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Practice Areas After a dog bite injury in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, discuss your legal rights and options with a Highlands Ranch dog bite attorney from Fang Law Firm. We are passionate about helping victims recover the compensation they deserve. Call (720) 379-6363 today.
A dog bite injury can impact you physically, emotionally and financially. A dog attack can lead to thousands of dollars in medical expenses alone, plus lost wages from having to take time off work. Even more distressing for most victims are the permanent scars, disfigurement and psychological trauma that often come along with a violent dog attack.
After a dog attack, you should be able to focus most of your attention on healing from your serious physical and emotional injuries. Your time should not be dedicated to working through the legal process of holding a pet owner financially responsible for your losses. Hiring an attorney can allow you the peace of mind to focus on healing.
There are many important tasks a lawyer can complete for you during a dog bite injury case. These include investigating the incident, finding out if the pet owner has insurance, pointing you to top doctors in Highlands Ranch, filing an insurance claim, negotiating for fair compensation and going to trial on your behalf. A personal injury attorney can give you everything you need to move forward.
No, Colorado is not a one-bite state. In one-bite states, injured victims need proof the pet owner knew or reasonably should have known of the dog’s propensity to bite (the dog had bitten someone previously) but failed to prevent an attack.
Instead, Colorado is a strict liability dog bite state. Colorado Revised Statute section 13-21-124 states that all dog owners are financially responsible for bite injuries and related medical treatments caused by their dogs, regardless of fault. It is irrelevant whether the dog had bitten someone before. Even if a pet owner has no reason to know of a dog’s viciousness, the owner is liable for dog bite injuries under Colorado’s strict liability law.
Despite Colorado’s strict liability dog bite law, there are certain situations when a pet owner can avoid liability for a dog bite injury. This could be the case if the pet owner successfully uses an available defense:
With proof that any of these things are more likely to be true than not true, the pet owner may escape liability for your dog bite injury. If you cannot hold a pet owner strictly liable for your losses, however, you may still be able to bring a case based on negligence, or recklessness.
Pursuing compensation for a dog bite injury with help from a lawyer can be critical for your future. A successful settlement or trial can help you pay for both past and future expenses related to a violent dog attack. Available compensation may include:
The specific damages available, as well as the overall value of your dog bite injury case, will depend on the detail of your case. Discuss the value of your case with a Highlands Ranch dog bite attorney from Fang Law Firm before accepting a settlement offer from an insurance company. Otherwise, you may accept less than you deserve.
If you or someone you love has a dog bite injury, contact our local lawyers in Highlands Ranch, Colorado for a free consultation. Fang Law Firm has the compassion, experience and resources to fight for you.