Scottsdale Dog Bite Attorney

Dogs are widely regarded as man’s best friend, and many people living in the Scottsdale area routinely have positive interactions with dogs. However, it is important to know what you can do to recover if someone else’s dog bites or otherwise injures you. Any dog is capable of inflicting tremendous injuries unexpectedly, even if they have no known history of previous attacks. If you or a loved one suffers any injury from a dog attack, you need to have legal counsel you can trust to help you recover as fully as possible.

Luis P. Guerra, LLC, can provide the comprehensive legal counsel you need in this situation. You could be entitled to claim more compensation than you may immediately realize, and having the right legal team on your side can make it much easier for you to recover as fully as Arizona law allows. Our firm can provide ongoing support through all phases of your case and help you uncover every channel of recovery available to you after a dog attack.

You are not required by law to hire an attorney for a dog bite claim, and you have every right to attempt your recovery on your own. However, you must acknowledge the risks you would face in doing so. You could make mistakes in the early stages of your case that jeopardize your ability to claim compensation from the defendant. You could overlook key pieces of evidence or encounter challenges to your case to which you have no idea how to respond properly. If you managed to succeed, you could unintentionally accept a lower settlement than you legally deserve and have no way to reopen the case and recover the remainder of your claimable damages.

One of the most important advantages of hiring a Scottsdale dog bite attorney to help with your case is the ability to rest and recover with peace of mind while your attorney handles your case on your behalf. Instead of contending with complex court filing issues while also undergoing medical treatment, you can focus on recovery while your attorney manages your legal proceedings.

Your attorney not only makes it easier for you to manage the complex legal issues of your case, but they can also increase the likelihood of you maximizing your total compensation. Your attorney will know how to uncover all avenues of compensation available to you for your immediate and future damages, and they will know how to maximize your compensation for the pain and suffering you experienced.

Do not make the mistake of assuming it would cost more to hire an attorney than you could win from your case. Luis P. Guerra, LLC, can represent your case on a contingency fee basis, meaning you will only pay an attorney’s fee if we win compensation on your behalf. Additionally, the fee is a percentage of the total amount recovered, and you pay nothing if we are unable to secure compensation for your damages for any reason. This eliminates the risk of facing legal fees that exceed your claimable damages and allows you to approach your case with confidence and peace of mind.

Proving fault is the first challenge you will face in any personal injury claim in Scottsdale. Luckily, in dog bite cases, this is relatively straightforward. Arizona enforces a strict liability rule for dog attacks. This means that if a dog bites or otherwise injures another person, the owner of the dog is strictly liable for all damages the pet inflicted on the victim. This rule applies regardless of whether the dog has any known history of prior aggression. However, if the dog was previously designated as potentially dangerous, the owner could face criminal charges if they failed to uphold their responsibilities under this designation.

Strict liability applies as long as the victim did not provoke the attack and as long as the victim was legally present wherever the attack occurred. If the victim was trespassing on private property when they were attacked by the property owner’s dog, strict liability would not apply, and the victim would not have grounds for a claim against the property owner because they did not have permission to be there. Similarly, the victim would not have grounds for a claim against the dog owner if they attacked the dog or its owner and the dog acted in self-defense or in defense of its owner.

Your Scottsdale dog bite attorney can help you establish liability for your dog attack. This may entail gathering evidence from the scene of the incident as well as testimony from any witnesses who saw the attack take place. Once you have proven strict liability for your dog attack, you can proceed with claiming compensation for your damages.

Another of the important advantages of hiring a Scottsdale dog bite attorney to represent your case is the fact that they will know how to maximize your total compensation. While you may have a grasp of immediately recognizable damages like hospital bills, you could overlook the future damages you have the right to claim from the defendant. Under Arizona’s personal injury laws, you have the right to seek compensation for:

• Medical expenses. The owner of the dog that attacked you is liable for all of the medical treatment costs you incur from the incident. This includes both immediate and future damages if your injuries will need ongoing rehabilitative care. Dog attacks may entail not only injuries from bites but also additional injuries from being knocked to the ground. Many dog attack victims in Scottsdale suffer head injuries and broken bones, some of which may entail extensive recovery time.
• Lost income. When your injuries prevent you from working, the defendant is liable for the income you are unable to earn as you recover. Your Scottsdale dog bite attorney can help you hold the dog owner accountable for lost income as well as lost future earning capacity if you are left permanently disabled in any way that inhibits your ability to work and earn income in the future.
• Property damage. If the dog attack also resulted in the loss of your personal property, the defendant is liable for all associated repair or replacement costs.
• Pain and suffering. Under the state’s personal injury laws, the defendant is not only responsible for the direct financial losses they inflicted on a plaintiff but also the pain and suffering they caused. State law does not impose any caps or limitations on the amount of pain and suffering a plaintiff may claim. Your Scottsdale dog bite attorney can help you determine a suitable figure that represents the severity of your injury and any long-term damages you face because of it. If you suffered any permanent harm from the dog attack, your pain and suffering compensation could amount to more than the total of your economic damages.

It is also possible for punitive damages to come into play. If the defendant was required to take specific steps to prevent a known dangerous dog from attacking and failed to do so, this could apply to your case. Ultimately, you could be entitled to claim more compensation than you might expect, and working with a seasoned Scottsdale dog bite attorney is the optimal way to unlock the full potential of your case.

To succeed with your personal injury claim for a dog attack in Scottsdale, you must file your claim within the two-year statute of limitations. This time limit starts on the date your injury occurred, and while two years may seem like more than enough time, you must account for the time it will take to gather all of the evidence you will require. It is generally advisable for the victim of a dog attack or any other personal injury to consult an experienced attorney as soon as possible to start building their case right away.

Luis P. Guerra, LLC, can provide compassionate and responsive legal counsel through every stage of your recovery efforts. Our team has successfully represented many past clients in all types of personal injury cases, including dog bite claims, and we know the various legal challenges you might encounter as you seek accountability and compensation for your damages. We can help you develop a completely individualized legal strategy that aims for maximum compensation. Our team typically strives to settle our clients’ cases quickly to shorten the time it takes them to receive compensation for their damages, but if your case needs to go to trial, you can rely on us to represent you through all of your courtroom proceedings.

You have a limited time in which to file your personal injury claim for a dog attack in Scottsdale, and the sooner you reach out to legal counsel, the sooner you can start working toward your recovery. Contact Luis P. Guerra, LLC, today and schedule your free consultation with a Scottsdale dog bite attorney you can trust with your case.