El Paso County · Landlord liability
Briargate Landlord Dog Bite Lawyers
Briargate dog bite in an apartment or HOA common area? Free consultation. No fee unless we recover for you.
When a Landlord or HOA Shares Responsibility
Colorado's dog bite statute, C.R.S. § 13‑21‑124, is written to hold the dog's owner responsible. It does not make a landlord automatically liable just because the attack happened on rental property. If you were bitten in Briargate and the only defendant is the owner, we build that case under the statute.
But rental housing and HOA communities raise a separate question. If a landlord, property manager, or homeowners association knew a dog on the property had a history of aggression and did nothing about it, or if the attack happened in an area they controlled, such as a shared yard, hallway, or parking area near Briargate Parkway or North Gate Boulevard, they may face a negligence claim independent of the owner's liability.
These are two different legal theories running side by side. The owner may answer for the bite under the dog bite statute, and the landlord or HOA may answer separately for what they knew and failed to do. We evaluate both angles from the start.
What We Look For in Landlord and HOA Cases
Notice is the central issue. We look at prior complaints to management, maintenance requests, emails or texts about the dog, animal control history, and whether staff or board members had seen the dog behave aggressively before your incident. A lease clause restricting certain breeds can be relevant to what the landlord knew, though a breed rule alone does not prove they are liable.
We also look at where the attack happened. A common area under the landlord's or HOA's control, like a courtyard, dog run, or shared walkway near Research Parkway, points toward premises responsibility. We pull the lease, HOA rules, incident reports, and any correspondence to piece together who knew what and when.
- Get medical care and keep all records from the visit
- Photograph the location of the attack, including any common area or fencing
- Save the lease, HOA rules, or any breed or pet policy documents
- Write down any prior complaints you know of about the dog
- Get the property manager's or HOA's contact and incident report if one exists
Handling Briargate Landlord and HOA Cases
Briargate has a mix of apartment complexes, HOA-governed neighborhoods, and rental homes near I-25, Briargate Parkway, and Monument. When a dog attack happens in a shared space in one of these communities, we send records requests to property managers and HOA boards early, before maintenance logs or complaint records disappear.
If a case needs to be filed, it goes through El Paso County Combined Courts. We coordinate with treatment providers, including UCHealth Memorial Hospital North, and gather documentation from local management companies familiar with the Briargate area.
What Damages May Be Available
- Medical treatment and follow-up care costs
- Scarring or disfigurement
- Lost income during recovery
- Pain and suffering
- Property damage from the incident
What clients say about McCormick & Murphy
Real outcomes and reviews. Check Google reviews for the office that serves Briargate — and read client testimonials.
A passenger suffered traumatic brain, neck, and back injuries in a Colorado Springs intersection collision. After the carrier refused a fair number, a jury awarded $295,000 including interest and costs.
El Paso County jury verdict
Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Every case depends on its facts, coverage, venue, and evidence.
Briargate Landlord liability FAQ
Is my landlord automatically responsible if I was bitten on the property?
No. Colorado's dog bite statute targets the dog's owner, not the landlord. A landlord can face a separate negligence claim, but only if the facts show they knew about a dangerous dog and failed to act, or they controlled the area where the attack happened.
Does a no-pets or breed-restriction clause in my lease help my case?
It can be useful evidence that the landlord had rules and possibly notice about certain dogs, but it does not by itself prove liability. We still need facts showing the landlord knew about this specific dog or ignored a violation.
Whose insurance pays first, the owner's or the landlord's?
The dog owner's homeowner or renter policy is usually the first place we look for coverage. Whether a landlord's or HOA's property policy applies is a separate question that depends on the facts, and not every landlord policy covers dog bite claims.
The attack happened in a shared hallway of my apartment building. Does that matter?
Yes. Attacks in common areas controlled by the landlord or HOA, rather than inside a private unit, can support a premises-based negligence claim in addition to any claim against the dog's owner.
What if the property manager says they never got any complaints about the dog?
We do not take that at face value. We request maintenance logs, prior incident reports, and any resident complaints to check whether the property had notice of a problem before your attack.
Discuss a Briargate dog bite
Free consultation. No attorney fee unless we recover for you.