If you, or someone you know, is bitten, it is imperative that you have the bite checked out by a medical provider as soon as possible.  Dogs can be a host to several bacterial and viral infections that you can contract, such as ringworm.  Many dog bite victims suffer permanent scarring and consult with plastic surgeons.  While scarring can be minimized by plastic surgery, most victims are still left with permanent residual scarring.  In addition to physical injuries, many dog bite victims experience emotional trauma, lower self-esteem from visible scarring and a lifetime fear of dogs.

In Arizona, most dog bite attacks are strict liability cases.  The owner of the dog is liable for the dogs actions whether they knew the dog was dangerous or not.  Anytime their dog bites someone they are held liable no matter the situation or circumstances.  The only defense to imposing strict liability is if the dog bite victim provoked the dog into biting.  In other types of injury cases, the victim has to prove negligence in order to receive compensation.

Dog bite claims based on strict liability have a one year statute of limitations.  Subject to several exceptions, a dog bite victim must file a lawsuit within 1 year from the date of loss or his/her strict liability claim may be barred forever.  Claims based on a dog owner’s negligence have a two year statute of limitations.

Dog bite victims are typically compensated for their injuries by the dog owner’s homeowners policy.  If the victim or the parents of the victim are contacted by an insurance carrier, please do not sign any document.  You may be jeopardizing your health and signing away your legal rights.  Since 1996,  Petersen Johnson has successfully handled numerous cases involving dog bite attacks.  Please contact us immediately at (602) 650-1200 so we can compile evidence and maximize your damage recovery.

You may think field devices that test blood alcohol level would reveal that you were not drunk, if you became impaired from low blood sugar while driving. However, these portable breath testing devices (PBTs) can be fooled by the symptoms of hypoglycemia as well. Diabetics and other sufferers of hypoglycemia can experience ketoacidosis, a state that increases the amounts of acetones in the breath. Since PBTs pick on any compound in the methyl group, including acetones, and not just the ethanol of drinking alcohol, this state can cause higher readings on PBTs. It causes the PBT to reflect more than just the alcohol that might have been consumed by the person being tested.

Hypoglycemia can produce the same visual symptoms as drunkenness and can’t be distinguished by field testing; some of the flaws of DUI symptoms are exposed in just this one circumstance.

Contact us at Petersen Johnson, and we’ll find the flaws. We’re on your side.

Here are some tips to avoid these types of accidents:

1. Defensive driving techniques – These tips most often include keeping a sharp eye out for bad drivers or those who are not obeying traffic laws. Early detection is the key to avoidance, and observation helps keep you alert for potential problems.

2. Observe your blind spot – Many truck accidents occur when drivers fail to acknowledge their blind spots. Compensating for this by looking twice before changing lanes or adding a secondary parabolic mirror can help you avoid a collision with a commercial vehicle that could cost you your life.

3. Drive responsibly – chatting on the cell phone, texting or driving aggressively is no way to behave on the road. These behaviors have been proven to contribute to trucking accidents. Eliminating distractions can greatly reduce the chances of a life altering, catastrophic collision.

4. Don’t follow too closely – by staying a safe distance away from other cars you can avoid participating in a wreck or pile-up as your reaction time decreases.

Of course, there is no such thing as a fail-safe. Even careful drivers can get involved in a horrendous truck accident.

Protect yourself and your family.

The dog’s breed is only one factor and doesn’t always mean the dog will be aggressive and prone to biting. You might encounter a dog that has been healthy in the past and free from offensive behavior. However, now the dog has suffered from a health illness such as rabies. Rabies can cause dogs to become disoriented and lash out by biting people. A classic sign of rabies is drooling and foaming of the mouth.

If you are bitten it is imperative that you have your bite checked out at the hospital as soon as possible. Dogs can be a host to several bacterial and viral infections that you can contract such as ring worm. Make sure however, that you remember the type of breed to help a doctor assess the injury and proper treatment. Write down the contact information of the dog’s owner should you need to make a claim later.

The owner is liable for their dog’s actions whether they knew the dog was dangerous or not. Anytime their dog bites someone they are held liable no matter the situation or circumstances.

On the flip side of the coin is to view this from the dog owner’s perspective. Let’s say the dog owner had prior knowledge that their dog may be dangerous or may bite someone. The owner then took protective measures to keep his dog in a secure area. He also had placed “Beware of Dog” signs on his property and has warned others not to approach his dog as the dog may attack. The owner had done all this, but someone didn’t listen or even provoked the dog on purpose.

