Aurora Dog Bite Lawyer
Dog bites can cause long term injuries with painful effects and extensive medical bills. Our Aurora dog bite lawyers can help you recover the compensation you deserve. Call our law firm today.
At Front Range Injury Attorneys we understand dog bite injury laws in Colorado and how to help victims recover compensation. Dog bites can result in serious injuries with scarring, emotional harm and impair your ability to work. Our Aurora dog bite attorneys can help you go up against a pet owner during insurance negotiations or in a trial if necessary. Contact our lawyers for a free consultation.
Front Range Injury Attorneys is your trusted choice
At Front Range Injury Attorneys we care about helping our clients throughout their cases. We believe clients are best served when our Aurora dog bite lawyers participate in their cases from start to finish. We help our clients get the best treatment for their injuries. By building up your case from the beginning, we build a strong case to get the best results.
No Fee Unless You Win
Our law firm represents clients on a contingency fee basis. That means you don't pay us until we recover on your case.
Expertise with dog bite claims
Our Aurora dog bite attorneys understand your injuries and how to tell your story to the insurance company or a jury.
Communication is important to us
We maintain communication with you through your case. We want you to know what's going on with your case and the work we're doing for you.
Why hire an Aurora dog bite attorney?
In addition to physical injuries, a dog attack can result in substantial mental suffering and emotional misery. You don’t have to navigate the court system on your own during this difficult time. You have the right to retain a dog bite attorney to support your entire recovery, including your emotional, psychological, and financial well-being.
Your attorney can put you in touch with top doctors and surgeons in Aurora, respond to your legal inquiries, keep you informed about your claim, and negotiate on your behalf with an insurance company to get you the most money possible. An Aurora personal injury attorney with Front Range Injury Attorneys can assist you in obtaining the funds required to fully cover your debts and finally make forward.
Compensation for dog bites under Colorado personal injury law
Dog bites can result in severe injuries and have a negative long-term impact on the victim. Depending on the situation, you can be eligible for both economic and non-economic damages if you find yourself in this situation.
Damages that are easily quantified in monetary terms are considered economic damages. The most typical instances include future medical expenditures, lost wages from missing work due to the attack, loss of earning capacity, and, if applicable, compensation for property damage.
If you are entitled to non-economic damages, you may be able to get money back for losses that are more difficult to put into monetary terms. Compensation for pain and suffering, loss of companionship or consortium, grief, sadness, and psychological harm and emotional anguish are among the most typical non-economic damages.
How long do I have to file a dog bite claim in Aurora?
You have a limited amount of time to initiate a civil claim if you were bitten by a dog and think you are entitled to compensation. This window of opportunity in Colorado is two years following the attack. You will forfeit any compensation to which you would have been entitled if your claim had been submitted on time if you miss the deadline. Although two years may seem like a long time, it’s crucial to get in touch with an Aurora dog attack lawyer as soon as possible so they can look into your case and preserve evidence in order to assist you submit your claim on time.
Who is liable for dog bites in Colorado?
If a dog bites another person in Colorado and the attack results in significant physical harm or death, the dog owner may be held accountable as long as the attack took place on public land or while the victim was lawfully on private property. A major physical injury is one that poses a significant risk of death, a significant risk of serious permanent disfigurement, a significant risk of protracted loss or impairment of any body part or organ’s function, or second- or third-degree breaks, fractures, or burns. Strict liability is the term for this situation. It is not necessary to show that the owner was aware of the dog’s history of biting or aggression.
The owner is strictly liable for economic losses, such as medical costs and other costs incurred that are directly related to the bite, even in the absence of proof that the dog has previously bitten someone. You may be eligible to get non-economic damages as well, such as pain and suffering or loss of enjoyment of life, if you can demonstrate that the dog bit someone previously or shown violent behavior that should have alerted the owner that the dog would bite someone.
Negligence
You may bring a negligence-based personal injury claim against the dog owner if you sustain injuries and harm despite not suffering substantial bodily harm as a result of the dog bite. Although you aren’t automatically entitled to compensation, you might be able to get money back if you can show that the owner was careless. You must demonstrate that the owner failed to exercise reasonable restraint on their dog and that an injury resulted in order to establish negligence. Not just dog bites, but any dog injury can result in a claim. For instance, if a dog knocks down a little child and injures them, the owner may be held accountable for their carelessness.
