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By Elliot Singer, Esq. · Published
Question 1
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Dog bite rules differ by state.
Informational estimate only. It is not legal advice, a valuation, or a promise of recovery. Actual results depend on evidence, fault, and available insurance.
A dog bite happens in a second and stays for months. The wound needs care, the scar keeps changing, and for a lot of people the fear of dogs outlasts both. If you are reading this a few days or weeks in, you are probably trying to figure out whether this is a claim and roughly what it involves.
The calculator gives you an illustration built from your answers. It is not a valuation, and it cannot see the photos, the records, or the policy. Use it to understand how the pieces fit, then decide whether you want someone to look at the real thing.
| Worst of the injury | Multiplier band |
|---|---|
| Minor bite or scrape, no stitches | 1.5x to 2x |
| Puncture wounds treated with wound care | 1.5x to 2.5x |
| Lacerations closed with stitches | 2x to 3x |
| Infection needing IV antibiotics or a hospital stay | 2.5x to 3.5x |
| Surgery or reconstruction | 3x to 4x |
| Nerve or tendon damage | 3.5x to 4.5x |
These bands are an illustration of the multiplier method, not a rule any insurer or court follows. For a facial scar, especially on a child, a multiplier tied to the bills can understate the claim.
Colorado addresses dog bites in C.R.S. § 13-21-124. When a bite causes serious bodily injury or death to someone lawfully on public or private property, the owner is liable for economic damages, such as medical bills and lost income, whether or not the dog had shown dangerous tendencies before. You do not have to prove the owner knew.
Serious bodily injury is usually the point of dispute. Lacerations needing stitches or surgical repair, infections needing hospital care, broken bones, nerve damage, and facial scarring may qualify, depending on the facts. Bites below the threshold can still support a claim through negligence: an off-leash dog in violation of a local leash law, for example, or an owner who failed to control the dog.
The statute does not apply when the person bitten was unlawfully on the property, was on the owner's property clearly and conspicuously posted with “no trespassing” or “beware of dog” signs, or knowingly provoked the dog. It also excludes certain police, military, and working dogs and dog professionals acting in that role.
Pain and suffering, scarring, and emotional distress generally require a fault-based claim such as negligence, negligence per se, or premises liability, even when strict liability covers the bills. Colorado's modified comparative fault rule (C.R.S. § 13-21-111) applies to those claims: a recovery is reduced by the injured person's share of fault and barred at 50% or more.
Arizona (A.R.S. § 11-1025) and California (Civil Code § 3342) make the owner liable for bites in a public place or lawfully in a private place. In Arizona, the deadline for the statutory claim may be as short as one year. Kansas has no general dog bite statute; liability depends on the facts, often including whether the owner knew or had reason to know the dog was dangerous. In any other state, a lawyer licensed there can tell you which rule applies.
Hypothetical facts, round numbers, no real client. An adult walking on a Denver sidewalk is bitten on the forearm by a neighbor's dog that got out of its yard. The ER closes the wound with stitches, and it leaves a noticeable scar. The bills come to $8,000 and they miss $2,000 of work. They did nothing to the dog. The owner has a $300,000 homeowner's policy.
| Economic damages ($8,000 medical + $2,000 wages) | $10,000 |
| Band: stitches 2x to 3x, plus 0.5x for a noticeable scar | 2.5x to 3.5x |
| Pain, suffering, and scarring ($10,000 × 2.5 to 3.5) | $25,000 to $35,000 |
| Fault reduction | None |
| Policy limit ($300,000) | Not reached |
| Range shown | $35,000 to $45,000 |
On the liability side, a laceration closed with stitches and a lasting scar may meet Colorado's serious bodily injury threshold, depending on the facts, and the person was lawfully on a public sidewalk. That points toward strict liability for the bills, with negligence (a dog loose from its yard) carrying the pain and scarring.
Now change one fact: the owner says the person reached toward the dog first. The calculator applies a 25% reduction and the range becomes $26,250 to $33,750. Whether that argument holds up depends on what actually happened.
Illustration only. It is not a Conduit Law result, not a prediction for any claim, and not a statement of what a claim like this would settle for.
For a closer look at value, read our guide to dog bite settlements in Colorado. If you want the pain and suffering math on its own, with the per diem method too, try the pain and suffering calculator.
Our guide on what to do after a dog bite in Colorado covers each step in more detail.
An average does not tell you much. It lumps a minor nip on the forearm in with a disfiguring facial injury to a child, and those claims settle very differently. What matters is the injury, the scarring, who was bitten, the medical costs, and how much insurance stands behind the owner. The calculator above works from those facts instead.
It depends on the medical costs and lost income, how serious the wound was, whether it scarred and where, whether the person bitten is a child, any share of fault, and the owner's insurance. Most dog bite claims are paid from the owner's homeowner's or renter's liability coverage, and that policy limit is usually the practical ceiling.
For serious bites, yes, for economic damages. Under C.R.S. § 13-21-124, a dog owner is liable for economic damages such as medical bills and lost income when a bite causes serious bodily injury or death to someone lawfully on public or private property, regardless of the dog's history. Less serious bites, and noneconomic losses, are usually pursued through negligence.
Yes, but usually through a fault-based claim. The strict liability statute covers economic damages. Pain and suffering, scarring, disfigurement, and emotional distress generally require a theory such as negligence, negligence per se (for example, a leash-law violation), or premises liability. The same facts often support both.
Usually the dog owner's homeowner's or renter's insurance. Some policies exclude certain breeds or animals, and not every renter carries insurance. A landlord who knew about a dangerous dog, a business that controlled the dog, or an umbrella policy can be another source of coverage.
There is no price list. Scar value depends on location (the face counts for far more than an arm or leg), size and visibility, whether it affects movement or expression, the person's age, and whether plastic surgery can improve it. Scars take roughly 12 to 18 months to reach their final appearance, so early photos rarely tell the whole story.
A claim can still be brought against the owner directly, but collecting depends on the owner's own assets. If the owner rents, a landlord's policy may matter, and a business that kept or controlled the dog may have commercial coverage.
Generally 2 years under C.R.S. § 13-80-102(1)(a), whether the claim proceeds under strict liability or negligence. Colorado's rules for minors can affect timing in some situations, but do not assume a child's deadline is extended. Claims against public entities have their own notice rules.
In a few ways. Children are bitten on the face and head more often, and they live with a scar for decades, which tends to raise a claim's value. A settlement of a child's claim is commonly reviewed and approved by a court, and the money is often held in a restricted account until the child is an adult.
Take your time with it. An early offer is usually made before the scar has matured, before treatment is done, and before any emotional effects are documented. Accepting usually means signing a release that ends the claim, so it is worth knowing the full extent of the injury first.
Not always. Some people handle a minor bite with a short recovery on their own. A lawyer tends to matter more when there is scarring, a child was bitten, the owner disputes what happened, coverage is unclear, or the injury may be worth more than the policy. A free case review can help you decide.
A free case review starts from the photos, the records, and the insurance, not from a formula. Dog bite claims are part of our Denver personal injury practice.
No Fee Unless We Win. Costs or adverse fees may still apply. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.