Dog Bite Claims Are Rising Nationally. Here’s How Colorado’s Law Works

Dog bite claims are climbing fast. Insurers paid $1.86 billion for dog-related injury liability claims nationwide in 2025, up from $1.57 billion the year before, according to the Insurance Information Institute and State Farm. The number of claims jumped 25% in a single year.

Those national numbers show that dog bites are a serious and growing problem. But if you or your child has been bitten in Colorado, the billion-dollar question is not what insurers paid nationwide. It is what Colorado law allows you to recover and who’s on the hook for it.

Colorado Is a Strict Liability State, With a Catch

Colorado follows what’s called a strict liability rule for dog bites, under C.R.S. § 13-21-124, but it only kicks in for “serious bodily injury.” That means things like broken bones, disfigurement, second- or third-degree burns, or an injury that risks long-term impairment. If your injury clears that bar, you don’t have to prove the owner knew their dog was dangerous. The owner is responsible for your economic damages: medical bills, future treatment, lost wages, and lost earning capacity, even if the dog never showed a hint of aggression before.

Here’s the catch, though. Strict liability only covers economic losses. It doesn’t include pain and suffering or emotional distress, which can be a big part of the harm, especially for kids. To recover those, you’d need to bring a separate negligence claim and show the owner knew or should have known their dog was a risk. Obviously, a tough task. And if your injury doesn’t meet the “serious bodily injury” threshold, negligence is your only option from the start.

When Owners Aren’t Liable?

There are a handful of exceptions built into the statute. An owner usually isn’t liable if you were trespassing, if the property had a clearly posted “no trespassing” or “beware of dog” sign, if you provoked the dog, or if the dog was working with a police or military officer at the time. These exceptions get argued over often, so the details of how and where the bite happened can matter just as much as the injury itself.

You also don’t have forever to act. Colorado gives you two years from the date of the bite to file a lawsuit, which is shorter than some other injury claims. It’s worth talking to someone well before that deadline so evidence and witness accounts don’t get stale.

Denver’s Breed Rules Add a Local Wrinkle

Denver still restricts certain breeds, including American Pit Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, and Staffordshire Bull Terriers, under a city ordinance. However, owners can keep one with a provisional permit, and the dog has to be microchipped, vaccinated, and spayed or neutered. City officials have been debating changes in 2026 that would shift toward behavior-based enforcement instead of breed alone, partly because witnesses and animal control aren’t always great at identifying breeds accurately.

Either way, if a restricted breed bites someone and the owner didn’t have a valid permit, that can add weight to a negligence claim on top of the state statute. And any bite, restricted breed or not, triggers a mandatory 10-day quarantine for the dog regardless of vaccination status, so animal control gets involved as a matter of course.

What to Do After a Dog Bite?

Get medical treatment right away, even if the wound looks minor.

Bites carry a real infection risk. Report it to animal control or local police, get the owner’s contact and insurance information if you can, and take photos of the injury and the scene.

Most homeowners’ and renters’ insurance policies cover dog bite liability, and that’s usually where the money actually comes from. An attorney can help figure out whether strict liability, negligence, or both apply to your case, and can deal with the insurance company directly so you’re not negotiating your own medical bills while you’re still healing.

The O’Sullivan Law Firm has represented Colorado injury victims for more than 25 years and can help you understand what your claim is worth. Call or text 303-388-5304 anytime for a free consultation.