Questions & answers · Home insurance
In Florida, a neighbor's dog bit me. Is the owner responsible even if the dog never bit anyone before?
Home insuranceWho paysFloridaChecked Nov 5, 2026
From K.Actuary, founded by Sangmin Kwon, ASA · sources checked 2026-11-05 · Source: Florida Statutes · § 767.04 (Dog owner’s liability for damages to persons bitten) · § 767.04 View original ↗
In short
- Florida law makes a dog owner responsible when the dog bites a person in a public place.
- It also applies when the person is lawfully on private property.
- It applies even if the dog was never known to be vicious.
What this means
This answer uses one Florida statute only.
The statute says the owner of any dog that bites any person while the person is on or in a public place, or lawfully on or in a private place, including the property of the owner, is liable for damages suffered by persons bitten, regardless of the former viciousness of the dog or the owner's knowledge of such viciousness.
The statute also says that any negligence on the part of the person bitten that is a proximate cause of the biting incident reduces the owner's liability by the percentage that the bitten person's negligence contributed.
The statute is about the owner's liability. It does not say which insurance policy pays or how an insurer handles the claim, so the sources here do not answer that part.
Your next step
Ask the owner for the name of any homeowner or renter insurer so you can report the injury to it. The statute does not state a deadline for the claim.
Check it yourself
Open the Florida Statutes page for the dog owner's liability section and read the first two sentences.
Where this comes from (1)
[1] Florida Statutes · § 767.04 (Dog owner’s liability for damages to persons bitten) · § 767.04 · checked 2026-11-05
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 inci…
How we found this
We matched your question to 1 official source, quoted the exact lines, and re-checked each quote against its source on 2026-11-05.
What we don’t know yet
Your own plan or notice may say something different. If your letter cites another rule, send it and we will look again.
Every answer is checked against the official rule it quotes.
Information only — not legal advice. Your plan, insurer or agency decides.
This answer quotes the official sources listed above, with the date we checked them. Your own policy, notice and state rules control. We are not your lawyer or your insurer. We don’t file, argue or negotiate claims for you — you send any letter or form yourself.
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Answer id CQ3078. Spotted an error? Tell us.