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Commerce City Dog Bite Lawyers Who Fight for Every Dollar the Law Allows

Dog attacks in Commerce City and Adams County neighborhoods can produce devastating wounds, permanent scarring, and lasting psychological harm. CGH Injury Lawyers represents Commerce City dog bite victims from our Denver office, handling the insurance claim, the negotiation, and trial in Adams County District Court when necessary. You pay nothing unless we win your case.

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If a dog seriously hurt you or your child in Commerce City, Adams County, or the surrounding neighborhoods, Colorado law may make the dog's owner responsible even if the animal had never bitten anyone before.

  • Colorado's dog bite statute, C.R.S. 13-21-124, runs on two tracks. A bite that causes serious bodily injury triggers strict liability for the owner, covering your economic losses with no need to prove the owner knew the dog was dangerous.
  • For less serious bites, and for pain and suffering regardless of injury severity, you recover through a negligence claim by showing the owner knew or should have known the dog was dangerous (C.R.S. 13-21-124(6)(a)). Both paths are often pursued together in serious cases.
  • Most dog bite claims in Commerce City are paid by the dog owner's homeowner or renter liability insurance. The deadline to file a Colorado dog bite lawsuit is generally two years from the date of the bite (C.R.S. 13-80-102). A child victim's deadline is tolled until age 18.

CGH Injury Lawyers serves Commerce City dog bite victims from our Denver office. We file in Adams County District Court at the Adams County Justice Center in Brighton when a lawsuit is required, and we handle the insurance claim, the negotiation, and every stage through trial. No upfront fees. Free first consultation.

The law that governs your case

Colorado's dog bite statute, C.R.S. 13-21-124, and what it means for Commerce City victims

Colorado does not follow a pure one-bite rule, and it is not a pure strict-liability state. The dog bite statute sets up two separate tracks, and which one applies to your Commerce City case depends almost entirely on how badly you were hurt.

The core of the statute reads: a person who suffers serious bodily injury or death from being bitten by a dog while lawfully on public or private property may bring a civil action to recover economic damages against the dog owner, regardless of the viciousness or dangerous propensities of the dog or the owner's knowledge of them (C.R.S. 13-21-124(2)).

Two conditions must both be true for the strict-liability track to apply: your injury must meet Colorado's definition of serious bodily injury, and you must have been lawfully on the property where the bite happened. Meet both and the owner is liable for your economic losses even if the dog had zero history of aggression.

Commerce City is a community where dogs are common in residential neighborhoods, apartment complexes along Brighton Boulevard, and throughout Adams County. When an attack happens on a sidewalk, at a neighbor's home, during a delivery on Vasquez Boulevard, or anywhere else a resident has lawful reason to be, the same statute applies.

Strict liability vs. negligence

The two tracks under Colorado's dog bite law

The most important question in any Commerce City dog bite case is which liability track fits. One is significantly easier to win. The dividing line is the severity of the injury.

Track 1: Strict liability

  • Applies when the bite causes serious bodily injury or death.
  • You do not have to prove the owner was careless or that the dog had bitten before.
  • The bite itself establishes the owner's liability for your economic damages.
  • A first-time bite still counts. The dog's clean history is irrelevant on this track.
  • Recovery under strict liability is limited to economic damages (C.R.S. 13-21-124(2)).

Track 2: Negligence standard

  • Applies when the injury does not meet the serious bodily injury threshold, and for non-economic damages in serious cases.
  • You must show the owner knew or should have known the dog was dangerous.
  • Prior bite history, aggressive behavior, or an Adams County animal control complaint are the kinds of evidence that prove it.
  • This track is how non-economic damages such as pain and suffering are pursued, since the statute expressly leaves negligence theories intact (C.R.S. 13-21-124(6)(a)).
  • In a serious injury case, both tracks are typically pursued together.

What counts as serious bodily injury under Colorado's dog bite statute?

Colorado's dog bite statute borrows its definition of serious bodily injury from the criminal code (C.R.S. 18-1-901(3)(p)). It generally covers injuries that carry a substantial risk of death, serious permanent disfigurement, protracted loss or impairment of a body part, and certain fractures and burns. Facial scarring that does not fade, nerve damage producing lasting weakness, or a broken bone from an attack are the kinds of injuries that typically meet it.

Whether a specific injury crosses that line is a legal judgment, not something to assume on your own. We review your medical records against the statutory definition before we tell you which track your Commerce City case sits on.

