Three people were injured after they were attacked by two pit bulls on a Phoenix street. According to AZFamily.com, the dog attack occurred near Union Hills Drive and 22nd Avenue in Phoenix. The two pit bulls first attacked a small dog, then the dog’s 49-year-old male owner and owner’s son, and then went after a 63-year-old man about half a mile away. All three people were hospitalized for bite injuries. It is unclear who owned the dogs. Police are looking for the owner or owners of the dogs, which were running loose in the neighborhood. The small dog that was attacked had to be put down due to the seriousness of its injuries.
Arizona has a strict liability statute when it comes to dog attacks. This means that dog owners, whose pets cause injuries, will be held financially liable for those injuries, unless the attack was provoked in some way or the injured party was trespassing on the dog owner’s property. Under Arizona Statute 11-1025: “The owner of a dog which bites a person when the person is in or on a public place or lawfully in or on a private place…is liable for damages suffered by the person bitten, regardless of the former viciousness of the dog.”
In cases where the dog’s owner is not found, the injured victim may still pursue compensation by filing a claim with his or her own insurance policy. Whether the dog owner is found or not, injured victims of Arizona dog bites would be well advised to speak with an experienced personal injury attorney to ensure that their rights are protected.
The knowledgeable Phoenix dog bite attorneys at Breyer Law Offices P.C. have an excellent track record of holding negligent dog owners accountable and obtaining fair compensation for victims. In such cases, injured victims can seek compensation for medical expenses, loss of earnings, cosmetic surgery and emotional distress. Call us today at 602-978-6400 to find out how we can help.