When an owner is not liable
A dog owner might not always be accountable for an injury. If a dog bites you while you are trespassing on someone’s property, the owner is not responsible for your injuries. The owner won’t be held accountable for the bite if the dog was appropriately warned about, was working for the police or military, or if you purposefully agitated or provoked the animal.
Common dog attack injuries
Dog bites can cause severe, even fatal, injuries. Children and the elderly are more vulnerable to being injured, mauled, or killed by aggressive dogs. Dog attacks can leave a victim with lifelong damage or disabilities, or, in the worst scenarios, they might even be fatal.
In Aurora, Colorado, these are a few of the most typical injuries caused by dog attacks:
- Puncture wounds
- Severe bruising
- Lacerations
- Muscle tears
- Avulsion
- Permanent scarring
- Disfigurement
- Facial and eye injuries
- Hand and finger injuries
- Infections and diseases
- Emotional injuries
A severe dog bite can have a crippling financial impact on recovery. These expenses could include things like medical care, physical therapy, and lost earnings. Even though a dog’s owner may be legally liable for any kind of dog bite damage, it could be challenging to get a reasonable compensation from the owner’s insurance provider. You can fight for just compensation in Aurora, Colorado, with the aid of a dog attack attorney.
What are Colorado's dog bite laws?
The owner or possessor of a dog will be strictly accountable for any serious physical harm or death that results from a dog attack, in accordance with Colorado Revised Statute section 13-21-124. Strict liability refers to financial duty without regard to whether the dog owner was careless or not. This means that if a dog attacks you, you can make a claim against the pet’s owner.
The dog’s owner will be liable for paying for any bodily injuries caused by a dog attack as long as you were lawfully on the pet owner’s own property or in a public area, and you weren’t instigating the dog at the time of the assault. A bodily injury is defined by state law as a physical injury that necessitates medical attention, remedial surgery, or cosmetic surgery.
In Colorado, it makes no difference whether a dog’s owner was aware of the dog’s aggressive or dangerous tendencies—the owner is nonetheless responsible for an attack. On the other hand, in a one-bite state, an injured victim must demonstrate that the dog owner knew the dog may attack but negligently failed to stop the dog bite damage while knowing the dog might attack.
What to do after a dog attack in Aurora
If you were involved in a dog bite attack, your first thought is probably not about the compensation you might be entitled to. You likely want to make sure you are healthy, that the dog is healthy, and that you get the appropriate medical attention. However, it’s always a good idea to consider what other steps to take should you find yourself in this position. After a dog bite or injury, consider taking the following steps:
- Obtain the name, address, and phone number of the dog’s owner. If you do not need to be taken to the hospital immediately, this is one of the first things you should do. You need to know this information in order to get the reimbursement to which you are entitled should medical costs arise. You should also ask the owner if their dog has received a current rabies vaccination.
- Speak with witnesses. You should also try to gather the names and contact details of any witnesses to the occurrence. In this manner, if you choose to proceed with a civil lawsuit, your attorney can speak with the witnesses to substantiate what transpired. Unless you know them directly, it’s doubtful that you’ll be able to locate and contact them in the future if you don’t collect their information right away.
- Save video footage. You should get in touch with the people or companies who may have captured the incident if you were in an area with cameras. The tape will probably be deleted if you don’t act promptly since nobody will know it needs to be kept.
- Obtain prompt medical attention. You should always seek medical assistance if a dog bit you. It’s not unusual for dog bites to become infected, and the severity of the wound isn’t always clear right away. Receiving medical care will also benefit you later on, should you want to bring a lawsuit.
- Photograph your injuries. Take pictures of any apparent injuries before having them treated or covered by a medical expert. Take pictures of any damaged items, torn clothing, or other proof of the dog bite, if you have any of that.
- File a report. It’s critical to notify the relevant authority of your injuries following a dog bite. According to Colorado law, all animal bites must be recorded within a day. Regardless of where you or the dog’s owner reside, you must report the bite to the county where it occurred.
Contact our Aurora dog bite lawyer today
The dog bite attorneys in Aurora at Front Range Injury Attorneys are experienced advocates of injury victims in Colorado. When you work with us, you are working with a company that has the resources of a big company but the friendliness of a small company.
Never will your case be given to a secretary or paralegal who is unfamiliar with it. A lawyer is constantly on hand and willing to respond to inquiries concerning your case and give updates. Don’t be afraid to get in touch with us right away for a free consultation if you were the victim of a dog bite incident and have questions or need support. Contact our law office right once if a dog in Aurora has attacked you or a loved one.
