There are about 4.7 million dog bites in the United States each year, with about 800,000 severe enough to warrant medical attention. If you've suffered a serious dog bite in Colorado, you are entitled to compensation for monetary damages related to physical disfigurement. An experienced dog bite attorney can help you understand your legal options on pursuing these claims and damages in your case.
What are Disfigurement Damages?
Disfigurement is characterized as an observable alteration to a person's physical resemblance – often visible scars that can affect a person's appearance. Physical disfigurement can dramatically increase the amount of damages a plaintiff is able to recover in a personal injury case.
How Disfigurement Applies to Dog Bite Cases
In Colorado, if a person suffers serious bodily injury or death from a dog bite while lawfully on public or private property, strict liability rules apply. What this means is that the owner of the dog is strictly liable for the damages caused by the dog bite, even if the dog had no prior history of biting people or the owner did not know that the dog was vicious. Serious bodily injury is defined as injuries that:
- Pose a substantial risk of death
- Pose a substantial risk of serious permanent disfigurement
- Pose a substantial risk of loss or impairment of a function of an organ or body part
- Causes broken bones or fractures
Treatments for Dog Bite Injuries
Dog bites commonly cause injuries such as puncture wounds, lacerations, abrasions, nerve damage, fractures and sprains. If the victim suffered bites to the face, it may result in permanent scarring, the loss of an eye or teeth, and damage to the facial bones. Disfiguring injuries may also occur on the arms and legs or face, where they can readily be seen by others, and severe damage to the limbs from a dog bite may result in infection or amputation.
The common treatment for raised or ridged scars from dog bites is reconstructive surgery. Other surgeries might be required in order to address internal injuries or scar tissue or repair broken bones from bite crush injuries during an attack. Medical treatment may include sutures to close the wounds, and antibiotics to treat or prevent infection.
Past Case Results
Contact Whalen Injury Lawyers Today
If you've suffered a dog bite in Colorado, we'd like to help you understand the legal remedies available to you. At Whalen Injury Lawyers, our goal is to secure fair and equitable settlements for our clients who are victims of a car accident. We work to establish direct, meaningful, trusted and reliable relationships with every client we represent. When you need an experienced legal team with a proven track record of success, contact us today. We’re happy to offer you a free consultation with one of our successful personal injury lawyers to discuss your legal options. Our Denver Tech Center office is conveniently located at 7955 East Arapahoe Court, Suite 2375 in Centennial, CO 80112. You can reach us in Denver by calling (720) 307- 2666. Our Colorado Springs legal office is located in the Alamo Corporate Center at 102 South Tejon Street, Suite 1100, Colorado Springs, CO 80903. You can contact us in Colorado Springs by calling (719) 644-7000. Give us a call today. We look forward to helping you get the fair compensation you deserve.
