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Dog bite attacks can be the most psychologically damaging event you face. You can’t control the dog. You don’t know when, or if, the dog will stop attacking. The emotional trauma and physical injuries can change your life forever.
At Gage Mathers Law Group, we care deeply about dog bite victims. For over 50 years, our Phoenix dog bite lawyer has helped dog bite victims throughout Arizona get the compensation they deserve. We are here to help if you or a loved one has been the victim of a dog bite. Call (602) 258-0646 to request a free consultation with one of our lawyers.
Yes. You should hire a Phoenix dog bite attorney soon after the incident because time is of the essence. To increase the success of your dog bite claim, evidence needs to be preserved, witnesses interviewed, and potential liable parties identified. In the immediate aftermath of a dog attack, you should focus on getting better and allow an experienced dog bite attorney to focus on protecting your legal rights.
An experienced dog bite attorney in Phoenix will help you figure out if:
As your dog bite attorney investigates the situation, they will develop a strategy to maximize your financial outcome from the case. This could be tricky since numerous Arizona laws apply to dog bites and animal attacks. Experience with these types of dog bite claims can make a difference in the compensation you receive.
Dog bites are a form of personal injury. Therefore, many personal injury lawyers also handle dog bite claims, but not all of them do it well.
You want a Phoenix dog bite lawyer who is knowledgeable, experienced, and knows how to get results. Insurance adjusters are experienced with dog bite claims, so why shouldn’t your lawyer be?
Our experience shows that insurance adjusters try to take advantage of inexperienced lawyers, just like unrepresented dog bite victims, by making lowball offers and trying to scare the victim. You need a dog bite lawyer who is familiar with State laws regarding dog bite liability and local regulations on dog owners.
Personal Injury & Accident Lawyers in Arizona
Speak to one of our personal injury attorneys and learn more about the legal options for your accident claim.
Do not delay because the deadline to pursue a dog bite claim runs fast in Arizona.
There are different Statutes of Limitations that apply to dog bite claims. These time limits create deadlines to settle your case, otherwise, you must file a lawsuit for your injuries. A smart dog bite lawyer will target the earliest deadline, which is one year after the dog bite, to take advantage of strict liability. Strict liability means the dog owner is liable for any injuries caused by their dog, “…regardless of the former viciousness of the dog or the owner’s knowledge of its viciousness.” There are few defenses to strict liability.
After the one-year mark, you have another year (up to two years from the date of the bite) to sue the dog owner for negligence that caused the attack. Your burden of proof is higher and there are more defenses to a negligent dog bite claim. For example, you have to prove that the dog owner was aware of their dog’s dangerous tendencies and failed to mitigate the possibility of injury.
However, if the dog’s owner or operator is a government agency (e.g., police), then you must serve a Notice of Claim on the appropriate governmental agency within 180 days of the dog bite. There are limitations to these types of bite injury claims so, again, it is best to hire an experienced dog bite attorney as soon as possible.
The value of a dog bite claim varies based on your injuries and damages. Permanent physical scars usually receive more compensation than temporary cuts and bruises. Physical injuries tend to be valued more than psychological injuries, unless the psychological injuries require extensive treatment.
If you’ve been bitten by a dog, you may be compensated for:
An experienced Phoenix dog bite lawyer can help you maximize compensation for each of the items identified in Arizona’s jury instructions, RAJI (Civil) 6th Ed.
What you do after a dog bite can have significant ramifications on your health and the ability to hold the dog owner legally responsible for your injuries and damages.
There can be a significant amount of confusion after a dog bite. Depending on the location and environment of the dog attack there will likely be a lot of confusion and chaos surrounding you. The most important thing is to find a place where you are away from the attacking dog. Distance is safety. Similarly, make sure there are obstacles between you and the dog. Fences, garbage cans, benches, whatever you can put between you and the dog to stop the attack, do it.
If you cannot get away from the dog, use objects that you can wave around to make yourself look bigger as you safely retreat to a safer area. These can include water bottles, branches, sticks, canes, or any other objects that help you maintain the dog at a distance. You can also use these to defend yourself, if necessary, but do not engage the dog. Maintain as much distance as possible.
