Boulder Dog Bite Attorneys
Dogs are very popular pets in Boulder and throughout Colorado. Most people are fortunate to routinely have positive experiences with dogs, including their own pets and others.’ However, it is possible for a dog to unexpectedly inflict severe injuries on a person, even if the dog has no known history of aggression and the victim did nothing to provoke the attack. If you or a family member recently suffered injuries in a dog attack, it is crucial to know your legal options for recovering from the event.
Compassionate Legal Representation for Dog Bite Injury Claims in Boulder, CO
An experienced Boulder dog bite attorney is an invaluable asset. The right legal team can help you understand the legal mechanisms available to you in your recovery efforts, guiding you toward the recovery you legally deserve. Your case could be more straightforward than you believe it to be at first, and you also face the risk of encountering legal obstacles you will not know how to overcome on your own.
The Law Firm of Jeremy Rosenthal has years of professional experience handling all types of personal injury claims in Boulder, including those arising from dog attacks. We have helped many dog bite victims recover from these traumatic events, and we are ready to apply our professional experience to your case. The sooner you reach out to our team, the sooner we can begin building a comprehensive civil claim on your behalf.
How to Prove Liability for a Dog Attack in Boulder
Colorado enforces a strict liability rule for dog bites. This means that if a dog bites or otherwise injures another person, the dog’s owner is strictly liable for the resulting damages. The only prerequisites the victim must establish to succeed with the claim are lack of provocation and legal presence at the location where the attack occurred. This means the victim must not have provoked the dog in any way, and they must have been legally present wherever the incident happened.
If someone attacks a dog owner or abuses a dog and the dog retaliates in defense, strict liability will not apply. Similarly, if someone intrudes or trespasses on private property and the property owner’s dog attacks them, strict liability will not apply, either. If you are unsure how to prove strict liability for your recent dog attack, it is crucial to consult an attorney as quickly as possible. Once you have proven fault for the incident, you can proceed with claiming compensation for your damages.
Claimable Damages in a Boulder Dog Bite Case
The goal of any personal injury claim filed is for the plaintiff to recover compensation for the losses they suffered because of the defendant’s actions. Once you have proven liability for your dog bite, you can proceed with holding the dog owner accountable for the various losses you suffered. Under state law, the plaintiff in a dog bite claim has the right to recover:
- Medical expenses. Dog attacks can be incredibly damaging, and victims could suffer a host of serious injuries that require extensive medical care. You have the right to seek full repayment of all medical expenses arising from the attack in question, including the cost of future medical care if you sustained serious injuries that will need ongoing treatment. The defendant is responsible for all medical expenses you incur to reach maximum medical improvement from your injuries.
- Property losses. If the dog has damaged your personal property, or any of your personal belongings were damaged or destroyed in the incident, you have the right to claim compensation for these losses.
- Lost income. Unfortunately, some dog attacks are damaging enough that victims cannot return to work until they recover from their injuries. If this applies to your situation, the defendant is liable for any income you are unable to earn in the aftermath of the attack. This includes lost future earning capacity if you have been permanently disabled by the attack and you cannot return to work in the future. Your Boulder dog bite attorney can help you calculate the future income you are no longer able to earn and add this to your claim.
- Compensation for pain and suffering. Colorado law allows the plaintiff in a personal injury case to seek financial compensation for the pain and psychological trauma they suffered. State law restricts how much the plaintiff can claim, but a good attorney can assist you in maximizing this aspect of your award to the extent allowed by law.
Once you have an experienced attorney handling your case, you could discover that you have grounds to claim far more compensation than you initially expected. In addition to your claimed damages, it is also possible to receive punitive damages under certain circumstances. If the dog owner was required to follow specific rules due to their dog’s previous attack but failed to do so, or if they intentionally encouraged their dog to attack you, a judge may award punitive damages to punish this behavior.
The Law Firm of Jeremy Rosenthal has the professional resources and experience you want on your side as you navigate a dog bite claim in Boulder. Any such case has the potential to escalate into a highly complex legal battle that you may not be able to navigate on your own, and the right attorney can make a tremendous difference in the outcome of your recovery efforts. Time is a critical concern for anyone preparing to file a personal injury suit in Boulder, so it is essential to reach out to legal counsel you can trust as quickly as you can after a dog attack occurs.
Dog Bite Lawyer FAQs
Q: What Happens to the Dog After it Has Bitten Someone?
A: Usually, nothing happens to the dog after it has bitten someone, but it may be required to enter quarantine so that a veterinary expert can check to ensure it does not have any communicable diseases or other problems that pose a threat to public health and safety. The owner may be required to take specific steps to ensure it does not bite anyone else. If a judge determines the dog to be unreasonably dangerous, the dog may be ordered to be euthanized, but this is a very rare outcome typically reserved for dogs that are clearly dangerous and unpredictable.
Q: How Much Compensation Can I Claim for a Dog Bite Personal Injury in Boulder?
A: If you succeed with your dog bite claim in Boulder, CO, you could potentially recover full repayment of any monetary losses you suffered. These may include any damage to your property, your medical expenses, future medical treatment costs for severe injuries, and lost income if the incident caused you to miss work at all. You can also claim pain and suffering compensation, but state law limits the amount a plaintiff can receive. Your Boulder dog bite attorney can advise you as to how to maximize your award.
Q: How Long Do I Have to Report a Dog Bite?
A: Reporting a dog bite is not only important for the purposes of your recovery efforts and establishing a formal timeline of the events in question but also a requirement under state law. You must report your dog bite within 12 hours of the event so that Animal Control can investigate and quarantine the dog if necessary.
Q: How Long Do I Have to File a Personal Injury Claim for a Dog Bite in Boulder?
A: The statute of limitations or time limit for filing a personal injury claim in Colorado is two years. This means you must submit your claim to the court no later than two years from the date your injury occurred. Otherwise, you will lose your chance to claim compensation from the defendant. It is typically ideal to file your claim as quickly as possible, so you should reach out to legal counsel you can trust immediately after resolving any immediate medical issues following the dog attack.
Q: How Much Will It Cost to Hire a Boulder Dog Bite Attorney?
A: When you choose the Law Firm of Jeremy Rosenthal to represent you, there is no need to worry about the cost of legal counsel. We take personal injury claims for clients and only charge them if we win. This means our client is not required to pay any legal fees before a case ends. Instead, we take a percentage of the final case award we secure for our client, but only if and when we win their case. If our team is unsuccessful with your claim for any reason, there is no fee at all. This billing policy eliminates the risk of your legal expenses being more than your case award and allows you to approach your case with confidence.
Contact Our Boulder Dog Bite Lawyers Today
The Law Firm of Jeremy Rosenthal has many years of experience managing all types of personal injury claims for clients in the Boulder area, including dog bite claims. We know how damaging and traumatizing a dog attack can be, and you are likely to have many important questions in the aftermath of this experience. The sooner you reach out to our team for assistance, the sooner we can begin building a strong case on your behalf. Contact us today and schedule your free consultation with a Boulder dog bite lawyer to start working toward your recovery with confidence.