Top rated legal representation for victims of dog attacks
Our compassionate dog attack lawyers will support you through the claims process, ensuring you receive the best compensation possible
Support for the full and fair compensation of your injury.
Suffering a dog bite can be a highly traumatic experience, both emotionally and physically. If you or a loved one has been injured in a dog attack, it’s important to seek the support of an experienced legal team.
You may be asking yourself if you are entitled to compensation – and if so, what it may cover. We are here to answer your questions and make the claims process as painless as possible.
Receive Fair Compensation
Colorado imposes strict liability for dog attacks, making the owner of a dog legally liable to the victim. However, because this law only provides compensation for financial loss, you may need to seek the support of an experienced dog bite attorney to receive the full and fair compensation.
We Are On Your Side
Our skilled and conscientious team is highly experienced in Colorado dog bite liability laws. If you partner with us in a dog attack lawsuit, we will support you every step of the way through the claims process.
Our dog bite injury lawyers serve the Denver area, Boulder, Colorado Springs, Fort Collins, and throughout Colorado.
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Why Choose Bowman Law
Working with Bowman Law makes an overwhelming experience feel manageable so you can focus on getting well.
Compassionate
Dog bites can be highly traumatizing. Our team understands how difficult this experience can be, and will handle your case with the care and attention it deserves.
Personal Attention
Our experienced dog bite attorneys provide personalized guidance and support to each of our clients. We will support you every step of the way through the recovery process.
Experienced
Bowman Law has deep experience helping victims of dog attacks receive the compensation they deserve. We know Colorado dog bite law in and out.
Top Rated
We are Colorado’s top rated personal injury lawyers. The Colorado Trial Lawyers Association awarded Bowman Law Trial Lawyer of the Year in 2021.
Unsure who is liable for a dog bite?
Our team is available to answer your questions and support you through this difficult time.
When you make a dog bite claim, the property owner may argue that you bear some responsibility for the attack (for instance, if you were trespassing on the owner’s property). This is where Colorado’s “modified comparative fault” rule comes into play.
If the property owner can establish that you were partially responsible for the attack, your financial settlement may be reduced. In this case, retaining an experienced personal injury is your best bet for reaching a fair settlement.
Causes of Dog Bite Attacks and Injury
Dogs are naturally territorial by nature, and certain triggers can provoke a dog to bite in a stressful situation. In some cases, a dog’s owner is negligent in allowing an untrained or highly aggressive dog to attack an unsuspecting pedestrian. In other cases, the victim may have intentionally or unintentionally done something to provoke the dog. These are some common causes of dog bite attacks:
Irritating A Dog While It Is Eating, Playing, Or Chewing
A dog can snap into a defensive mode when guarding its territory – be that a toy, a bone, or food. When a dog bites to protect valuables, this is known as “resource guarding behavior.”
Touching Or Trying To Move A Dog Against Its Will
When a dog snaps or bites when being touched or handled, the dog might be fearful of someone intruding in its space. A dog that is in pain or injured may also bite, which is why it’s important to check in with the dog’s owner before touching or handling a dog.
Leaving Children With Dogs Unsupervised
According to the CDC, dogs bite 4.5 million people annually, and half of those victims are children. The vast majority of these attacks on children either occur at home or involve a dog familiar to the family. For this reason, the ASPCA recommends never leaving an infant or small child alone with a dog.
Attempting To Break Up A Dog Fight
Attempting to break up a dog fight can be highly risky, given the aroused state the dog is in. However, because dog fights can be deadly or cause serious harm, dog owners have been known to spring into action to defend a beloved family pet.
Trying To Protect Another Person From A Dog Bite
Whether you are protecting a family member, or being a good samaritan when a passerby is attacked by a dog, it is possible to become seriously injured when intervening in a dog attack.
Mistreating Or Abusing A Dog
A dog may bite when threatened or scared. In Colorado strict liability laws do not apply to people who have mistreated or abused a dog, triggering the dog to bite to defend itself.
Types of Dog Attack Injuries
Dog bite injuries can be both physically and emotionally debilitating, and may require extensive medical care. Some victims with serious injuries face a long recovery or even a permanent disability.
Broken Bones After a Dog Attack?
Bowman Law is Here to Get You Justice.
Depending on the type and severity of the break, a victim of a dog bite may require casting, surgery, and physical therapy to achieve a full recovery. Recovery times – and the compensation you are entitled to – will vary based on the type and severity of the injury.
Lacerations
Let Bowman Law Navigate The Process For You
Dog attacks often result in lacerations. Because dog bites must cause serious bodily harm to receive compensation in Colorado, experienced dog bite injury lawyers can assist you in determining if a claim is warranted.
