One year. Not two. That is the deadline on an Arizona strict liability dog bite claim, and it is the single most expensive thing people get wrong after a bite in Maricopa County.
Most injury claims in Arizona run on a two-year clock under A.R.S. § 12-542. Dog bites are the exception. Because the strict liability claim is created by statute rather than common law, it falls under A.R.S. § 12-541(5), which gives you one year from the date of the bite. Miss it and the strict liability route closes, even though the negligence route may still be open.
What strict liability actually means in Arizona
Under A.R.S. § 11-1025, a dog owner is liable for a bite that happens in a public place or while the victim is lawfully in a private place, regardless of whether the dog had ever bitten anyone before. Arizona has no free first bite. You do not have to prove the owner was careless or that the dog had a history.
That is a genuinely favourable rule for injured people, and it is exactly why the one-year deadline matters so much. The easier claim is the one that expires first.
Reporting the bite in Maricopa County
Maricopa County Animal Care and Control handles bite reports for most of the county, and physicians and veterinarians are required to report bites they treat. Call it in as soon as you can, and ask for the report number.
A reported bite creates three things a claim needs: an official record with a date, a quarantine and rabies observation on the animal, and an identified owner. Bites that never get reported turn into arguments about whether the dog was even the right dog.
Get the owner’s name, address and phone number at the scene if you safely can, plus the name of their homeowner or renter insurer if they will give it. If the dog was loose and you never find the owner, the report is often the only path to identifying them later.
What the claim is usually paid from
This is the part people are most relieved to hear. Dog bite claims are typically paid by the owner’s homeowner or renter liability coverage, not out of their personal savings. Most policies carry between $100,000 and $300,000 of liability coverage, though some exclude specific breeds.
That matters because the objection we hear most is not about money. It is some version of “I do not want to do this to my neighbour.” Understanding that a claim usually runs through an insurance policy changes how that decision feels.
Children, scarring, and why those cases are different
Children are bitten on the face and head far more often than adults, simply because of height. Those cases involve scarring, and scarring cases need a different kind of documentation: photographs at intervals as the wound heals, and often a plastic surgery consultation about future revision.
Settlements involving a minor also require court approval in Arizona, which adds time to the process and protects the child’s share.
What to do in the first week
Get medical care and follow through on it, including any wound checks. Report the bite and note the report number. Photograph the injury the same day and again as it heals. Write down the names of anyone who saw it. Then talk to a lawyer well inside that one-year window, because the strict liability claim will not wait for you.
If you were hurt in Arizona, talk to us before you talk to the insurance adjuster. The case review is free and there is no obligation. Call (480) 937-2116