If the owner has provided these safety precautions they are sometimes not liable due to “contributory negligence”. “Contributory negligence” means that the person who was bitten understood the dangerousness of the animal, but proceeded to place themselves in the dog’s environment anyway. This type of dog bite lawsuit often ends in favor of the dog owner.

If you do file a dog bite lawsuit you can sue for compensation of medical costs incurred,  any permanent scarring, pain and suffering, property damage, and affected wages. A vicious dog bite can leave you unable to work for some time and you need a way to recoup your losses.

Designated Drivers 24/7
This service began last year in attempt to provide a great alternative to a taxi. For $50/month designated drivers 24/7 will pick up the passenger  and drive him home in their very own car. After the passenger and their car are dropped off safely, the Designated Driver gets in the follow car and off they go.

The Drunk Drivers
The Drunk Drivers is  essentially the same concept, but they have a whole fleet of 18 vehicles ready for action. They are a full service 24/7 operation and are proud to take care of the whole valley. Right now the service is only $30 a month, so take advantage of it while it lasts!

Zingo Arizona
The third and final of the alternative transports is Zingo Arizona. This company began in 2007 with the help of Hensley Budweiser. Zingo is also of the same concept as the previous two, but they arrive in a foldable scooter! Once they arrive, the scooter folds up and is placed in the trunk. This service is $25 for a pickup, as well as $3 for ever mile thereafter.

I hope this selection of taxi alternatives helps. Remember, if you have any DUI dispuits contact, Peterson and Johnson.

Do you understand the financial impact of a DUI? It may very well become the most expensive ride of your life.

Consider a First Offense Regular DUI. After all is said and done, you will have spent over $3,000. This includes paying for a minimum of 24 hours in jail, having your license suspended for 30 days (with a 60 day restriction), installing an ignition interlock device for 12 months, and seeing an increase in insurance premiums.

If your blood alcohol content reaches a level higher than .150, you are now considered an Extreme DUI case. The cost of this occurrence is now over $6,000. The fines have now doubled! Not considering the fines, you will also have to spend a minimum of 30 days in jail. That is where the majority of additional costs come from. Unfortunately, the rest of the costs are the same. Not to mention, the insurance premiums will increase that much more.

We strongly advise taking a cab. $20 for a cab ride is much more acceptable when you consider the cost of a first offense DUI at over $3,000. That is 150 cab rides that you can have for one DUI offense. For an extreme DUI, that is 300 cab rides!

Consider your options. Don’t drink and drive.

To make sure your blood alcohol level isn’t over the legal limit, you need to calculate how much you can drink over a certain period of time. You can do this by using a blood alcohol chart. These charts use your weight to determine what your blood alcohol level will be if you have a certain amount of standard drinks. For example, according to these charts, a two hundred pound man would need to drink four drinks to reach a BAC, or blood alcohol level, of .08.

However, you need to take into consideration the time that elapses between those drinks. You can calculate this by subtracting .01 for every forty to sixty minutes of drinking. So if that two hundred pound man had four drinks over a four hour period, theoretically he’d be at .02, not .08.

These charts are to be used only as a guide. There are many factors that could skew the results like a person’s muscle composition and what they’ve had to eat. However, if you’re smart and drink responsibly, using the chart, you should be able to determine how much you can drink over time so that you don’t go over Arizona’s BAC limit and get stopped for drunk driving.

To make matters worse, your car may be totaled, you may not be able to work and you probably have medical bills piling up. No vehicle, absence from work and no money coming in can quickly make even the sanest person feel like going crazy.

If you find yourself in this type of situation, you should call a personal injury lawyer at Petersen Johnson. Your lawyer will be there for you when nobody else will, and he will fight to get you every dime you deserve to help pay for medical bills, vehicle repairs and any other expenses you may have incurred because of your injuries.

It’s a good idea to have a personal injury lawyer’s contact information handy in case you ever need it. Of course nobody thinks about that until they’ve actually been injured. But whether or not you have a lawyer’s number on speed dial, you should always remember to contact an attorney at Petersen Johnson, (602) 650-1200 as soon as you’re injured.

If you wait, you may lose the opportunity to find evidence that will help you win your case. When you contact the lawyer, tell him or her you’ve just been injured and you need some help. The lawyer will walk you through every step.

The personal injury lawyers at Petersen Johnson know of medical personnel they can suggest to you so that you can get a full examination. If you have broken bones, these are going to have to be x-rayed.

You need a full checkup from a doctor because you may not know the extent of your injuries for some time after the accident. This is because of the adrenaline pumping through your body that masks any pain you should be feeling. These doctors will assess your injuries and will then submit a report that will be used as documentation for your personal injury case. Sometimes the doctor will even be called to the stand, if the case goes to trial.

