's policy, an umbrella policy, or the victim's own health insurance for medical bills.
Your own auto policy's uninsured motorist coverage does not apply to dog bites. If you were bitten while working, such as a mail carrier, delivery driver, or home health aide, workers' compensation may cover medical care and lost wages, and you may still have a separate claim against the dog owner.
If the injuries are worth more than the policy limit, the insurer generally pays only up to the limit, and the dog owner may be personally responsible for the rest. Florida insurers also have a duty to handle claims against their policyholders in good faith, including fairly evaluating opportunities to settle within the limits.
Serious facial bites, bites to children, nerve damage, and attacks requiring multiple surgeries can exceed a $100,000 or $300,000 limit. When an insurer fails to handle a claim properly, the owner can face a judgment above the limits. Our bad faith insurance lawyer page explains how those claims arise.
The dog owner's insurance company will usually ask for a recorded statement, photographs, medical records, and a signed medical authorization. It is the owner's insurer, not yours, and its adjuster's job is to evaluate the claim from the owner's side, so it is wise to be careful about what you sign and say.
Florida reduces an injured person's recovery by their own share of fault, so questions about provocation and warnings matter. Children under 6 are protected from the owner's "Bad Dog" sign defense under Florida law.
Yes. Negotiating with the owner's insurance company does not stop Florida's deadline to file a lawsuit. For most dog bites on or after March 24, 2023, a lawsuit generally must be filed within two years of the bite, even if the insurance claim is still open.
Insurance adjusters know the deadline. A claim that drags on can leave the injured person with little leverage near the end. Tracking the date from the beginning protects the right to recover.
If you or your child was bitten by a dog in Bradenton, Palmetto, Lakewood Ranch, Anna Maria Island, or anywhere in Manatee County or the surrounding counties, Heintz Law can identify every insurance policy that may apply, request the policy information the insurer must disclose, and protect your right to recover under Florida law. Founding Partner Steven E. Heintz and our Bradenton dog bite attorneys prepare every case from the first conference as if a jury will hear it.
Dog bite cases are handled on a contingency fee, so there is no fee unless there is a recovery. Learn more on our Bradenton dog bite lawyer page, or contact Heintz Law to talk about your case.
Have our 30 years of experience in personal injury go to work for you. No fees or costs unless we get results.
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