A dog bite can be one of the most unexpected and traumatic experiences a person goes through. Whether it’s a minor nip or a serious attack, the emotional and physical toll can last long after the wound heals. If you or your child was bitten, scratched, or attacked by a dog in Pima County, it’s time to speak with a Tucson dog bite lawyer who knows how to protect your rights.
At Big Chad Law, we’ve handled countless cases involving vicious dog attacks, negligent pet owners, and irresponsible property managers. You don’t need to figure this out alone. Let our best personal injury lawyers in Arizona help you pursue the compensation you deserve.
What Should You Do Immediately After a Dog Bite in Tucson?
Dog attacks are frightening, but your response can shape your recovery—both medically and legally. If you’ve been bitten:
Seek medical care right away. Even small bites can cause serious infections or nerve damage.
Identify the dog and its owner. Get names, addresses, and vaccination records.
Document the injury. Take photos of your wounds, the location, and the dog if possible.
Call your Arizona law man. A local attorney can preserve your claim, gather evidence, and advise your next steps.
Our firm takes immediate action once you contact us. We’ll notify the right authorities, collect statements, and begin building a case against the liable party.
Do Dog Owners Have to Be Proven Negligent in Tucson?
Not in most cases. Under Arizona’s strict liability statute, dog owners are automatically held responsible when their pet bites someone—regardless of the animal’s past behavior.
This means you don’t have to prove that the dog had bitten before, or that the owner knew it was dangerous. If the bite happened in a public place—or on private property where you were lawfully present—the owner is liable.
This legal protection exists to simplify the process for injured victims. With our top Tucson lawyer handling your claim, we’ll use Arizona’s liability laws to seek full compensation, even if the attack was the first time the dog showed aggression.
What Injuries Are Common in Dog Bite Cases?
Dog attacks are more than just puncture wounds. Many victims, especially children, experience multiple forms of trauma, such as:
Deep lacerations requiring stitches or plastic surgery
Secondary injuries from trying to escape or defend themselves
A skilled Tucson dog bite lawyer will work with doctors and mental health experts to assess both the visible and invisible impact of your injuries.
What Compensation Can You Recover After a Dog Attack?
If a negligent dog owner caused your suffering, you shouldn’t bear the financial burden. At Big Chad Law, we’ve helped dog bite victims recover damages for:
Emergency room care and hospitalization
Surgery or wound treatment
Physical and occupational therapy
Psychological counseling
Lost income or work time
Pain and suffering
Scarring or disfigurement
Long-term disability or trauma
Loss of quality of life
Every case is different. Let our best Arizona lawyer evaluate your damages and fight for a settlement that reflects the full impact of your injury.
How Long Do You Have to File a Dog Bite Lawsuit in Tucson?
Under Arizona law, you generally have two years from the date of the bite to file a personal injury claim. However, if your case involves a government-owned property (like a park or public housing), that timeline can shrink to as little as 180 days.
Don’t wait. Contact your Arizona law man today to preserve your right to file and ensure crucial evidence is not lost over time.
What Makes Big Chad Law Different in Dog Bite Cases?
Dog bite claims require more than paperwork. They require real understanding—of the injuries, the emotional aftermath, and the legal tools to hold the right people accountable.
Local Experience: We’ve handled dog bite claims all across Tucson, from Armory Park to Rita Ranch.
Thorough Investigation: We’ll track down veterinary records, incident reports, surveillance footage, and eyewitness accounts.
Aggressive Representation: Insurance companies don’t intimidate us. We’re ready to take your case to trial if needed.
Personalized Attention: When you work with us, you’re not a file—you’re family. We call back. We listen. We care.
Trusted Across Arizona: Our track record speaks for itself. People know that when you need legal firepower, you call our best personal injury lawyers in Arizona.
Whether the attack happened at a friend’s house, a neighbor’s yard, or a dog-friendly park in Tucson, you have rights. And we’ll help you defend them.
Call a Tucson Dog Bite Lawyer for a Free Consultation
You didn’t ask for this. But you do have a choice in how you respond. Let Big Chad Law help you turn a painful moment into a path forward—with justice, accountability, and the financial support you need to recover.
Call (602) 560-5820 or reach out online today. Your case review with a Tucson dog bite lawyer is 100% free, confidential, and pressure-free.
FAQs
Yes. A lawyer can help you prove liability, gather medical evidence, negotiate with insurers, and increase your settlement amount significantly.
Absolutely. Arizona law protects minors, and you can file a claim on their behalf. The case may also involve punitive damages if negligence is extreme.
You may be able to hold both the dog’s owner and the property owner responsible, depending on the circumstances. A lawyer will investigate who had a duty to keep you safe.
Not necessarily. That’s determined by Pima Animal Care Center after evaluating the severity of the attack and the dog’s history.
Arizona applies comparative fault rules. If you provoked the dog, your compensation may be reduced—but you can still recover damages.
Call PACC at 520-724-5900 (ext. 4) to report the bite. By law, a biting dog that breaks the skin must be quarantined for 10 days (often at home if rabies-vaccinated) for rabies observation. Big Chad Law can open the report and pull the file for your claim.
Strict liability applies. If you were in public or lawfully on private property, the owner is liable for a bite—even with no prior aggression. Owners may raise provocation as a defense, judged by a reasonable-person standard. We document lawful presence and defeat provocation claims.
Arizona has two pathways:
Statutory strict-liability claim: often treated as 1 year because it’s “liability created by statute.” (A.R.S. §12-541).
Negligence claim: 2 years (A.R.S. §12-542). If a public entity/employee may be at fault (e.g., city park, government worker), you must serve a Notice of Claim within 180 days and file suit within 1 year. (A.R.S. §§12-821.01 & 12-821). Big Chad Law files the right claims and calendars every clock from day one.
Usually the owner’s homeowners or renters liability insurance. These policies typically cover dog-bite liability up to policy limits (often $100k–$300k). If limits are low or there’s an exclusion, we look for umbrella coverage and other responsible parties.
No general caps. Arizona’s Constitution forbids laws limiting damages for injury or death. Punitive damages can be available against private defendants in egregious cases, but not against public entities or employees acting within scope. We build the record to maximize your recovery.
The aftermath of a personal injury is overwhelming and confusing, especially when navigating legal processes and obtaining fair compensation for your damages.
