UNDERSTANDING COLORADO'S DOG BITE LAWS

Dog bites are an unfortunate reality. More than 5 million Americans each year are bitten by dogs. A portion of these incidents are directly caused by an owner who did not use good judgment to protect the other members of the community. 

Colorado has laws to help protect victims from owners who endanger others. Victims of dog bites must deal with both physical and emotional trauma. A serious dog bite can make a victim afraid of dogs for the rest of their life, in addition to disfigurement, maiming, permanent, severe scarring, and other trauma. 

When a dog acts aggressively towards other members of the community, the owner of the dog knows that his or her pet may be dangerous. It demonstrates poor judgment if the owner lets his dog get in positions that may be hazardous to others. If a dog has been known to be aggressive before, the owner is responsible for any damage if the dog bites or injures someone else. 

If you have been the victim of a serious dog bite, you are entitled to compensation from the dog's owner. This compensation is paid by either the owner himself or his insurance company. While the emotional trauma caused by a bite is not simply repaired by money, we do know not having to worry about how you will pay your new medical bills will be a relief. Besides medical bills, compensation may also cover emotional damage, lost wages, and other costs. Please contact our Durango, Colorado law office by phone or by email for your free consultation where we can discuss some of the elements of a case, such as the dog's history, if the owner's carelessness caused the injury, whether or not the owner was obeying local leash laws, as well as if you were trespassing on the property — resulting in the attack. 

These are just a few of the many factors that will be evaluated in your dog bite case. These sorts of personal injury cases often get quite complex.