How it works

How we handle your Commerce City dog bite case from start to finish

A Commerce City dog bite claim moves through clear stages, from a free case review to trial in Adams County District Court when an insurer refuses to be fair. Most cases resolve before a courtroom, but we prepare every case as if it will be tried in Brighton.

  1. Free case review

    We review where the bite happened in Commerce City, your injuries, and the circumstances, then tell you honestly which liability track fits and what your claim is worth. This costs you nothing and obligates you to nothing.

  2. Confirm the report and identify the dog

    We confirm the bite was reported to Commerce City or Adams County animal control, identify the dog and owner, and gather any records showing prior complaints or a history of aggressive behavior. Animal control records from Adams County can establish or support the negligence track.

  3. Document the full injury

    We build the complete medical record, including wound care, reconstructive procedures, scarring, nerve damage, and the psychological impact of the attack. Dog bite injuries often produce lasting PTSD and a fear of being outdoors, both of which are compensable harms that insurers routinely try to minimize. If you were treated at HCA HealthONE North Suburban Medical Center or UCHealth Commerce City, those records become the foundation of your damages claim.

  4. Find the right insurance coverage

    We locate the owner's homeowner or renter liability policy and check for breed exclusions, coverage limits, or umbrella policies. Some insurers that write policies in Adams County exclude certain breeds or cap dog bite coverage below the overall liability limit, which changes the strategy for how we pursue maximum recovery.

  5. Demand and negotiate

    We send a documented demand and negotiate from trial readiness, not from a willingness to accept the insurer's first offer. The dog owner's insurer knows Colorado law and will use it. So do we.

  6. File in Adams County District Court if needed

    If the insurer will not be fair, we file in Adams County District Court at the Adams County Justice Center, 1100 Judicial Center Dr., Brighton, CO 80601, in the 17th Judicial District, and present your case to an Adams County jury when that is what full recovery requires.

Many dog bite cases settle within a few months when liability is clear and the injury is well documented. Cases with disputed liability or severe injuries can take a year or more. We keep you informed at every stage and do not pressure you toward a settlement that undervalues your Commerce City claim.

Compensation

What compensation can you recover after a dog bite in Commerce City?

A dog bite is rarely just a medical bill. Colorado law recognizes two broad categories of damages, and which ones you can reach depends on which liability track applies to your case.

Economic damages

  • Emergency care, surgery, and follow-up treatment
  • Reconstructive and cosmetic surgery for scarring
  • Lost wages and lost earning capacity
  • Future medical and rehabilitation costs
  • Out-of-pocket expenses tied to the attack

Non-economic damages

  • Pain and suffering
  • Emotional distress and PTSD, both common after severe dog attacks
  • Permanent scarring and disfigurement
  • Loss of enjoyment of life and fear of outdoor activity

One distinction many Commerce City victims miss: the strict-liability track in C.R.S. 13-21-124(2) recovers economic damages only. To recover non-economic damages such as pain and suffering, you pursue a negligence theory, which the statute expressly leaves available (C.R.S. 13-21-124(6)(a)). In a serious injury case, both paths are almost always pursued together. We structure the claim so that no category of harm you suffered is left on the table.

Owner defenses

Defenses dog owners and their insurers use in Commerce City cases, and how we answer them

The statute lists specific situations where an owner is not liable (C.R.S. 13-21-124(5)). Insurers reach for these defenses quickly. Knowing what each one actually requires is how we keep a valid Commerce City claim alive.

  1. "You were trespassing"

    The statute protects people who are lawfully on the property where the bite occurred. Colorado defines lawful presence broadly to include anyone performing a legal duty, such as a mail carrier or delivery driver, and anyone there by the owner's express or implied invitation (C.R.S. 13-21-124(4)). An open gate, an unlocked fence, or the absence of posted warning signs can support lawful presence. The statute does bar liability where the property is clearly posted with no-trespassing or beware-of-dog signs, which is why the specific facts of how you entered and what signage was present matter from the beginning.

  2. "You provoked the dog"

    An owner is not liable when the person knowingly provoked the dog (C.R.S. 13-21-124(5)(d)). Knowingly is the operative word. Petting a dog, walking past it on a Commerce City sidewalk, or being startled is not provocation. Delivery workers bitten while approaching a door are among the most common claimants we see in Commerce City, and their approach to the property is never knowing provocation. We use witness statements, surveillance footage, and your own account to prevent ordinary, reasonable behavior from being recast as provoking the attack.