The most important areas to protect are your head and neck; places where dogs may tend to attack. Your actions to distance yourself from the dog will help mitigate potential injuries from a dog attack.
Once in a safe position, take a few moments to check if you have been hurt by the dog attack. You might not realize how badly you’ve been hurt given the adrenaline rush. Injuries from a dog bite can vary drastically and are influenced by many factors. Take the time to slow your breathing and check your arms, legs, and other potential areas where you may have been bitten. If there is someone with you or nearby, ask for help to check you for injuries in areas you might not be able to see.
A vital part of a dog bite claim is to know who owns the dog. If possible, collect all information available from the dog owner—name, address, phone number, and, if possible, homeowner’s or renter’s insurance information. If possible, take pictures of the dog, its owner or handler, where the dog came from, and your injuries. Video evidence can be highly compelling in a dog bite claim. There may be witnesses that saw what happened, or even helped out. Gather their information as well. All of this will be essential for your dog bite lawyer to pursue a claim on your behalf.
Homeowner’s or renter’s insurance information will be the primary source of compensation when pursuing a dog bite claim.
Police and Animal Control can help with gathering the necessary information from the dog owner or handler. Either call 911 for police or, in Maricopa County, 602 506 7387 for Animal Control. You may also file a report online with Maricopa County Animal Control online (other counties have their own Animal Control department). This will also be helpful because Animal Control maintains bite records on dogs and we will need to know if the dog has a bite history.
Injuries related to a dog bite can vary significantly. Injuries can range from extremely serious to minor scratches or puncture wounds. Regardless of the severity of the injury, you should seek medical attention. Small bites might not seem worrisome in the beginning, but the risk of infection or other animal-related diseases like rabies can be a significant problem later. A medical professional can assess your injuries and guide your treatment.
Gage Mathers Law Group is an elite personal injury firm with significant experience helping dog bite victims. Our dog bite attorneys have helped thousands of clients obtain hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation for their injuries and damages in Phoenix. Contact us now.
Read more insights from Dog Bite Data addressing breeds, insurance, and national statistics. You might also be interested to know that there are limits on insurance dog breed restrictions, providing better protections for bite victims.
Learn more about financial recovery.
Anyone who is paying a mortgage on their house will be required to have homeowners insurance. This insurance will likely cover a dog bite case. One of the reasons we have insurance is to protect us against unexpected events that have severe consequences. A dog bite that requires a hospital visit can be one of these events.
We would suggest talking to your friend and finding out if their home insurance covers dog bites. If it does, get the contact information for their insurance and call a trusted lawyer. Your dog bite lawyer will call the insurance company and negotiate on your behalf. Aside from preventing the insurance company from taking advantage of you, this also lets “the professionals” handle this instead of you and your friend fighting over money or responsibility.
Possibly. Arizona injury-related laws regarding dogs provide strict liability for dog bites and injuries that occur when the dog is considered “at-large,” meaning the dog is not on a leash or confined by an enclosure. If, however, your grandmother was injured under different circumstances, then Arizona’s negligence laws may provide a mechanism for grandmother to get her medical bills covered. These types of claims are very fact-specific and will require proof the dog owner did something wrong.
No. Generally speaking, the only one liable for the conduct of a dog is the dog owner. There are circumstances when a person in control of the dog will be responsible for the dog’s actions, but this is not one of them.
In Arizona, a dog owner can be held strictly liable for their furry friends. Strict Liability usually means that your intent does not matter – did your dog bite someone? You are responsible. Did your dog knock over an elderly woman? You are responsible for the dog attack. Did your dog cause a bicyclist to fall into traffic? … you get the idea. This makes it VERY important to have insurance coverage. If you have a pet, you should have a conversation with your home or renter insurance company.
How “Strict” the strict liability is, changes from state to state. For example, there can be exceptions if your dog is provoked. In some states, your liability is limited to only the bite of the dog. In Arizona, there are exceptions. For example, for the dog owner to be held liable, the victim must have had a right to be in your home or property. Someone trespassing can lose their right to sue a dog owner.
The Arizona statute of limitations says that you have 2 years from when you were bit to take legal action. However, in some situations, you cannot sue, and in others you only have 180 days (!).
