Mintz Law Firm
If you need a dog bite lawyer, you may have incurred several expenses due to no fault of your own following a dog attack in Lakewood. You may also not know if you can even receive compensation for your injuries and damages. What steps should you follow after receiving a dog bite injury? Would retaining a Lakewood dog bite lawyer be helpful during the legal process?
If you have these concerns, Mintz Law Firm’s Lakewood dog bite attorneys may be able to help. Our team of attorneys has experience with personal injury claims, including dog bite cases. We strongly believe your questions deserve thoughtful consideration and answers, and we have the tools and strategies to assist many types of clients. If you need assistance with your dog attack injury case, please continue reading for our team’s helpful insights and tips.
What Compensation Can You Recover After a Lakewood Dog Bite?
Dog bite victims in Lakewood may be entitled to compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, scarring, and emotional distress. The amount of compensation depends on the severity of your injuries, the dog owner’s liability, and the impact on your daily life. If you have received a dog bite in Lakewood, you have likely incurred many expenses and losses at no fault of your own. Under Colorado law, you are likely entitled to damages for many of your injury-related losses, including but not limited to:
- Medical bills and treatment costs
- Loss of wage-earning ability
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
Other damages may also be eligible for compensation, depending on your circumstances. If you want to receive as much compensation as possible, we strongly recommend retaining a Lakewood dog bite injury lawyer, as they may help you identify all eligible damages and negotiate a fair settlement for your claim.
What Steps Should You Follow After a Dog Attack in Lakewood?
If you have received a dog bite, you may not know what steps to take to start receiving compensation. Please consider our suggestions for how to move forward. These steps may help you build a strong dog bite claim and maximize your recovery.
Seek Medical Attention
We strongly recommend you seek medical attention if there is any chance of severe injury due to the dog attack. Dog bites can result in puncture wounds, broken bones, nerve damage, or possible infection. A qualified medical health professional may be able to assist you in many ways, including the following:
- Assessing your injuries
- Discovering latent injuries
- Selecting a helpful treatment plan
- Determining whether additional medical attention is necessary
We suggest you seek medical attention as quickly as possible after your Lakewood dog bite incident, as this may indicate a clear intention to recover. Additionally, a doctor’s note and an itemized medical bill may be helpful in clearly portraying your version of events and receiving adequate compensation for your expenses.
Contact a Dog Bite Attorney in Lakewood
If you have received a dog bite and wish to take legal action against the responsible party, we strongly recommend speaking with a qualified Lakewood dog bite lawyer. Your dog attack attorney may be able to assist you in several ways throughout the legal process, including:
- Legal knowledge
- Negotiation skills with insurance companies
- Maximizing your potential compensation
- Strategizing the next best steps tailored to your case
- Collecting and analyzing evidence
- Providing strong legal representation and handling other legal representatives and insurance adjusters
- Providing you with helpful resources and information
- Reducing your stress
Please refrain from representing yourself during legal proceedings, as you risk reducing your compensation following the closure of your case. Your Lakewood dog bite attorney’s assistance is far more likely to help you receive the compensation you rightfully deserve, and we strongly recommend speaking with a dog attack lawyer at your earliest convenience to maximize your chances of positive results. This time may allow your lawyer to collect necessary information and evidence, as well as establish a robust set of arguments in your favor.
Understanding Colorado Dog Bite Liability Laws
Colorado follows a strict liability statute for dog bites, meaning dog owners may be held liable for injuries their dogs cause, regardless of the dog’s prior behavior. Under Colorado Revised Statutes § 13-21-124, if a dog bites someone in a public place or while lawfully on private property, the owner may be responsible for resulting medical costs. Beyond medical expenses, victims can pursue additional compensation through a negligence claim for pain and suffering, lost wages, and other damages. Our Lakewood dog bite lawyers understand how to apply Colorado’s liability laws to build strong cases for compensation.
