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I’m thinking about getting a dog, but I’m concerned – what if it bites someone?

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When it comes to dog bite laws, there are three primary types of liability: Strict, One-Bite, and Negligence. I’ll briefly explain each one. Your state of residency would dictate which form of liability applies.

In Strict Liability cases, the dog’s owner is liable for just about every injury their dog causes, whether the owner knew of the dog’s propensity toward biting or not. It also doesn’t matter whether the owner put up fencing or restrained the dog to keep it from biting people. In Colorado, owners of a dog are liable for economic losses (medical bills) caused by their dog biting someone. There are some exceptions to the Strict Liability rule, however, such as in the case of a trespasser, a veterinarian, or someone who provokes the dog by hitting.

One-Bite Laws state that the owner is generally not responsible for injuries caused by the dog’s first biting incident, but will be held responsible for subsequent bites.

In cases of Negligence, the owner is responsible for injuries caused by the owner’s “negligent acts.” Definitions of negligence are complicated, but generally speaking, negligence arises when the owner knows or should have known of the dangerous nature of the dog or breed, and they fail to use reasonable steps to protect people from the dog. For example not taking steps to shield visitors and children from the dog knowing it has a tendency to snap and nip. The owner may be liable for not only medical expenses, but all damages allowed under the law.

Generally, if you have homeowners or rental insurance, you should have insurance to protect you if your dog bites or injures someone. However, many insurance companies are now specifically excluding dogs or specific breeds of dogs from the insurance coverage. You should speak with your insurance company as to your coverage or you may be paying out of pocket for any injury your dog causes.

For more information about animal bite laws, or to have any of your personal injury questions answered, contact Colorado Springs, Colorado, personal injury attorney Ron Schreiber at 719-635-9699. The Schreiber Law Firm works for you!

The post I’m thinking about getting a dog, but I’m concerned – what if it bites someone? appeared first on Personal Injury and Accident Attorney Colorado Springs.


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