  3. "The dog was working"

    The statute carves out dogs used by peace officers or military personnel on duty, and dogs working as hunting, herding, farm, ranch, or predator-control animals on the owner's property (C.R.S. 13-21-124(5)). It also exempts bites against veterinary workers, groomers, handlers, and similar professionals acting in their duties. These exemptions are narrow and almost never apply to an ordinary household dog biting a neighbor, a child playing outside, or a Commerce City resident on a public sidewalk.

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The hard part of these cases

Filing against the insurance, not your Commerce City neighbor

The most common reason Commerce City dog bite victims hesitate is that the dog's owner is a neighbor, a family friend, or a relative. Understanding where the money actually comes from usually puts that concern to rest.

  • In most cases you file a claim against the owner's homeowner or renter liability coverage, not against their personal savings or assets. Your neighbors or relatives do not typically pay out of pocket.
  • Most homeowner and renter policies in Colorado include liability coverage that responds to dog bite claims, although some insurers writing Adams County policies exclude certain breeds or cap the dog bite coverage below the overall liability limit. We confirm the specific policy terms before any strategy is set.
  • The insurer pays the settlement or judgment up to the policy limits. The liability coverage exists precisely to protect both the injured person and the policyholder from out-of-pocket loss.
  • The insurance company will contest your Commerce City claim whether the dog's owner is a stranger or someone you care about. Having legal representation is how you make the insurer meet its full obligation.

Deadlines and reporting

Reporting the bite and the filing deadline for Commerce City victims

Two timing issues determine whether a strong Commerce City case remains viable: reporting the bite to the proper authority, and the statute of limitations.

  • Report the bite to Commerce City animal services or Adams County animal control even if the owner asks you not to. Reporting creates an official record, can initiate the local dangerous-dog process, and preserves evidence that will matter when we build your case.
  • The deadline to file most Colorado personal injury lawsuits, including dog bite claims, is generally two years from the date of the bite (C.R.S. 13-80-102). Do not wait until the deadline approaches. Animal control records, witness memories, and surveillance footage all fade faster than the legal clock runs.
  • When the victim is a child, Colorado law tolls the limitations period. The clock for a minor generally does not begin running until the child turns 18. Even with that extra time, a lawyer should be involved early because evidence does not wait for the clock.
  • Children are among the most common dog bite victims, and Commerce City residential areas are no exception. If your child was bitten, the time pressure on your family to act is lower than for an adult claim, but the need to preserve the record and get the medical documentation right from the start is just as urgent.

Your team

The team handling your Commerce City dog bite case

CGH Injury Lawyers is a eight-attorney Colorado firm founded in 2016, formerly Cheney Galluzzi and Howard. We serve Commerce City and all of Adams County from our single Denver office at 2701 Lawrence St., Suite 201. Managing Partner Kevin Cheney is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) and has tried over 25 cases to verdict. Timothy G. Tarr has been recognized by Best Lawyers every year since 2023. When a Commerce City dog bite case requires filing in Adams County District Court at the Adams County Justice Center in Brighton, our attorneys handle it directly.

ABOTA member on the team Tim Tarr: Best Lawyers in America since 2023 Over 25 cases to verdict Adams County coverage Bilingual EN / ES Free consultation No fee unless we win

Local knowledge

Commerce City courts. Adams County trauma care. The neighborhoods where dog attacks happen.

A Commerce City dog bite case lives in Commerce City: the neighborhood where the attack happened, the hospital that treated you, and the courthouse where your case may be filed. Here is the ground we work on.

Courthouse

Adams County District Court, 17th Judicial District, Adams County Justice Center

A Commerce City dog bite lawsuit that exceeds the county-court jurisdictional limit is filed in Adams County District Court, housed at the Adams County Justice Center, 1100 Judicial Center Dr., Brighton, CO 80601, in the 17th Judicial District. The local jury pool, the defense firms you face, and the procedural rules all differ from other Front Range counties. CGH handles Adams County District Court cases directly. There is no Commerce City office: we serve Adams County from our Denver office and file where your case belongs.

Trauma Care

HCA HealthONE North Suburban Medical Center (Level II Trauma Center) and UCHealth Commerce City ER

HCA HealthONE North Suburban Medical Center is the only Level II Trauma Center designated by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment in Adams County. Serious dog bite injuries requiring surgical repair, reconstructive procedures, or treatment of deep tissue damage may be stabilized there. UCHealth also operates a freestanding emergency room in Commerce City for less severe injuries, though it does not hold a trauma designation. Records from both facilities document the scope of your injuries and become the backbone of your damages claim.

