In Colorado, the law holds pet owners legally responsible for injuries caused by their dogs, in most cases. If you or a loved one has been bitten by a dog in Aurora, you may be entitled to financial compensation. Discussing your legal options with an attorney at Manning Law can help you start the road to recovery. Our team of Aurora dog bite injury lawyers can explain your rights and help you seek compensation for a serious dog bite injury. We are compassionate and caring personal injury lawyers who have litigated thousands of cases in Colorado.
If you get bitten or attacked by a dog in Aurora, it is important to know exactly what to do to protect yourself physically and financially. If you can, take the following steps:
Do not wait to contact a dog bite injury attorney in Aurora about a potential lawsuit. The law in Colorado gives you no more than two years to file a dog bite injury claim.
Colorado Revised Statute 13-21-124 grants victims of dog attacks the right to bring civil actions against dog owners for serious bodily injuries or deaths that occur from being bitten by a dog while the victim was lawfully on public or private property, regardless of the viciousness or dangerous propensities of the dog and the owner’s knowledge of these traits (or lack thereof). This is a strict liability law, not a one-bite rule.
In states that use a one-bite law, a dog bite victim typically has to prove that the animal had attacked someone previously and that the pet owner was negligent in failing to prevent a subsequent attack, such as by allowing the dog to run at large. In Colorado, however, the strict liability dog bite law allows the victim to hold a pet owner financially responsible for injuries without having to prove negligence or fault. Working with an Aurora premises liability attorney can help represent your legal claim if you or a loved one has been injured by a dog bite on someone else’s property.
The injuries inflicted on a victim from a dog’s teeth, jaws and claws can be catastrophic. Every year, dog attacks put thousands of victims in the hospital for severe tissue and ligament damage. Sadly, not all of these victims survive their injuries. Some dog attacks are severe enough to prove fatal for a victim, especially when a dog bites a small child or senior citizen.
Common examples of injuries suffered in dog attacks are:
In addition to the initial injury, a dog attack victim is also at risk of developing infections and animal-borne diseases afterward. This is why when a dog bite injury is reported to the county, animal control services require the dog to be quarantined. Finally, surviving a dog attack is a traumatic experience that can cause emotional distress and psychological harm, such as post-traumatic stress disorder. For example, a victim may develop a new phobia of dogs or suffer a lower self-image from scarring from the attack.
A dog bite injury can have lasting consequences on a victim physically, emotionally and financially. Filing an insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit for your dog bite injury in Aurora can help you and your family move forward by providing the financial compensation that you need to pay for existing and ongoing medical care, make up for lost wages due to missed time at work because of the attack, and repair any property damage.
In addition to obtaining compensation for the specific and tangible economic losses connected to your dog bite injury, you may also be eligible for noneconomic damages. This is an amount of money awarded to a victim of a traumatic accident for the intangible losses he or she suffered, such as inconvenience, physical pain and suffering, emotional anguish, and mental trauma from the event.
Working with an Aurora dog bite attorney who has experience filing dog bite injury claims in Colorado can help you seek maximum compensation for the full extent of your losses. Your dog bite attorney in Aurora can explore your legal options in the aftermath of a dog attack to identify the liable party/ies and demand justice. Depending on the circumstances, your Aurora dog bite lawyer at Manning Law can handle insurance settlement negotiations or go to trial on your behalf.
You already have enough to deal with as the victim of a dog attack. Hire an experienced dog bite injury lawyer in Aurora to take care of the legal side of things for you while you focus on healing from your injuries. At Manning Law, our Aurora dog bite injury lawyers have decades of combined legal experience.
Our Aurora dog bite attorneys know how Colorado’s dog bite laws work and how to navigate them to achieve the best possible results for each client. We can help you and your family with every stage of a dog bite injury claim. Start with a free consultation about your dog bite injury case in Aurora. Contact us online or call (720) 515-3191 to schedule yours today.
