Were you or a family member bitten by a dog in Phoenix, AZ? Dog bite injuries can carry serious consequences. A Phoenix dog bite lawyer at Impact Legal Car Accident Attorneys can help you pursue compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and more. Contact our law office to schedule a free consultation at (602) 345-1818.
Since we started our law firm, we’ve helped our injured clients recover millions of dollars in settlements and verdicts. We know how to stand up to the insurance companies and fight for a full and fair compensation award. We’re ready to start building your claim for compensation today.
How Can Impact Legal Car Accident Attorneys Help Me Recover Compensation for Dog Bite Injuries in Phoenix, AZ?
Many victims feel confused and overwhelmed after a dog bites them. You may even know the dog’s owner and be hesitant to take legal action. Still, if you were injured, you deserve to be compensated for your losses. Recovering compensation can be critical to your future if you were seriously hurt.
Our Phoenix personal injury attorneys at Impact Legal Car Accident Attorneys can handle all the legal issues you’re dealing with.
When you hire our law firm to protect you, you’ll have a team to:
- Handle the insurance claims process
- Identify all sources of compensation
- Investigate and gather evidence to prove your case
- Defend you if the insurance company blames you for provoking the dog
- Document your losses and prove your case value
- Negotiate with the insurance companies for a full and fair financial settlement
- File a lawsuit if necessary to get compensation
It never hurts to consult a lawyer if you were injured by someone else’s animal. Call our Phoenix personal injury lawyers today to arrange a free consultation and learn about your legal rights.
How Common Are Dog Bites in Arizona?
Every year, about 800,000 people across the U.S. suffer dog bite injuries that are serious enough to require medical attention. According to data published by the CDC, about 4.5 million Americans suffer dog bite injuries each year.
Considering the U.S. population as of 2023, that statistic shows that about one in every 74 people in America will be bitten by a dog.
What is My Phoenix Dog Bite Injury Case Worth?
The value of your case will depend on many unique factors.
While all personal injury cases are different, the following factors tend to play the strongest role in determining your case value:
- The severity of your injuries
- Your financial losses, including medical treatment costs and other expenses
- Any income you lose during recovery
- Whether the injury will cause any long-term damage or loss of future earnings
- Expected future costs for medical care and rehabilitation
- The emotional trauma and physical suffering you have experienced
- Whether provocation is a valid defense
After a serious injury, it’s important to maximize your financial recovery. Otherwise, you could be left paying damages that someone else is really responsible for covering. Our lawyers will carefully analyze the facts and circumstances as we work to establish your case value. Just give us a call for a free case review today.
What Types of Damages Are Available to Dog Bite Victims in Phoenix?
You can recover the same types of damages in a dog bite injury claim as any other type of personal injury case. That includes your economic damages and non-economic damages.
Examples of the types of damages dog bite victims often experience include:
- Past and future medical expenses
- Physical therapy
- Rehabilitation
- Lost wages
- Reduced earning potential
- Reconstructive surgeries
- Nursing care
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Physical disfigurement and scarring
- Depression
- Anxiety
- PTSD and fear of animals
- Diminished quality of life
If you were bitten or attacked by a dog, call our Phoenix dog bite attorneys for legal assistance today. We’ll do everything possible to help you recover the maximum compensation you deserve for your injuries.
How Much Does it Cost to Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer in Phoenix?
At Impact Legal Car Accident Attorneys, we handle personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis. Your attorney’s fees are entirely contingent on the amount of money we recover in your case. You won’t have to pay attorney’s fees unless and until we recover compensation in your case.
Can I Recover Compensation If I’m Being Blamed for Provoking a Dog Bite in Arizona?
Provocation is one of the most common defenses dog owners use. They often claim that the dog bite victim’s own actions contributed to their injuries. Even if they have evidence to prove it, you won’t necessarily lose your right to compensation.
Arizona is a pure comparative negligence state. If you share some blame for your injuries, your compensation is reduced according to your percentage of fault. You won’t lose your right to damages entirely unless you were 100% liable.
Common Dog Bite Injuries
Dog bites can cause a significant amount of damage, especially when the victim is smaller.
Some of the most common types of dog bite injuries include:
- Puncture wounds and lacerations
- Injuries to the hands and arms
- Facial injuries
- Eye injuries
- Joint injuries
- Concussions
- Broken bones
- Nerve damage
- Spinal cord injuries
- Soft tissue injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Head and neck injuries
- Back injuries
- Internal injuries caused by infection
- Amputations
If you were bitten by a dog, report your injuries to Maricopa County’s animal control office. It’s also critical to seek medical attention if you suffered injuries.
How Do I Prove Liability After a Dog Bite in Arizona?
Dog bite injury cases are different from most typical personal injury cases. Each state has its own set of laws that govern dog bite injuries.
Some states follow a one bite law. In those states, every dog basically gets one free bite before its owner can be held liable for a dog bite victim’s injuries.
Arizona doesn’t have a one bite law. Instead, dog owners are strictly liable when their dog hurts another person. That’s true, even if the dog has no history of showing aggression or vicious tendencies.
All you have to prove to recover damages under Arizona’s dog bite law is:
- You were on public property or lawfully on private property
- The dog bit you
You can recover damages even if you were visiting the dog owner’s property when the dog bit you.
Defenses to the Dog Owner’s Liability
Although most dog owners are liable for dog bite injuries regardless of whether they knew the dog had vicious tendencies, strict liability isn’t absolute. Most dog owners try to defend themselves against allegations that they owe a victim compensation.
The two defenses that can work in Arizona are:
- You were trespassing, or
- You did something that provoked the dog to bite you
Provocation is the most typical defense dog owners try to use. For it to work, they must show that you did something that a reasonable person would expect would be likely to provoke a dog to bite.
Can I Recover Compensation If Arizona’s Strict Liability Law Doesn’t Apply?
Arizona applies strict liability laws to dog bite injury cases. If the dog attacked you but did not actually bite, the strict liability law doesn’t apply. That doesn’t mean the dog’s owner will never be liable for your damages.
Dog owners in Arizona can still be held liable for negligence. Like all other people, dog owners must exercise reasonable caution under the circumstances. If they don’t and others are hurt because of it, they can be found negligent.
To prove negligence, you must establish:
- The owner’s legal duty of care
- A breach of duty occurred
- Causation, or that the breach directly caused your injuries
- The damages you suffered as a result
Many different types of evidence can be used to establish negligence. For example, if the dog owner ignored the Phoenix leash laws and let the dog wander free, that can be considered a breach of the duty of care. When we’re building your case, we’ll talk to neighbors and other witnesses, search for video footage, and even determine whether others have filed complaints about the animal in the past.
How Long Do I Have to File a Lawsuit After a Dog Bite in Arizona?
The statute of limitations for negligence-based cases in Arizona is two years. However, if you are filing a case based on strict liability, you will have just one year. If you don’t file a personal injury lawsuit within the applicable deadline, you lose your right to compensation completely.
Contact a Phoenix Dog Bite Attorney for a Free Consultation
Were you or a loved one bitten by someone else’s dog in Phoenix? Our team at Impact Legal Car Accident Attorneys knows how to help you fight for full compensation. Call us today for a free consultation with a Phoenix dog bite lawyer who can handle the insurance and legal issues.
Visit Our Personal Injury Law Office in Phoenix, AZ
Impact Legal Car Accident Attorneys
16202 N Cave Creek Rd Suite D, Phoenix, AZ 85032, United States
(602)-345-1818
