Man’s best friend is man’s worst enemy for the 1 in 50 people who will be attacked by a dog this year in the United States. Even the meekest and best-trained dogs can inflict a serious injury, and children are often the tragic victims. In many cases, a dog can bite a person for no apparent reason, and the extent of the injuries can be quite severe.
The Denver dog bite injury attorneys at Rosenthal & Heymann realize that with over 77 million canine pets in the United States, dog bites happen far more than some may suspect. We fight for the rights of those who have been victimized by a serious dog attack, helping them recover financial damages from the dog’s owner or the person who was responsible for the care of the animal.
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Colorado Dog Bite Injuries
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Top 10 Most Dangerous Dogs List:
- Pit bulls
- Rottweilers
- German Shepherds
- Huskies
- Alaskan Malamutes
- Doberman Pinschers
- Chow Chows
- Great Danes
- St. Bernards
- Akitas
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Dog bite injury litigation can also involve premise liability law, even in cases where a dog bites someone who has permission to be on private property or is an outside employee their on business, such as a mail carrier or meter reader.
According to the American Humane Association, children are the most common victims of dog bite injuries, with the most incidents reported involving boys between the ages of 5 and 9.
In fact, children under 15 comprise almost 70% of all dog bite victims. Often, dogs that are household pets attack members of their own family, and as the number of dogs in the house increases, so does the risk of being bitten. Other times, it is a neighbor’s dog or a pet belonging to a friend or extended member.
A Colorado injury lawyer experienced in dog bite cases can help families recover damages from their household insurance policy, or from the policy of a neighbor or extended family member. Dog bites, particularly among children, can be very serious. Medical complications and emotional issues are not uncommon and recovery and scarring and be complicated by growth and other factors.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, dogs bite people more than 4.7 million times per year, with about 800,000 requiring medical treatment and approximately 16 fatalities. Over 31,000 people bitten by dogs in 2006 required some type of reconstructive surgery.
Many people are under the mistaken impression that only certain breeds of dogs are capable of inflicting a serious bite injury. For example, the pit bull is a breed of dog known for its aggressive nature. Yet the Staffordshire Bull Terrier and the American Staffordshire Terrier, which are often referred to as “pit bulls”, are not overly aggressive dogs, if the owners train them in a responsible manner.
Dog Bite Deaths and Maimings in U.S. and Canada (1982-2009)
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Colorado Pit Bull Attacks
The pit bull breed is responsible for most of the biting incidents reported in the U.S., including Colorado. No matter how many pit bull owners you hear say, “my dog is as gentle as a poodle, he would never attack anyone” - the facts simply don’t lie.
To make matters worse, the method in which a pit bull, or a breed that has a partial pit bull heritage, bites someone is considerably more damaging than most other breeds.
The pit bull and pit bull-mixes will inflict the most damage because they are trained to bite – and not let go. They employ a “bite and shake” survival and fighting technique, which can lead to the loss of a limb or other body appendage, severe facial disfiguration, and permanent scarring when they bite a person – assuming the person survives the attack.
Some communities have found the pit bull problem so egregious that they have adopted special rules in an attempt to keep the breed from proliferation, and to reduce the number of attacks. On most military housing bases and in more than 500 cities around the country, laws have been enacted regarding mandatory pit bull liability insurance, sterilization, and the requirement that pit bulls be kept only in specially designed containment areas.
Some jurisdictions have gone so far as to ban pit bull breeding entirely, and they report a decrease in the number of vicious attacks.
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Merritt Clifton, editor of Animal People, compiled U.S. and Canadian press accounts of dog attacks between 1982 and 2009, and found that pit bulls, rottweilers and presa canarios were responsible for the majority of incidents involving serious injury and death. These breeds caused:
- 80% of attacks that induce bodily harm
- 69% of attacks to children
- 83% of attack to adults
- 68% of attacks that result in fatalities
- 74% that result in maiming
Colorado law is rather complicated regarding who may be eligible to receive compensation in the event of a dog bite attack. There are many variables which can dictate who is at fault, and to what degree a settlement may be possible. Factors such as whether the victim was trespassing on private property, or was invited or otherwise allowed to be on the property, can affect the outcome of a court case. Other important considerations include whether there were any posted signs or other notifications regarding the presence of a potentially dangerous dog on the premises, and whether or not the dog had any history of previous attacks.
Complexities of the Colorado dog bite statutes also reference things like whether the victim was proven to be provoking or harassing the animal in any way, or whether the victim was engaged in a profession that involved the handling or care of dogs, such as a groomer, veterinarian or animal services employee.
Colorado also currently has within its dog bite statutes something that is commonly called the “one bite rule”. With origins dating back to English law of the 17th century, the “one bite rule” is widely thought to be outdated in today’s legal framework, and many litigators, judges, law enforcement officials and animal control personnel feel it is a hindrance on reducing the number of tragic dog bite incidents in Colorado and throughout the U.S.
Consulting a Colorado dog bite attorney in the event of a dog attack is the best course of action to protect the rights of you and your family and ensure proper medical care and compensation for your injuries.
The Humane Society of the United States notes that aggressive behavior by any breed of dog is not only plausible, but in many cases cannot be explained or eliminated. Dogs may act in an aggressive manner for a variety of reasons – fear, protection of their perceived territory or owner, willful domination, or the instinct to fight another dog or animal. A dog may even become aggressive towards a human when he has no other outlet on which to unleash his anger, which is the cause of many dog bite attacks that are otherwise inexplicable.
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Dog Bite Injuries: How to Protect Yourself and Your Family
- Never approach an unfamiliar dog
- If approached by an unfamiliar dog, remain still and avoid any sudden movement
- If you are knocked over by a dog, curl into a ball and remain still
- Never run away or make loud noises
- Do not make direct eye contact with the dog
- Never disrupt a dog that is eating, sleeping or caring for puppies
- Never pet a dog without allowing it to sniff you first
- Report any stray dogs in your neighborhood to animal control authorities
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Like humans, dogs may also develop emotional problems for a variety of reasons, which can lead a dog to become aggressive even among known family members.
In December 2009, a Florida boy was attacked by the family’s pet, which by all accounts was a loving, well-trained dog that had never exhibited any aggressive or alarming behavioral traits in its lifetime. The boy was reported to have simply walked past the dog, and was viciously attacked. He was rushed to the emergency room, but the head and neck wounds he received were too severe, and he died as a result of his injuries. It happened two days before Christmas.
The Denver dog bite injury lawyers at Rosenthal & Heymann urge anyone dealing with a dog bite injury to contact us immediately to discuss your rights under the law, and to learn more about how we will fight for justice on your behalf.
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