Dog Bite Lawyer in Phoenix, AZ

A dog bit you, or your child, in Phoenix: on a neighborhood sidewalk, at a park, at a friend's house, or on a delivery route. Arizona law is on your side. The owner is liable even if the dog never bit anyone before.

This page explains the strict liability statute that applies, the one-year deadline that catches people off guard, and what we investigate.

Call (602) 654-0202 or use the intake form. The consultation is free. We don't charge unless we recover for you.

Arizona Dog Bite Law in Phoenix Cases

Ron DeBrigida, J.D. reviews this section.

Strict liability (ARS 11-1025)

You don't have to prove the owner knew the dog was dangerous. If the dog bit you in a public place, including a city park or sidewalk, or while you were lawfully on private property, the owner is liable. That covers mail carriers, delivery drivers, utility workers, and invited guests.

The one-year deadline (ARS 12-541)

Most Arizona injury claims run two years. The strict liability dog bite claim runs one. A negligence claim against the same owner carries the two-year window under ARS 12-542, but the strict liability claim is usually the stronger one, and its clock runs out first.

The owner's defenses

There are three. The owner can try to prove you provoked the dog, and the burden is on the owner. Trespassing is the second, and it doesn't apply if you were lawfully on the property. The third covers military and police dogs acting in their official role. If you share some fault, Arizona's pure comparative fault rule under ARS 12-2505 reduces your recovery by your percentage but doesn't eliminate it.

Children

For a child bitten in Phoenix, the limitations period is generally paused until age 18 under ARS 12-502. The evidence isn't paused. Get the bite reported and photographed right away.

Reporting a Bite in Phoenix

Maricopa County Animal Care and Control takes dog bite reports and handles rabies quarantine for Phoenix. That report establishes the incident, identifies the owner, and records whether the dog has bitten before. ARS 11-1025 also requires the owner to give you their contact information. Ask for the dog's vaccination records at the same time.

What We Pull on Every Phoenix Dog Bite Case

We pull the animal control report early, before the dog changes hands or memories fade. We document the wound, the treatment, and follow-up care, including plastic surgery consultations for facial or visible scarring. Photograph the injury right away and again as it heals.

If the bite happened in an apartment complex or an HOA community, we check whether the landlord or HOA knew about a dangerous dog on shared property and failed to act. That's a separate line of liability from the strict claim against the owner.

Most dog bite claims are paid by the owner's homeowner's or renter's insurance. We identify the policy early so the claim goes against the right coverage from the start.

What It Costs

Nothing upfront. We handle every Phoenix dog bite case on contingency. You don't pay us unless we recover. If we take your case and don't win, you owe us nothing for attorney fees.

Call (602) 654-0202 or use the intake form. Hablamos espanol.

All Injury Cases in Phoenix

Dog bites are one part of what we handle from our Phoenix office on 35th Avenue. See the Phoenix injury law overview for car crashes, truck crashes, slip and fall, and wrongful death. For dog bite claims anywhere in Arizona, the Arizona dog bite overview covers statewide law.