Colorado is a strict-liability state for dog bites causing serious bodily injury or death. The owner doesn't get to say "it's never bitten before." We pursue the homeowner's policy, the renter's policy, and where applicable the landlord and HOA, the coverage map that determines whether your family is made whole. Direct attorney access. 29% standard, 33% if we sue.
Under C.R.S. § 13-21-124, the dog owner is strictly liable for economic damages caused by a bite that produces serious bodily injury or death, regardless of the dog's prior history. The "but it's never bitten anyone before" defense does not apply. We anchor the claim to the statute from the first letter.
The dog owner's homeowner's or renter's policy is usually the primary source of recovery, not the owner's personal assets. Where the dog lived on a rental property or in an HOA, landlord and HOA policies may also apply. We identify every applicable policy and pursue them in the correct order, often substantially increasing total recovery.
Half of dog bite victims are children, and bites to a child often involve the face, with permanent visible scarring and lasting psychological impact. Children's claims involve plastic-surgery future costs, future therapy, and damages categories that juries take very seriously. We handle these with the gravity they deserve.
I founded VENYX to challenge the settlement-mill model. At the high-volume firms, you're often just a file number managed by a revolving door of case managers. You might not speak to your actual attorney until the day the case settles, if ever.
Dog bite cases are uniquely personal, the at-fault party is often a friend, neighbor, or family member. The legal mechanics matter, but so does handling the case in a way that respects the relationship. When you hire me, I personally manage the homeowner's-policy correspondence, the medical documentation, and the negotiation. You don't have to sit through awkward calls with your neighbor's insurer, I do that.
Most injury firms still operate on bloated staff and outdated systems, and either ignore technology or charge you extra for it. VENYX is built on a modern, digital-first foundation. We don't pay for inefficiency, so neither do you. That's how we deliver elite representation starting at a 29% fee.
Every major insurer maintains internal records on the attorneys they deal with. They track who files lawsuits and who folds at the negotiating table. That reputation follows every case before a single demand letter goes out.
"Settling isn't the goal. Maximum recovery is the goal. Sometimes those are the same thing. Sometimes they're not. The insurance company already knows which kind of attorney they're dealing with before you walk in the door." Dylan Unger, Founder, VENYX Injury Law
Most Denver dog bite firms charge a 33-35% standard fee and jump to 40-45% if they have to sue. Venyx charges a 29% standard fee and 33% if we have to sue. A lean, technology-driven practice doesn't need to overcharge you to survive.
The firm never makes more than the client. At every fee level, you keep more of your recovery than we do.
| Your Recovery | Industry Standard (33-35%) | Venyx 29% Standard | You Keep More |
|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $17,500 | $14,500 | +$3,000 |
| $100,000 | $35,000 | $29,000 | +$6,000 |
| $250,000 | $87,500 | $72,500 | +$15,000 |
| $500,000 | $175,000 | $145,000 | +$30,000 |
Venyx fee structure: 29% standard, 33% if a lawsuit is filed. Client is responsible for case costs.
Calculate how much you can saveUnder Colorado's strict-liability statute, when a dog causes serious bodily injury or death, the owner is strictly liable for economic damages, medical bills, lost wages, future treatment, regardless of whether the dog had bitten before. The owner's prior knowledge is not required. The case begins on solid statutory ground.
Talk to DylanDenver, Boulder, and most Colorado municipalities have leash laws. A dog running loose at the time of attack is a documented leash-law violation, negligence per se evidence on top of the statutory strict-liability claim. Common on trails, in parks, and in unfenced front yards. We tie the violation to the local ordinance.
Talk to DylanChildren represent roughly half of all dog bite victims, and bites to children disproportionately involve the face. We pursue full damages for emergency surgery, reconstructive plastic surgery (often staged across years), future scar revision, lasting psychological treatment, and the special weight Colorado law gives to child injuries.
Talk to DylanWhen the dog lives on a rental property, the landlord may share liability if they knew the dog was dangerous and failed to act. The same applies to HOAs with restrictions on certain breeds. We add these defendants where the facts support it, multiple policies in play means substantially more available recovery.
