Dogs may have a long-standing reputation as “man’s best friend,” but not every dog lives up to that reputation 100 percent of the time. In fact, as you may have recently learned, dogs that think someone else is threatening them, intruding on their “territory,” or simply too close for comfort may respond with surprising violence, potentially resulting in serious and even life-altering injuries.
Fortunately, Arizona state law is fairly generous in terms of the rights it provides dog attack victims to file suit against the owner(s) of the dog that attacked them, and help is available from our knowledgeable personal injury attorneys in enforcing those rights. From start to finish of your legal proceedings, your Tolleson dog bite lawyer can help you build the strongest claim possible and give you the best chances of recovering comprehensive compensation for your damages. Reach out to Phillips Law Group today to learn more.
Are Dog Owners Always Liable for Bite Injuries?
The laws of different states provide many different answers to the question of whether someone holds civil liability for injuries caused by a dog they own and/or were responsible for taking care of at the time that dog attacked someone else. Arizona state law, however, is pretty straightforward when it comes to holding dog owners “strictly liable” for harm their pet causes to other people.
As per Arizona Revised Statutes §11-1025, dog owners are “strictly liable” for injuries their dog causes by biting a person who was in a public place or lawfully in a private home, which means there is no need to prove the dog owner was “negligent” in any way in order to hold them financially accountable for bite-related losses. As a Tolleson dog attack attorney can further explain, this strict liability applies even if the dog in question had never attacked or acted aggressively towards any other person before, but it generally does not apply to dogs working in a law enforcement capacity.
Maximizing Civil Compensation From a Dog Bite Claim
Importantly, there are two exceptions to the “strict liability” rule mentioned above, either of which a dog owner may try to use as a defense against a civil dog bite claim. Specifically, if a bite victim was trespassing at the time they were bitten, or if they harassed or otherwise provoked the dog into attacking them, a court may find that bite victim partially at fault for their own injuries and reduce their available compensation accordingly, or even bar them from recovery altogether in certain situations.
Outside of scenarios like these, a successful lawsuit or settlement demand over an incident like this can demand compensation for the full value of both economic and non-economic losses like:
- Past and future medical bills
- Lost work income, benefits, and/or working capacity
- Personal property damage or loss
- Physical pain and suffering
- Emotional and psychological anguish
- Lost enjoyment of life and other effects of permanent disfigurement/disability
A dog bite lawyer in Tolleson can provide crucial help both with identifying compensable losses for a particular injured person and demanding a fair amount of recovery to account for both their short-term and long-term effects.
Consider Working With a Tolleson Dog Bite Attorney
Even though dog owners are almost always legally liable for dog bite injuries in Arizona, actually holding a dog owner responsible for this sort of incident in practice can be a lot harder than you might expect. A successful case result is not necessarily a good one if it does not lead to you getting paid fairly for all your losses, and there are plenty of legal and procedural obstacles that could result in you getting little or none of what you should be owed.
By retaining a Tolleson dog bite lawyer from Phillips Law Group, you will have help from a team with decades of experience helping people like you across the Phoenix metro area get favorable results from their claims, even if that takes going to court on your behalf.
Call today to discuss your options with a member of our team and schedule your free, no-obligation consultation. Let us provide you with the guidance you need during a difficult and stressful time. Contact out firm today to learn more!
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