Dog bite injuries are often dismissed by insurance adjusters as minor. They are not. Bites tear muscle, leave permanent scars, cause infections, sometimes cause nerve damage, and almost always leave a psychological mark on children. Arizona law treats dog bites seriously, and the owner of the dog (or the homeowner where the dog was kept) is on the hook in nearly every case.
Valley Accident Law has 29 years of Arizona personal injury experience. Founder Charles Paglialunga handles every dog bite case personally.
Arizona Revised Statutes section 11-1025 makes the owner of a dog liable for any bite injury, regardless of whether the dog had ever shown aggression before, and regardless of whether the owner knew about it. There is no “one-bite rule” in Arizona. The owner does not get a free first bite.
What that means in practice:
The few defenses that exist are narrow. Provocation can reduce or defeat the claim, but only when the conduct is genuine provocation (striking the dog, taunting). Trespassing also limits recovery. We evaluate these defenses honestly when reviewing a case.
Most of the cases we see involve:
Cases involving children are often the most serious because the bite location tends to be the face, and the scarring is permanent.
Recoverable damages include:
Most dog bite cases are paid through the dog owner’s homeowner’s or renter’s insurance policy. Standard policies cover dog bites unless the policy specifically excludes the breed. We always pull the policy to check.
Get medical attention immediately. Bite wounds get infected easily and need cleaning, sometimes antibiotics, and a tetanus update. Photograph the wound at every stage of healing, because scar evidence is one of the most important pieces of the case.
Get the dog owner’s name and contact information. Get the dog’s rabies vaccination history, the homeowner’s insurance information, and witness names. Report the bite to Maricopa County Animal Care and Control or the relevant agency. The report is part of the record and required by law in most cases.
Do not negotiate with the owner directly, especially if the owner is a friend or relative. The case is paid by the insurance company, not by the owner personally, and the insurance company is who needs to deal with the lawyer.
Arizona dog bite claims under the strict-liability statute must be filed within one year. Common-law negligence claims (separate from the strict-liability statute) follow the two-year rule. We file under both theories where they apply, but the one-year window is the one that matters for the statutory claim, and it is shorter than most personal injury statutes. Move fast.
Charles handles every dog bite case personally. The first consultation is free, and we work on contingency. No fee unless we recover for you.
Call 1-602-584-8054 for a free consultation.
The case is paid by their homeowner’s or renter’s insurance, not personally. Most insurers handle the claim quietly without affecting the friendship. We have seen this work many times.
Does not matter. Arizona is a strict-liability state. The owner is responsible regardless of prior history.
As long as you were lawfully there (invited, doing a job, delivering a package), the strict-liability statute covers you.
Not necessarily. Most bite reports lead to a quarantine and behavior assessment, not euthanasia. The civil case for damages is separate from the animal-control process.
One year for the Arizona strict-liability claim. Two years for negligence-based claims. Move fast either way.