Watch: Managing attorney Eric Staton explains Colorado’s dog bite law and what Lakewood dog bite victims should know before speaking with an insurance company.
Read the video transcript
If a dog attacked you here in Lakewood or anywhere in the Denver metro area, there’s a good chance you’re telling yourself it wasn’t that big a deal or that you don’t want to cause trouble for someone you know. Before you decide not to do anything about it, I want you to hear one fact that changes everything. I’m Eric Staton, managing attorney at Mintz Law Firm. I spent more than 20 years handling personal injury cases here in Colorado, and my team has recovered more than $20 million a year for injury victims since 2016. Here’s what most people don’t know about Colorado’s dog bite law. In most cases, Colorado is a strict liability state for serious dog bite injuries. That means if a dog bites you and causes serious bodily injury while you are lawfully on public or private property, the owner can be held responsible for your economic damages regardless of whether that dog ever bit anyone before. And regardless of whether the owner had any idea the dog was dangerous, under Colorado law, to get your economic damages covered, you don’t have to prove the owner was careless. You don’t have to prove the dog had a history. There are exceptions, for example, if you were trespassing or if you provoked the dog or if the property had a posted warning. So the specifics of your situation matter, but for most people bitten while being where they were lawfully allowed to be, this law is on your side. However, many dog bite victims walk away from a real case without realizing it. They assume it’s the same as any other injury claim where you have to prove someone was negligent to make any recovery at all. Often, that’s not the case. And because the law works this way, insurance companies handling homeowners or renters policies know how exposed their policyholder can be, which is why they often move quickly and may try to get you to downplay your injury, accept a fast settlement, or sign something before you’ve spoken to a lawyer. We see this pattern often. An adjuster calls sounding sympathetic. They ask if you’re feeling better. They suggest a small payment to cover your urgent care visit and call it settled. What they may not tell you is that dog bite injuries often need more than a single visit. Scarring, nerve damage, infection, and the emotional impact of an attack, especially for children, can take months to fully understand. Once you sign a release, it can seriously limit or end your ability to seek more later, even if your injuries turn out to be worse than they first appeared. We investigate what actually happened and identify the applicable homeowners or renters insurance policy. While the strict liability part of the dog bite law covers your economic losses, things like medical bills and lost income, we look at the specific facts of your case to determine if you can recover for damages such as scarring and disfigurement, physical impairment, and the pain and disruption this has caused you or your family. If a dog attacked you here in Lakewood or anywhere along the Front Range, call Mintz Law Firm before you talk to the insurance company. We offer a free consultation and we work on contingency, which means you don’t pay attorney’s fees unless we recover for you. Call us at 303-462-2999 or visit mintzlawfirm.com. Don’t let anyone tell you it wasn’t a big deal. Let us find out what your case is actually worth.
Recover with Help from Mintz Law Firm Dog Bite Lawyers Serving Lakewood, Colorado
If you have been injured due to a dog bite in Lakewood and at no fault of your own, a Lakewood dog bite attorney from Mintz Law Firm may be able to help. Our team of attorneys has experience in personal injury representation and dog attack claims, meaning we have the resources and knowledge to assist numerous clients and case types. Whether you’ve suffered from a catastrophic injury or need help with a premises liability case, we’re here to help. To discuss your case details, personal circumstances, and concerns, as well as gain helpful information and insights from our team, please don’t hesitate to contact us at your earliest convenience. We take pride in building relationships with our clients. You’ll always have direct access to your Lakewood dog bite injury attorney, not just a case manager. We’ll keep you informed at every stage, ensuring your voice is heard. We recommend retaining a dog attack attorney as early as possible in the legal process to maximize the odds of favorable results. This time may benefit you and your lawyer, as you will likely have more flexibility in collecting evidence and creating strong arguments in your favor. We will be with you every step of the way while you recover. Complete our online contact form to schedule a consultation.
Frequently Asked Questions About Lakewood Dog Bite Claims
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