Where Dog Attacks Happen in Commerce City

Residential neighborhoods, Brighton Boulevard corridor, and delivery routes on Vasquez Boulevard

Commerce City is an Adams County community with dense residential development along Brighton Boulevard, around Dick's Sporting Goods Park near 6000 Victory Way, and throughout neighborhoods adjacent to I-270 and U.S. Route 85. Dog bites in Commerce City frequently occur on residential sidewalks, in shared outdoor spaces near apartment complexes, and during delivery stops along Vasquez Boulevard and Brighton Boulevard corridors. Bites on public property and on private property where the victim was lawfully present are both covered under C.R.S. 13-21-124. We serve Commerce City, Globeville, Elyria, Swansea, and all of Adams County from our Denver office.

Frequently asked questions

Commerce City dog bite cases, frequently asked questions

Does the dog have to have bitten someone in Commerce City before for me to have a case?

No. Colorado rejects the one-bite rule for serious injuries. Under the strict-liability track in C.R.S. 13-21-124(2), the dog's prior history is irrelevant if your injury qualifies as serious bodily injury. The dog owner is liable for your economic damages even if the dog had never bitten anyone in Commerce City or anywhere else before. A prior bite history only becomes important under the negligence track, which applies when the injury is less severe or when you are pursuing non-economic damages like pain and suffering.

Can I recover pain and suffering after a dog bite in Commerce City?

Often, yes, but not through the strict-liability track alone. C.R.S. 13-21-124(2) limits the strict-liability claim to economic damages. To recover non-economic damages like pain and suffering, you pursue a negligence theory, which the statute expressly preserves (C.R.S. 13-21-124(6)(a)). In a serious Commerce City injury case, both paths are typically pursued at the same time. We structure the claim to reach every category of harm the law allows.

Where would my Commerce City dog bite lawsuit be filed?

A Commerce City dog bite lawsuit that exceeds the county-court jurisdictional limit is filed in Adams County District Court at the Adams County Justice Center, 1100 Judicial Center Dr., Brighton, CO 80601, in the 17th Judicial District. That court is the venue your case would be tried in if it goes to a jury. CGH Injury Lawyers handles Adams County District Court cases directly from our Denver office, with no separate Commerce City office.

How long do I have to file a dog bite claim in Colorado?

The deadline for most Colorado personal injury claims, including dog bites, is generally two years from the date of the bite (C.R.S. 13-80-102). If the victim is a child, the limitations period is tolled and the clock generally does not begin running until the child turns 18. Even with that additional time, get a lawyer involved early so the evidence, the animal control records, and the witness accounts are preserved while they still exist.

The dog owner says I provoked the dog. Does that end my Commerce City claim?

Not automatically. The statute bars owner liability only where the person knowingly provoked the dog (C.R.S. 13-21-124(5)(d)). The key word is knowingly. Petting a dog, walking past it on a Commerce City sidewalk, approaching a front door during a delivery, or being startled is not knowing provocation. We use witness statements, video from nearby cameras, and your account to prevent ordinary, reasonable conduct from being mischaracterized as provocation by the dog owner's insurer.

Who actually pays a dog bite settlement in Commerce City?

In most cases, the dog owner's homeowner or renter liability insurance pays, not the owner out of pocket. Most Colorado policies include this coverage, but some insurers writing Adams County policies exclude certain breeds or cap dog bite liability below the overall policy limit. We confirm the policy terms and coverage structure early so we know exactly what is available before any demand is sent.

What should I do right after a dog bite in Commerce City?

Get medical care first, whether at a Commerce City urgent care, the UCHealth Commerce City ER, or HCA HealthONE North Suburban Medical Center if the injuries are serious. Photograph your wounds, the dog, and the location of the bite. Identify the dog and its owner. Report the bite to Commerce City animal services or Adams County animal control, even if the owner asks you not to. Keep every receipt and medical record. Then call a lawyer before giving any recorded statement to the dog owner's insurer.

Does CGH Injury Lawyers have an office in Commerce City?

No. CGH Injury Lawyers has one office, at 2701 Lawrence St., Suite 201, Denver, CO 80205. We represent Commerce City and Adams County dog bite victims from that office, file cases in Adams County District Court at the Adams County Justice Center in Brighton, and meet you wherever is most convenient for you. You can reach us at (303) 209-9395 for a free consultation.

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CGH Injury Lawyers · Serving Commerce City and Adams County from 2701 Lawrence St., Suite 201, Denver, CO 80205