A lawyer can suggest a doctor to you to ensure proper care for your injuries.  The lawyer will then compile your medical information in order to build a rock solid case. If the case is solid enough, the case may never see a courtroom. That’s because insurance companies often like to settle; especially if they feel as though they don’t stand a chance of winning against you and your lawyer.

Hiring a personal injury lawyer at Petersen Johnson isn’t something you do to become rich; the goal is to obtain proper compensation for your injuries.  The money you get can be used to pay off all that debt that’s been piling up since your accident.

Don’t suffer through your injuries alone. Instead, call Petersen Johnson, which will fight for you every step of the way so that you can win your case and get every dime you’re entitled to.

Be Aware
When you were a kid, you probably rode your bike without a care in the world. You’d jump over curbs, ride through leaf piles and you probably even tried to do tricks in the middle of the street. As an adult, however, even if you don’t do these things, you need to mindful of your surroundings. You need to be aware. Children are typically not aware as adults and that’s why they can often be subjected to danger without even knowing it. Make sure you know how traffic is flowing, how much traffic there is, be mindful of driveways where cars may be backing out from, and make sure you watch the road for hazards. Being aware of your surroundings will do a lot to help you prevent becoming a victim of a bicycle accident.

Bike Inspection
When is the last time you had your bike inspected? When did you last check the bolts, the brakes or the tires? These must be checked every time you ride. A loose bolt could cause the handlebars to come loose, which could send you flying off the bike. Loose brakes will make it difficult to stop, which could be really dangerous if you’re riding up to a busy intersection, and loose or flat tires can also pose a great danger. If you don’t know the first thing about repairing or maintaining bicycles, take your bike to a professional. You will have to pay for the inspection but that’s better than riding around with a defective bike that could potentially cause a bicycle accident.

Children
Children don’t really understand the concept of oncoming traffic or of the term “right of way.” That’s why you need to keep an eye out for them. Make sure they pay attention to what they’re doing so they can remain safe while enjoying their bike ride.

When you’re riding a bike, make sure you keep a keen eye out for any danger, make sure your bike is in tip top shape and make sure you watch out for your children. As long as you do all of these things, you will be able to enjoy your bike without risking a bicycle accident.

Contact a Personal Injury Attorney
Any time you are involved in a bicycle accident that involves a moving vehicle, you should contact an attorney. Petersen Johnson offers free consultations, so don’t accidentally waive your rights or the compensation that is due you if you or your child is involved in an accident while riding a bicycle.

Cars are very useful for getting us where we need to go, but they’re also two thousand plus pound machines. A person wouldn’t stand a chance if they were hit by one of these cars. Every person should know and realize this. Yet it never fails; there’s always that person who rushes across the street without a care as cars honk and swerve to avoid hitting him. Most of the time these people are just in a hurry and they never consider that they could be hit by a car. Everyone thinks that a traffic accident is going to happen to someone else. But if you don’t watch where you’re going, you are going to be the subject of the next early morning news story involving a pedestrian and a fast moving car.

Watch Your Surroundings
No matter where you’re walking to, and even if you’re just walking along the sidewalk, always be aware of your surroundings. Be mindful of where traffic is, which direction it’s traveling and make sure you position yourself so that you’re seen by these drivers. If you’re going to cross the street, look both ways before you cross at an intersection.  Never “jaywalk”! Never take chances! It’s better to be late going somewhere than to not arrive at all. As long as you keep a keen eye for any traffic and you’re watchful of where you step, you’ll have a much better chance of reaching your destination.

Right of Way
While it’s true that pedestrians have the right of way when crossing a roadway in a marked crosswalk, when it comes to traffic, you should never rely on this fact. Never assume that a car is going to stop to let you pass in front of them. Remain cautious at all times when dealing with a vehicle when you’re on foot. It’s better to let the car go by, even if you have to wait a few seconds longer.

Remain Visible
If you’re a pedestrian dealing with traffic at night, make sure you wear reflective or bright clothing so that drivers always know you’re there. If it’s daytime, make sure you walk towards traffic so that you see them and they see you. Never wear black at night while dealing with traffic, and never cross a street unless the drivers know you’re there. As long as they know you’re there, you have a better chance of reaching the other side of the street in one piece, which is the goal of every pedestrian exercising caution in traffic.

Use the crosswalk!

The Petersen Johnson law firm offers free consultations, so don’t accidentally waive your rights or the compensation that is due you if you are involved in an accident with a moving vehicle while walking.