Note that cuts and lacerations from a dog attack can lead to Capnocytophaga, a blood poisoning by bacteria found in dog saliva. This can cause sepsis, which is potentially life threatening.
Soft Tissue Injury
Bowman Law Knows How to Handle It
Soft tissue injuries involve damage to the ligaments, tendons, and/or muscle in the body. While some of these injuries may heal on their own, others may result in long-term limited mobility. An effective dog bite attorney can help you gain fair compensation for this type of injury.
Eye Injury
We Will Work Tirelessly to Get You Justice.
The eye is highly susceptible to injury, and an eye injury can seriously impair your life and ability to work. If your eye was injured with a dog bite, you should seek immediate medical attention.
Those who have had a splenectomy, have a weakened immune system, or are suffering from a chronic disease such as alcoholism or COPD are at higher risk of developing sepsis, a reaction to bacterium found in dog saliva.
Head Injury
The Lawyers at Bowman Law Will Take Care of it For You.
In addition to being stressful and disruptive, dog bites to the head can sometimes cause disfiguring facial injuries and may require reconstructive surgery in severe cases.
If you have been the victim of a serious injury due to a dog attack, an experienced personal injury lawyer can help you receive full and fair compensation.
Brain Injury
Bowman Law Has the Focus to Get You the Right Compensation.
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a sudden injury that causes damage to the brain and may occur when there is a blow to the head. If a dog attack knocks a victim over or bit the victim’s head, this could result in a traumatic brain injury.
Spinal Cord Injury, Paralysis, And Amputation
We Fight for Justice.
In rare cases, a dog attack can result in severe injuries to the spinal cord and limbs. When nerves in the limbs or extremities are damaged, victims may lose mobility in those areas. While many injuries can be healed through physical therapy and other interventions, severe cases may result in paralysis and amputation.
What Damages Can be Recovered in Dog Bite Attacks and Injuries?
Under Colorado’s strict liability law, a dog’s owner is responsible for economic losses when a bite causes a serious injury (as opposed to minor injuries like scrapes and bruises). The victim does not need to prove that the owner was negligent in training or supervising their dog.
To receive compensation for non-monetary factors such as pain and suffering under Colorado dog bite law, the standard of proof is higher. These additional damages can only be awarded only if the victim can meet the proof requirements of a “one bite state” or the doctrine of negligence.
Because of the complexity of the law in Colorado, people who have suffered serious injury by a dog bite are advised to consult with an experienced dog bite injury attorney.
Dog Bite Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. If you were bitten by a dog in a public place or while lawfully on someone’s private property, in most cases you are entitled to compensation. Colorado imposes statutory strict liability for dog attacks, making the owner of a dog legally liable to the victim of a dog attack.
There are some exceptions to the Colorado liability law. If the victim was a trespasser, committed a crime against the owner of the dog, or physically abused the dog, the dog bite liability law would not apply. Other exceptions include veterinarians or canine professions who were injured on the job, or a dog that was assisting the police or the military when the accident occurred.
Not sure if you are entitled to compensation? Reach out to a member of our team, and we will examine the details of your case and provide you with expert legal advice.
While your first priority should be taking care of yourself, and seeking medical care where necessary, dog bite victims should seek the counsel of a trusted attorney as soon as possible. This will give your legal team ample time to gather evidence needed to ensure that you receive the full compensation that you are entitled to.
The one bite rule holds a dog’s owner liable if he or she knew that the animal might act in a dangerous or harmful way. Conversely, the rule allows a dog owner to assume their dog isn’t dangerous until the dog displays aggressive behavior toward a person or other dog.
Colorado’s revised dog bite statute (C.R.S. 13-21-124) allows for exceptions to the one bite rule. If a dog bite causes serious bodily harm, a dog owner could be held liable for economic damages even if there is no evidence the dog has bitten or attacked anyone before.
In addition to the physical injuries dog bites can cause, victims may also commonly feel anxiety, depression and other forms of psychological suffering.
Under Colorado’s strict liability law, the victim is entitled to compensation for financial losses suffered as a result of a dog bite. If a victim is able to prove that the dog has attacked someone before or violated dog control laws (like letting a dog run free), it is possible to recover both monetary and non-monetary damages, which may include pain and suffering.
With the guidance and support of an experienced attorney, you can ensure that you or your loved one will receive full and fair compensation for the losses suffered as a result of a dog bite.
Colorado Dog Bite Statutes
Like many other states, Colorado has a “Dog Bite” law. Under C.R.S. 13-21-124, a person who suffers serious bodily injury or death from being bitten by a dog while lawfully on public or private property shall be entitled to bring a civil action to recover economic damages against the dog owner regardless of the viciousness or dangerous propensities of the dog or the dog owner’s knowledge of the dog’s vicious or dangerous propensities.