Dog bites in Phoenix can cause severe injuries, drain your finances, and leave lifelong physical and emotional scars. If someone else’s dog bit you, Triumph Law Group‘s Phoenix dog bite injury attorneys can fight on your behalf for fair compensation. Lead attorney Triumph Curiel has over 10 years of legal experience, and our team knows local and Arizona dog bite laws inside and out. We’ll handle the legal details while you concentrate on healing. You don’t owe any fees unless you recover compensation, so call 602-595-5559 now or complete our contact form for a free consultation.
Why You Need a Phoenix Dog Bite Attorney
If a dog bit you in Phoenix, hiring a personal injury lawyer can significantly affect your case and potential compensation. An insurance company may discount your injuries or pressure you into accepting a settlement that doesn’t cover all your losses. Without help from an experienced attorney, you might not recover fair compensation, making it harder to pay your bills and rebuild your life.
A Phoenix dog bite lawyer can handle the legal work in your case to simplify your life and give you a better chance of recovering the money you need. Your attorney can gather evidence of your injuries, show you didn’t provoke the dog and had a right to be on the property, and push back against the insurance companies that try to deny your claim. If necessary, a dog bite attorney can also take your case to trial and represent you in any hearings. Without a lawyer’s help, you must handle all these steps yourself and are less likely to win your case.
Phoenix Dog Bite Laws
Under Arizona law, a dog’s owner is liable for any bite injuries their dog causes. This rule applies to bites on the owner’s property and any other public or private place where the victim was lawfully on the premises. Furthermore, the dog’s owner is liable even if the dog has not bitten anyone previously or the owner didn’t know the dog was prone to aggressive or vicious behavior. That means dog bite victims don’t need to prove the dog’s owner was negligent or that their actions caused the bite.
Dog owners have few legal defenses against dog bite injury claims, but one option is to argue that the victim was trespassing. This defense often comes up in cases involving dogs that bite postal workers or others visiting the owner’s property. However, another Arizona law blocks this defense if the victim is a public employee and their duties require them to enter the property. The same law also says private employees invited onto the owner’s property (such as a contractor hired to repair the grounds) can also hold the owner liable for dog bite injuries.
The other defense dog owners have against dog bite injury claims is arguing that the victim provoked the dog. State law provides that the test for this defense is whether a reasonable person would believe that the victim’s actions caused the dog to attack them.
You can expect the dog’s owner and the insurance companies to use any or all of these defenses if you file a claim. A Phoenix dog bite attorney can investigate the attack and use your testimony, eyewitness accounts, surveillance footage, or other evidence to demonstrate that you followed the law and should receive fair compensation for your injuries.
Common Injuries from Dog Bites in Phoenix
Dog bites frequently cause severe, long-lasting injuries, such as:
- Puncture wounds – When a dog bites down on a person, its teeth can puncture skin, muscle tissue, ligaments, and tendons, leaving deep wounds.
- Severe lacerations – Rips and tears in the skin, muscle tissues, and ligaments and tendons are common in dog bite cases, particularly if the dog shakes its head after biting down or repeatedly bites someone.
- Broken bones – Larger dogs can bite with enough force to cause bones to snap and break. Older adults and small children are more likely to suffer broken bones from a dog bite because they have weaker or undeveloped bones.
- Infections – Dogs’ mouths often contain harmful germs that can enter people’s bodies through a bite. While rabies is the most worrisome infection that can result from a dog bite, these injuries can also cause staph infections and other severe illnesses.
- Slip-and-fall or trip-and-fall injuries – A dog that jumps up on someone to bite them can cause the victim to fall backward or forward, potentially causing head trauma, broken bones, or other fall-related injuries.
- Scarring and disfigurement – Lacerations and puncture wounds from dog bites can cause deep, long-lasting scars. Some people with dog bite injuries need skin grafts or other cosmetic surgery to restore their appearance.
- Emotional distress – Many people suffer from anxiety or similar mental health conditions after a dog bite. In some cases, post-traumatic stress disorder from a dog bite can last for months or years after the initial attack.
What to Do After a Dog Bite in Phoenix
The first steps to take after a dog bite in Phoenix are to call the police and seek immediate medical attention. Once you’ve done that, follow these steps to protect your health and a future personal injury claim:
- Follow your doctor’s orders and attend all follow-up treatments – Your health is your primary concern after a dog bite, so make sure you follow your doctor’s instructions and attend all follow-up appointments. Following your prescribed treatment plan also demonstrates to the insurance companies that your injuries are severe, and you’re taking them seriously.
- Identify the dog and its owner – If you can, try to identify the dog and its owner. You may need to ask someone else to do this for you if your injuries are too severe. However, do not confront the dog’s owner, as doing so could hurt your legal case.
- Write down what happened – If possible, write down the details of the incident while they’re fresh in your mind. You can refer to these notes later to make sure you’re consistent when describing what happened.
- Don’t discuss your case – Do not discuss your case with anyone other than your lawyer. Your statements, no matter how seemingly benign, can hurt your case if you’re not careful. Be particularly cautious about your social media posts, as a stray comment or photo could hurt your claim if the insurance companies find it.
- Hire a dog bite lawyer – The sooner you hire a Phoenix dog bite lawyer, the more they can do to protect your rights. Hiring an attorney right away also gives them more time to build your case without impending deadlines to worry about.
Compensation in Phoenix Dog Bite Claims
Your compensation in a dog bite claim depends on the extent of your injuries, medical expenses, and other factors specific to your situation. With help from an experienced and dedicated attorney, your compensation could include money for:
- Lost income
- Reduced future earnings
- Current and future medical expenses related to your injuries
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Diminished quality of life
- Damaged person property (if applicable)
Deadline to File a Phoenix Dog Bite Lawsuit
In Arizona, the usual deadline to file a dog bite lawsuit is two years from the date of the attack. We recommend you speak to an attorney immediately so they have ample time to build your case.
Contact Triumph Law Group Now to Speak with a Phoenix Dog Bite Lawyer
Triumph Law Group proudly represents injured Phoenix residents in dog bite cases and can help you recover the money you need. Call 602-595-5559 now or reach out online for a free consultation.
T