For example, the dog owner is only held strictly liable for the first year. If you wait longer than 1 year to take legal action, the courts will use a different standard to determine if you can sue the owner. Instead of holding the dog owner strictly liable for the dog’s bite, the courts will look at whether the owner was negligent. This is much harder to prove. This is one of many reasons it is important to contact a dog bite lawyer soon after you are bitten. Even if you decide to find a different lawyer, or not sue – we highly recommend calling a dog bite lawyer right away.
Please watch our video on Arizona statute of limitations (in the next FAQ) where we discuss why there are time limits, how strictly they are enforced, and some of the known exceptions.
In Arizona, if you are injured by a police dog or animal being used by a governmental agency, then you must serve the appropriate governmental entity with a Notice of Claim no later than 180 days after the incident. After doing so, you then only have 1 year after the incident to file a lawsuit with the help of Phoenix dog bite lawyers. This is true with other lawsuits that involve the government. Learn more about the Arizona Statute of Limitations for dogbites, car accidents, and more.
In Arizona, you are responsible if your dog bites someone. You can be sued for damages, medical bills, and pain and suffering.
You should call your homeowners or renters insurance company. Arizona Revised Statutes 11-1020 addresses liability for dog attacks. It states that injury to any person or damage to any property by a dog while at large shall be the full responsibility of the dog owner or person or persons responsible for the dog when such damages were inflicted.
The Arizona statute of limitations says that you have at most 2 years from when you were bit. Judges take this law very seriously, and there are few exceptions. Please watch our video on Arizona Statue of Limitations where we discuss why there are time limits, how strictly they are enforced, and some of the known exceptions for filing a dog bite case. After 4 years, most likely your case would be thrown out. However, if the bite victim was under the age of 18 at the time, they can sue up to their 20th birthday.
Arizona has strict liability laws regarding dog bites. If the pool cleaner had permission to be on your property, and your dog bit them, you are legally responsible. This is true even if your dog has never bit anyone before, or if you locked up the dog and it somehow escaped.
If your apartment is privately owned, the management can disallow certain breeds of dogs. Although new laws were passed to help prevent this kind of discrimination these laws currently only apply to Insurance Companies, and judges, arbitrators and other legal decision makers.
Your lease will indicate whether dogs are allowed in the rental property and, if so, any restrictions that might apply. These provisions in the lease agreement will likely govern. If you have additional questions about tenant laws, please contact a landlord-tenant lawyer.
Yes. It is not uncommon for dog owners to claim bite victims provoked their dog. In Arizona, experienced attorneys know how to limit this defense. Several years ago, we had a client that was bit in the face. The owner claimed our client “got into the dog’s face.” However, after taking testimony from several witnesses, we were able to show that our client did not do anything that would allow the dog owner to escape liability.
Probably. Provocation is most likely not considered an exception with certain exotic pets. For more information please refer to the Arizona Administrative Code: https://apps.azsos.gov/public_services/Title_12/12-04.pdf, especially because certain exotic pets require special licenses and permits. If you or someone you know has been attacked by an alligator, mountain lion, sugar baby, or other exotic pet – contact Gage Mathers right away.
Under Arizona’s strict liability statute, dog bite victims do not have to prove the dog owner was negligent; put another way, they do not have to prove the dog owner had prior knowledge of any violent tendencies of their dog. Frankly, it is unnecessary to pursue both a strict liability claim and a negligence claim when a strict liability claim is available.
When strict liability is unavailable, dog bite victims must pursue a negligence claim. This requires proof that the dog owner’s negligence was the cause of the dog bite or attack. Proving dog owner negligence can be challenging since you must prove notice of the dog’s dangerous tendencies, but examples of dog owner negligence our dog bite lawyer has seen include:
After being in a car accident in Phoenix. Gage Mathers took my case. He is very knowledgeable and answered all my questions and concerns. Thank you so much for all you help! Im very happy with the settlement I got! I would highly recommend Gage Mathers Law Group!
After struggling to find a law firm to represent me in a product liability case, Gage Mathers came through, fighting for me during a very long and arduous process. Joe the managing attorney, along with paralegals Tracy and Erin followed up throughout the process with medical and documentation to get me a very satisfying result. For a small firm they fight for their clients and I would highly recommend them.
