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Animal and Dog Bites

The Zanes Law dog bite lawyers located in Tucson and Phoenix know just how devastating a dog bite or animal bite injury can be. In fact, the Arizona Department of Health Services has prepared a report on dog bites in Arizona. Did you know that over your lifetime, you have a 50% chance of being bitten by a domesticated animal – including dogs and other household pets?

If man’s best friend has turned violent, you need the Zanes Law dog bite lawyers in Arizona to represent you on your personal injury claim – helping you cover medical bills, time missed from work and any long-term issues that impact your quality of life.

In Arizona 34,151 emergency room visits were caused by dog bites between 2008 and 2012. That’s a lot of trips to the emergency room. And 2,358 of these dog bite episodes require in-patient hospitalization.

While you might think that most dog bite injuries in Arizona take place while victims are spending time outside, among unfamiliar dogs in their neighborhood, the vast majority of dog bites – more than 70% – actually occurred indoors.

Many dog bites in Arizona are not reported to authorities. And many dog owners try to talk dog bite victims out of seeking professional medical treatment, or letting the physician know what caused the bite. It’s understandable that dog owners want to protect their dogs, but dog bite victims need specialized support and medical attention.

What should I do after a dog bite in Arizona?

If you’ve been attacked by a dog, you need to do everything you can to get yourself to a place of safety. The Arizona Department of Health Services recommends that if an unfamiliar dog approaches you, you should remain motionless. Running or screaming could antagonize the animal. And if you’re trying to pet a dog that is not already familiar with you, first allow the dog to see you, smell you and become more acquainted before reaching out to pet the animal.

During a dog attack, if you are knocked over, roll into a ball and do your best to remain quiet and motionless. Do not establish direct eye-contact with an aggressive animal. This may be difficult to achieve, but the less you react to the animal, the more likely it will lose interest and leave you alone.

Once the dog has stopped attacking you, retreat to safer surroundings. Head to any nearby building or area where other people might be able to assist you in getting help. Call 911 from a place of safety. Wait for the ambulance and carefully follow the medical team’s instructions.

After arriving at the hospital, give yourself time to collect your thoughts and receive the care you need in order to prevent injuries from being compounded. You’ll want to take notes on the entire situation.

In your notes, be sure to include:

  • Where you were when you were attacked.
  • A detailed description of the dog that bit you.
  • Any information you may have on the owners or individuals responsible for the animal that attacked you.
  • The time and date of the attack.
  • The actions and circumstances leading up to the dog bite or animal attack.

After you’ve collected your thoughts and received appropriate medical attention, contact the experienced animal and dog bite attorneys at Zanes Law. For your convenience, we have dog bite attorneys in both our Tucson and Phoenix offices. You should retain legal representation before speaking to the owners of the animal that attacked you. Do not agree to any terms or demands from other parties involved in the incident without first consulting your attorney.

Zanes Law – Animal and Dog Bite Lawyers in Arizona

Zanes Law is an experienced personal injury law firm in Arizona. We have law offices in Phoenix and Tucson. Our personal injury team has recovered over $500 million on behalf of Arizona accident victims – including dog bite and animal attack victims throughout Arizona.

We do not charge up-front fees for our services. We built our family practice around putting our client’s interests first. If we are unable to help you recover the damages you may be legally entitled to under Arizona personal injury law, you’ll never see a bill from us for our services.

Our job starts the moment you pick up the phone or send us a message. We’ll take over the stressful negotiations with insurance companies and those responsible for the animal that attacked you. We’ll gather evidence on your behalf. And we’ll keep you informed on the progress of your personal injury case.

Do not wait to give us a call. In Arizona, dog bite victims have a limited amount of time to file a personal injury claim. And if you sign an agreement with the other side, you may lose the right to go after the full amount you are entitled to under Arizona and US law.

It’s important to have clear, actionable information about your legal rights before deciding your next step in recovering the cost of medical bills, lost time at work and ongoing medical treatment for your injuries. You can trust our dog bite and animal attack personal injury team to give you correct, easy-to-understand information that puts you back in the driver’s seat of your life.