Talk to DylanPostal carriers, package delivery drivers, and meter readers have additional federal and workers' compensation protections when bitten on the job, in addition to the Colorado strict-liability claim. We coordinate the workers' comp claim with the third-party civil suit so the injured worker is made whole through both systems.
Talk to DylanColorado's strict-liability statute is dog-specific, but attacks by horses, livestock, exotic pets, and other animals are still actionable under standard negligence and premises-liability theories. Rural Colorado in particular sees a high rate of horse and livestock-related claims. We evaluate each on its facts and the applicable coverage.
Talk to DylanColorado's strict-liability statute is bite-specific. Knockdowns, chase falls, and off-leash incidents are pursued under general negligence, often through the same homeowner's policies that cover bite cases.
A dog darts into the path of a cyclist on a trail or road, and the rider goes down at speed. Broken collarbones, wrist fractures, TBI, and road rash from a knockdown look identical to a vehicle-caused crash, but the legal theory is owner negligence rather than strict liability. The owner's homeowner's policy is typically the source of recovery, and a leash-law or voice-control violation makes the case substantially stronger.
Talk to DylanA dog charges, jumps, or chases a person, causing them to fall, step into traffic, or sustain crush and impact injuries. Children, elderly walkers, and joggers are particularly vulnerable. Cases turn on whether the owner exercised reasonable care, and any leash-law or voice-control violation is powerful evidence that they didn't.
Talk to DylanBoulder Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP), Jefferson County Open Space, and similar Colorado jurisdictions allow dogs off-leash only when the owner has registered under a voice-and-sight program and the dog remains responsive to commands and within sight. When an off-leash dog causes injury and voice control wasn't actually maintained, the violation supports a negligence-per-se theory in addition to standard negligence.
Talk to DylanDog bite cases turn on the right medical documentation, future-cost projections that account for staged surgeries, and, in serious cases, expert testimony on dog behavior and breed handling. Dylan has spent nine years building these relationships.
Colorado's leading reconstructive plastic surgeons, particularly those who specialize in facial reconstruction and pediatric scar revision. They establish the present and future surgical needs, which directly drives the damages calculation in serious-injury and child cases.
Trauma physicians, infectious-disease consultants for serious bites, and licensed therapists who treat post-traumatic stress and dog-related phobias following an attack. These cases often involve long mental-health arcs, especially for children, we document the full reality.
When the owner contests the attack's severity or claims the dog was "provoked," we work with certified animal-behavior experts who can analyze the breed, the circumstances, and the dog's prior behavior, helpful in non-strict-liability claims and in establishing punitive-damages exposure where appropriate.
Dog bite cases turn on medical documentation, the dog's identity, and the owner's insurance, all of which are easier to establish in the first 72 hours than weeks later, after the dog has been quietly rehomed and the owner has had time to coordinate with their insurer.
Dog mouths carry significant bacteria. What looks like a small puncture can lead to deep tissue infection within 24 hours. ER, urgent care, or a same-day primary visit creates the medical timeline that anchors the case, and protects your health.
If safety allows, take photos of every visible wound, every puncture, every tear, and of any blood on clothing. Bite-injury photos rarely look as severe in the file 60 days later, after healing has started. Early photos are powerful documentation of the original severity.
Owner's full name, home address, phone, and the dog's name, breed, color, and approximate weight. Ask if the dog is licensed and vaccinated. This is the information that lets us locate the homeowner's policy and pursue the strict-liability claim. If the owner refuses to share, photograph the dog and the home from a safe distance.
In Denver and most Colorado municipalities, dog bites are required to be reported, creating an official record that documents the attack, the dog, and the owner. Animal Control also tracks bite history, which can be powerful evidence if the dog has bitten before. File even if the owner asks you not to.
Anyone who saw the attack, the dog's behavior leading up to it, or its history in the neighborhood, their names and phone numbers, written down before they walk away. Neighbors are often a critical source of evidence that the dog had aggressive history the owner won't disclose.
If the dog's rabies vaccination cannot be confirmed, you may need post-exposure rabies vaccination. Document the conversation with the owner about vaccination status and confirm with animal control. This is both a health and an evidentiary step.
The homeowner's insurance carrier will contact you, often within days. You are not legally required to give a recorded statement before consulting an attorney. The first call is designed to lock in your version of events and minimize the claim. Politely decline until you have counsel.