This Law group is phenomenal.I had an car accident in 2006.I was hit in by a 15 1/2 year oldAnd anybody who gets in the situation I’m gonna tell you a little trick.If you ever get hit by somebody that young and you get the address from the police report of where The teenagers actually residing. .Especially if it’s a parental guardian which this grandmother was.Because I worked in insurance previously I knew thatYou can actually go on the Maricopa County assessors page, a...
After working with another firm who was not qualified for my case Martin Mathers came through for me. It makes a huge difference when you have someone with experience and who knows how to navigate through the legal hurdles to win your case!
Martin and his team were really easy to work with, kept me continuously updated, and negotiated a great deal with insurance. I can’t recommend them enough.
how can i explain, how amazing and helpful from the start to finish. they got me more then I expected and I’m grateful for that. Regina was a great and caring person that really knew what she was doing and did all possible she communicated with me through it all. thank you know Joe, he one funny and cool guy he did all in is power to finish this case and support Regina through it all. I’m grateful for there hard work and will go to them all the time with anything...
On Dec 22 of 2020 my wife and I were involved in a horrific auto accident. 7 weeks in hospital, mostly in the ICU but we survived, barley. Once I was able to function, I contacted Gage Mathers to help sort out the insurances and legal matters and a couple million dollars in medical bills . It was a long and involved process but in the end it was all sorted with a handsome payout for us, which was totally unexpected on our part. Regina (our paralegal) and the accounting staff...
Martin and his team helped me through a bodily injury case after getting in a bad car accident. From day one, his team moved quickly to make sure that all documents were reveived and got to the places they needed to push our case through. The Gage-Mather’s team worked hard on our case to represent us and make sure we were awarded proper compensation.This team went the extra mile to always communicate what was going on and fight in our best interest til the very end of our ...
Martin and his team were exceptional from the start. They gathered all of the information from our bodily injury case quickly and got to work immediately, getting my family the money that we deserved from an unfortunate situation. I would highly recommend Martin at Gage Mathers for any personal injury case. He and his team were responsive and professional throughout this long process and continually fought for us and kept us in the loop.
They made this experience very easy for me. Everyone I spoke with was very friendly and professional. I want to give a shout out to Ms. Erin She is amazing. Thank you Erin! I would highly recommend them!
My father-in-law was involved in the accident with Phoenix PD. They was able to get to the case taken care of quickly and efficiently and they always made sure that he was OK and make sure that we knew what was going on with the case. Big shout out to Erin No matter how many times I called out of my father-in-law’s request she never got angry never got upset and never ever said that we was annoying are pushing she understood our frustrations and understood why we was c...
Joseph D’Aguanno and his paralegals Regina Garcia and Elizabeth Sanchez were very professional and very informative on my case. I was always able to speak with someone and I was updated throughout the process. I am super happy with the outcome and I would definitely recommend Gage Mathers to family and friends. Thank you!
Very satisfied with the service I received. Erin was very professional responded quickly and got my case done fast. I would highly recommend Erin and Gage Mathers. They went above and beyond!!!!
Martin Mathers and his entire team expertly guided me through a difficult personal injury case. They were professional and responsive throughout the long process, and they continually fought for a positive outcome. I am deeply grateful for their efforts and the successful settlement of my case. I highly recommend this outstanding team.
One year ago I had reason to believe that a previous medical procedure had caused a significant new health risk. I knew I needed legal advice on what my rights were and what options might exist for me to pursue a resolution. I reached out to Joe and he was immediately responsive. Not only did he provide me assistance in a timely way, he personally dropped off materials for me to review at my home. At that time, I really needed help and he was there for me.
Because of his expertise in personal injury, wrongful death, and other catastrophic injury cases, Martin is contacted by lawyers throughout the country to help them with their cases. This has led to Martin’s involvement in litigation involving high-profile celebrity defendants, large hospital systems, prominent business people, airplane crashes, pharmaceutical errors, and defective product cases.
Years of experience: Over 35 years
Bar number: 011917
Location: Phoenix, AZ
If you or a loved one has been seriously injured, please fill out the form below for your free consultation or call us at (602) 258-0646
(602) 258-0646