Colorado’s strict liability laws make the dog’s owner the primary liable party in most dog bite cases. But depending on the circumstances of the attack, other parties may also be held responsible for your injuries.

The Dog’s Owner

The dog’s owner is liable for serious injuries their animal causes under Colorado’s strict liability laws, regardless of whether the dog had any prior history of aggression. This is one of the strongest victim protections in Colorado personal injury law and forms the foundation of most dog bite claims.

Property Owners and Landlords

A property owner or landlord may be held liable if a dog bite attack occurred on their premises and they had knowledge of the dog’s presence or dangerous tendencies, but failed to take reasonable steps to protect others on the property. This is particularly relevant in apartment complexes and other multi-unit residential settings where landlords have ongoing awareness of tenants’ pets.

Dog Walkers and Dog Sitters

A dog walker or dog sitter who had temporary custody of the dog at the time of the attack may be held liable if they failed to properly control or restrain the animal. Professional dog care providers have a duty to handle animals in their care in a way that prevents harm to others.

Employers

If the dog involved in the attack was owned by a business and the attack occurred in a commercial setting, the employer may be held liable if they failed to maintain safe conditions on their premises or allowed a dangerous animal to be present where customers or visitors could be harmed.

Colorado law provides dog bite victims with two categories of damages, and the ones which are available to you depends on whether your claim is governed by strict liability or negligence.

Economic Damages

Economic damages can be recovered in any serious dog bite case under Colorado’s strict liability laws. They cover the direct financial costs of your injuries, including:

• Medical expenses
• Rehabilitation, such as physical therapy
• Psychological counseling
• Lost wages
• Lost earning capacity if your injuries have a long-term impact on your ability to work

Non-Economic Damages

Non-economic damages require establishing negligence on the part of the dog’s owner. When negligence can be proven, you may also be entitled to recover compensation for:

• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Permanent scarring and disfigurement
• Loss of enjoyment of life

Because these non-economic damages can represent a significant portion of the total value of your claim, the ability to establish negligence can play an important role in maximizing your compensation.

Colorado’s strict liability law holds dog owners responsible for serious injuries their dog causes, regardless of whether the dog had any prior history of aggression. Strict liability applies when the victim was lawfully on public or private property at the time of the attack and the injuries meet Colorado’s serious bodily injury threshold, which includes fractures, substantial risk of permanent disfigurement, significant impairment of a body part or organ, or a substantial risk of death.

Strict liability applies when a dog bite results in serious bodily injury and does not require proving the owner knew the dog was dangerous. Negligence applies when the injuries don’t meet the serious bodily injury threshold and requires demonstrating the owner failed to exercise reasonable care to control or restrain the dog. The distinction also affects what damages you can recover. Only economic damages are available under strict liability, while non-economic damages such as pain and suffering require establishing negligence.

Colorado law provides several exceptions under which a dog owner may not be held liable. These include situations where the victim was unlawfully on the property, the attack occurred on the owner’s property where warning signs were clearly posted, the dog was being used by law enforcement or military personnel for official duties, the victim knowingly provoked the dog, the victim works professionally with dogs and was performing their job at the time, or the dog was engaged in hunting, herding, farming or predator control on the owner’s property.

Yes. Colorado’s strict liability law specifically removes the requirement to prove prior aggressive behavior. As long as your injuries meet the serious bodily injury threshold and you were lawfully on the property, the owner is liable regardless of the dog’s history.

In Colorado, the statute of limitations for dog bite injury claims is two years from the date of the attack. If you fail to file within this timeframe, you will likely lose your right to pursue compensation. For victims who are minors at the time of the attack, the two-year clock does not begin until the child turns 18.