Each year there are more than 4.7 million dog bites reported in the United States. Alarmingly, children are the most common victims and account for 77% of the attacks. Dog bites are the second leading cause of childhood injury, even surpassing playground accidents. Whether the victim is a child or an adult, a dog bite can cause severe physical and emotional damage that may require years of recovery. If you or a family member has been the victim of a dog bite, it is imperative that you consult with a Tucson personal injury lawyer to find out how to protect your legal rights.
Arizona is a strict liability state and per Arizona Revised Statutes (ARS) 11-1025 the owner of the dog is liable for the bite regardless of whether the attack occurred on public or private property. The major difference between dog bite laws and those regulating other types of personal injury is that in most personal injury cases the victim has two years to file a claim. In dog bite cases, a claim needs to be filed within one year of the incident. Because of this, it is important that you immediately contact an attorney who is trained in the rules and regulations governing dog bites and has experience with personal injury cases.
After you or your child is bitten by a dog, try your best to stay calm and approach the situation rationally. You should try to get information from the dog owner to determine if the dog is up to date with their rabies vaccinations or if there are any other medical concerns. In addition, get personal contact information from the dog owner. If they have renters insurance or homeowners insurance, it is also a good idea to get that information.
You need to seek immediate medical care for any dog bite injuries, especially if you do not know the dog that bit you. Animal bites have a high risk of infection, so it's important for a medical professional to clean the wound as soon as possible.
Your doctor will also give you important information on how to recognize signs of infection and for follow-up care such as washing with soap and water and applying antibiotic ointment to the dog bite wound.
At Grabb & Durando we specialize in personal injury cases and have been defending Tucson dog bite victims since 1994. Any animal attack can be a very traumatic experience that can leave the victim with extensive medical bills as well as physical and emotional trauma. When you select our firm to represent you, we promise to provide you with individual attention while aggressively protecting your rights.
We will thoroughly investigate your claim, document all aspects of your injury, and fight to get you the largest settlement possible. We will help you get money that will compensate you for your pain and suffering and help get your life back on track.
We can even help arrange for medical care and if you don’t have medical insurance we can make arrangements with the doctors to delay payment until after you receive a settlement. We handle all of the stress. You only have to focus on getting better.
Our goal is clear - to help our clients recover the maximum damages possible for their accident injury claim from the responsible parties.
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Dog bites can be expensive, especially if the bite was severe or if the bite victim was a child. There can be lasting psychological damage from the incident in addition to the physical effects. Because of these expenses, it is important that you call a Tucson personal injury lawyer as soon as possible. We’ll help you get the compensation you deserve to move forward from a dog or other animal bite.