Don't wash or discard anything the dog tore or bloodied. Clothing damage is physical evidence of attack severity, which matters when the case turns on whether the bite was "minor" or rises to the strict-liability standard of serious bodily injury. Bag and store it.
Follow through on every recommended specialist visit, plastic surgery consult, infectious disease, mental health. Keep a daily journal of pain, sleep disruption, and symptoms, especially for children, where the psychological impact may persist long after the wound heals. This documentation builds the non-economic damages claim.
The sooner an attorney is involved, the more we can do, locate the homeowner's policy, identify additional coverage (landlord, HOA, rental policy), document the bite history through animal control, and prevent the dog from being quietly rehomed and disappearing. Call 877-2929-LAW for a free case evaluation.
Even when superficial, bite wounds often require irrigation, suturing, and sometimes surgical repair. We document the immediate medical care and the follow-up, including any complications from infection, retained foreign material, or wound dehiscence.
Powerful bites, particularly from large dogs, can crush bone, tear muscle, and remove tissue entirely. These cases require reconstructive surgery, often in multiple stages over many years. The future-medical cost projection is critical and one carriers consistently undervalue.
Even well-healed bite wounds typically leave visible scarring, and facial scarring carries significant non-economic damages under Colorado law. We document the scarring at each stage of healing, retain plastic surgeon documentation of revision options, and present the lifetime cosmetic and emotional impact clearly.
Dog mouths harbor staph, strep, capnocytophaga, and other bacteria. Cellulitis, abscess formation, and in rare cases sepsis can follow even a small puncture. Where post-bite infection complicates recovery, we make sure those costs are documented as caused by the original bite.
Bites to the hand, face, or limbs can sever or compress nerves, causing loss of sensation, loss of motor function, or chronic pain. Nerve injuries often require microsurgical repair and may not fully recover. Long-term impairment must be calculated and recovered.
Particularly in children, a dog attack often leaves lasting fear of dogs, anxiety in public spaces, and sleep disruption. These are real, compensable injuries, we work with licensed mental-health professionals to document the trauma and pursue recovery for the full psychological cost.
In dog bite cases involving willful disregard of known dangerous behavior, a dog with a documented bite history, repeated leash-law violations, or an owner who deliberately released or failed to restrain an aggressive dog, Colorado courts may award punitive damages designed to punish the at-fault party. These are separate from and in addition to your compensatory damages.
Colorado's strict-liability statute applies regardless of where the bite occurred. But where it happened often determines who else may be liable, and how many insurance policies are in play.
The most common location. Recovery typically runs through the dog owner's homeowner's insurance, which usually carries $100K to $500K in liability coverage. Renter's insurance applies if the owner rents. We file the claim directly with the carrier, not with the friend or neighbor whose home it was.
Bites that happen while walking past a property, jogging in a neighborhood, or being out in public still flow through the owner's homeowner's or renter's policy, but often involve additional leash-law violations that strengthen the negligence-per-se claim and expose the owner to enhanced damages.
Off-leash areas have unique liability dynamics, users assume some risk by entering, but reckless conduct, dogs known to be aggressive, and unsupervised animals still create liability. The municipal park itself may also have responsibilities if signage or fencing was inadequate.
Bites that happen in common areas of an apartment complex or HOA-governed community can add the property management company and HOA to the coverage map, particularly when the dog was known to be aggressive and the management failed to enforce breed or behavior rules.
Postal carriers, package drivers, and meter readers bitten on the job have both workers' compensation and a third-party civil claim against the dog owner. We coordinate the two so injured workers are fully compensated through both systems, not pushed into accepting only the smaller workers' comp payout.
Bites on agricultural property, ranches, and rural roads may involve farm animals, livestock guardian dogs, or working animals, which fall outside the dog-bite statute but are still actionable under standard negligence and premises-liability theories. Coverage often runs through farm/ranch insurance instead of homeowner's.
Free consultation. Lower fee. Direct attorney access from day one, we handle the homeowner's insurer so you don't have to call your neighbor.
Estimates only. Your final recovery is reduced by case costs, medical liens, and other legal obligations. Every case is different. Fees and costs are discussed at consultation.
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