Spring Hill, FL asked in Civil Litigation for Florida

Q: Can I sue?

I bought a 2 yr old dog from Craigslist for $500 who I knew just had puppies recently, come to find out she had to have emergency surgery because she had a dead puppy inside of her as is costing me $950 in vet bills. Is there anything I can do about it? Person I got her from refuses to help.

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1 Lawyer Answer
Charles M.  Baron
Charles M. Baron
Answered
  • Hollywood, FL
  • Licensed in Florida

A: Depends on the terms of the deal you had with the seller, as well as on whether the seller had any inkling that the dog had that medical issue. If it was just a verbal deal AND the seller had no idea that there was a dead pup in the womb (or that the dog was having any symptoms), you are likely to lose a suit (which would be in small claims court). If the seller defrauded you because he/she failed to disclose something they knew or should have known about this, or if you had a written guarantee that was breached, then you have a case. Learn a lesson from this - do a deal in writing that makes the seller responsible for vet bills if the dog needs vet care within X number of days due to a condition the dog already had at the time of sale and/or that allows you to cancel the deal and return the dog. If you need help writing up such a contract, hire an attorney.

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