Dog Bites
Dog Bites
A dog bite attack is a deeply traumatic experience. According to the Center for Disease Control, there are around 4.5 million dog bites per year in the United States. Roughly 1 in 5 of these requires medical attention and most dog bites are done by dogs who have not been spayed or neutered.
Expert Lawyer
There are several scenarios that can provoke a dogs to bite a human, including:
- Stressful situations.
- Feeling scared or threatened.
- Feeling the need to protect themselves, their owners, or their puppies.
- Past abuse.
Frequently Asked Questions
Generally if you are bitten by a dog, the owner of the dog or their applicable homeowners’ insurance policy is responsible for your injuries and damages. In some cases, the owner of the property where you were bitten could also be responsible. For this reason it should be reported to the police or animal control so that the appropriate responsible parties can be identified.
Yes. There is no “one-bite” rule in Colorado. In Colorado, even if the dog had never bitten a person previously, the dog owner can be held liable depending on the circumstances.
Yes. Of course you must be able to identify the owner of the dog. If you were bitten by a stray dog or the dog runs away and cannot be found, then you most likely will be unable to pursue the claim. Once the owner is identified then the same rules regarding responsibility apply.
Yes, but keep in mind what you were doing on the person’s property will affect your rights. If you were a trespasser then you will have very different rights than if you were someone’s invited guest. It can be quite complicated determining how the law classifies a person while on the property of another, as such, it is a good idea to speak to a qualified lawyer about any potential case.