Izzy Yetnikoff, an attorney at Yetnikoff Law Offices, PLLC, has extensive knowledge on dog bite and animal attack cases. If you’ve been in an accident resulting in injury from a dog bite or animal attack, call Izzy Yetnikoff at Yetnikoff Law Offices, PLLC. When you’ve had a dog for a while, or have raised them from puppyhood, you’re usually confident that you know their personality inside and out. But no matter how well you know your dog and how much you trust him or her, a dog can still surprise you.

Dog bites, while unfortunate, happen frequently. While owners often don’t suspect that their dog could bite someone, it’s still helpful to be aware of the state’s bite laws just in case.

Arizona’s Dog Bite Law

Arizona is a “strict liability” state. This means that regardless of whether your dog has bitten before, or whether you knew your dog was aggressive, you are likely liable for any injuries caused by your dog. You don’t even need to be present when your dog bites someone to be liable for the injuries. The victim simply needs to prove that their injuries were caused by the dog bite.

What Happens if I Get Sued for a dog bite?

Regardless of Arizona’s tough dog bite laws, dog owners still have defenses if their dog injures someone. If someone files a suit against you, ask yourself these questions:

1. Were they invited onto your property? If the person who was bitten was trespassing on your property, you may have a defense to the dog bite.
2. Did they provoke your dog? If you can show that the person who was bitten provoked your dog, you may not be liable for all their injuries.
3. When did the incident happen? In Arizona, a dog bite victim has 2 years to take legal action against the dog owner. After one year, they won’t be able to use “strict liability” claims.

Izzy Yetnikoff at Yetnikoff Law Offices, PLLC, has extensive knowledge on dog bite and animal attack cases. If your dog has bitten someone, the best thing to do is to call an experienced personal injury attorney to advise you. The attorneys at Yetnikoff Law Offices, PLLC can help. Call us at 800-279-6331 or visit us online for more information.