Arizona Dog Bite Lawyer
Does it matter that the dog never bit anyone before? Arizona law says it doesn't. The owner is liable for a bite in a public place or anywhere you were lawfully present.
As dog bite lawyers, we represent children and adults hurt in bites and attacks across Arizona. Most claims are paid by the owner's homeowners or renters insurance.
Arizona law on dog bite claims
Each point links to the statute or court decision it comes from.
A one-year deadline
A claim under the dog bite statute must be filed within one year of the bite. Negligence claims for the same bite get two years.
A.R.S. §§ 11-1025, 12-541 (opens in a new tab)Provocation is the main defense
The owner escapes the statute only by proving the person who was bitten provoked the dog.
A.R.S. § 11-1027 (opens in a new tab)Attacks without a bite
A dog that knocks someone down without biting falls outside the bite statute, so that claim is brought as negligence.
How a dog bite case works with us
- 1
Treatment, then a report
Get the wound treated and report the bite to animal control. The report records the dog and who owns it.
- 2
A free call about the bite
We ask where it happened and who was there, then tell you whether we'd take the case.
- 3
The owner's insurance, found
Homeowners and renters policies commonly cover a dog bite, including one that happens away from the home.
- 4
Scars valued properly
Facial scars and nerve damage can need surgery years later, so the claim includes the care you'll need after it settles.
Why clients choose Saks Law for dog bite cases
We don't get paid unless you get paid
Our fee is a percentage of the recovery, set in writing before work begins. If the case ends without one, the costs of pursuing it are ours.
Direct access to Sam
Every client receives Sam's personal cell number when the case begins. Questions go straight to the attorney handling the case.
A recovery against an uninsured owner
One of Sam's clients was attacked by a dog whose owners had no insurance, and Sam still got him compensation for his injuries.
Dog bite questions clients ask
If your question isn't here, call 480-440-3331.
The dog's owner is a friend or relative. Do I still have a claim?
You may, and the claim usually goes to their homeowners or renters insurance. Many bites happen at the home of someone the victim knows, and that coverage exists for exactly this. We deal with the insurer directly, which keeps the conversation away from your family table.
My child was bitten. How long do we have?
For a child, the deadline usually doesn't start running until their 18th birthday, under A.R.S. § 12-502. Even so, call soon: the dog's records, witnesses and photos of the wound are easiest to gather now. Photos of the healing over several weeks help show the injury.
What if the bite happened on the owner's property?
The statute covers bites anywhere you were lawfully present, including the owner's yard or home. Guests and delivery drivers qualify, and so does a worker the owner let in. A trespasser generally doesn't, though a negligence claim can still exist in some cases, and the facts decide which applies.
Does trying to pet the dog count as provocation?
Petting a dog in an ordinary way is rarely treated as provocation. The owner has to prove it, and Arizona courts ask whether a reasonable person would expect the act to provoke the dog. Hitting or teasing a dog is the kind of conduct the defense covers.
What if the dog belonged to a renter?
The dog's owner is the one liable under the statute, and that is usually the tenant. Renters insurance often covers the bite. A landlord can share liability in narrower cases, such as knowing about a dangerous dog and letting it stay, so we look at both policies before the claim goes in.
Dog bite cases across Arizona
We take dog bite cases anywhere in Arizona, as far north as Flagstaff and as far south as Tucson. Clients meet with Sam in person or by video.
Speak with an injury lawyer before you speak with the insurer.
The case review is free and confidential, and you decide afterward whether to retain us.
Call weekdays from 8:30am to 5pm, or send the form at any hour.