Dog Bite Lawyer Longmont

A dog bite can change everything in an instant. One moment your child is playing outside. The next, you’re in the emergency room watching a doctor clean deep puncture wounds while your child cries. Or you’re walking through your own neighborhood when a dog you’ve never seen lunges through a gap in a fence and latches onto your arm.

The injury is real. The fear that follows is real. And what many people don’t realize until it happens to them: the legal rights that follow are real too.

If you or someone you love was bitten by a dog in Longmont, you’re probably dealing with more than just the physical wounds. You’re worried about infection. You’re replaying what happened, wondering if you could have done something differently. If the dog belongs to a neighbor or someone you know, you might feel guilty about even thinking about legal action.

Those feelings are normal. They’re also exactly why dog owners carry liability insurance and exactly why Colorado law holds them responsible when their animals hurt someone.

At McCormick & Murphy, P.C., we’ve walked families through this situation many times. We know what questions you’re asking right now, and we know what steps need to happen next to protect your rights and your recovery.

Why Dog Bites in Longmont Are Taken Seriously Under Colorado Law

Colorado operates under what’s called a strict liability statute for dog bites. That means if a dog bites you in a place where you have a legal right to be — your yard, a public sidewalk, a neighbor’s porch after being invited over — the owner is legally responsible for your injuries. It doesn’t matter if the dog has never shown aggression before. It doesn’t matter if the owner is surprised or apologetic.

The law is clear because the injury is clear. A dog bite can cause deep tissue damage, nerve injury, infection, scarring, and lasting emotional trauma. Children are especially vulnerable, and the psychological impact of an attack can follow them for years.

Longmont is a beautiful place to live, with parks, trails, and tight-knit neighborhoods where people walk their dogs daily. Most dog owners are responsible. But when someone fails to control their animal, and that animal hurts you or your child, you don’t have to absorb the cost of that failure.

What Counts as a Dog Bite Injury

People sometimes assume that unless the injury required surgery or resulted in massive scarring, it doesn’t qualify for a claim. That’s not true.

A dog bite claim can arise from:

• Puncture wounds that break the skin
• Lacerations requiring stitches
• Crush injuries from a dog’s jaws
• Infections such as cellulitis or sepsis that develop after the bite
• Nerve or tendon damage
• Facial injuries or disfigurement
• Scarring that is permanent or requires reconstructive procedures
• Emotional trauma, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress — especially in children

Even a bite that seems minor at first can become serious. Bacteria from a dog’s mouth can cause infections that spread quickly. What starts as redness and swelling can turn into a medical emergency if not treated aggressively.

If the attack caused you to miss work, rack up medical bills, or live in fear of dogs where you once felt safe, those are real damages. They matter, and they’re compensable under Colorado law.

What to Do Right After a Dog Bite in Longmont

The minutes and hours after a dog bite can feel chaotic. You’re focused on stopping the bleeding, comforting your child, or getting yourself to safety. But there are a few steps that can make a significant difference in your ability to recover compensation later.

First, get medical attention. Even if the wound doesn’t look severe, a dog’s mouth carries bacteria that can cause dangerous infections. A healthcare provider will clean the wound properly, assess whether you need a rabies or tetanus shot, and document the injury in your medical records. That documentation becomes critical evidence.

Second, report the bite. Contact Longmont Animal Control or the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office. An official report creates a record of the incident and may reveal whether the dog has a history of aggression. If the dog is a repeat offender, that strengthens your case.

Third, gather information. Get the dog owner’s name, address, and homeowner’s insurance information if possible. Take photos of your injuries, the location where the attack happened, and the dog if you can do so safely. If there were witnesses, get their contact information.

Finally, don’t give a recorded statement to the dog owner’s insurance company without talking to a lawyer first. Insurance adjusters are trained to minimize payouts. What sounds like a friendly conversation is actually a strategy to lock you into a version of events that limits your claim.

The Role of Homeowner’s Insurance in Dog Bite Cases

Most dog bite claims are paid by the dog owner’s homeowner’s insurance policy. These policies typically include liability coverage for injuries that occur on the owner’s property or are caused by the owner’s animal, even if the bite happens somewhere else.

That means when you file a dog bite claim, you’re not personally attacking your neighbor or putting them in financial jeopardy. You’re making a claim against their insurance coverage — coverage they pay for precisely because accidents and injuries can happen.

The insurance company, however, does not work for you. Their goal is to pay as little as possible, as quickly as possible, and close the file. They may offer you a settlement within days of the attack. That offer will almost never cover the full cost of your medical treatment, lost wages, and future care.

Before you accept any offer or sign any release, talk to a lawyer who handles dog bite cases. Once you settle, you can’t reopen the claim if complications arise later.

When the Dog Belongs to Someone You Know

This is where many people hesitate. The dog that bit you belongs to your neighbor. Or a family friend. Or someone your kids play with at the park. You don’t want to ruin a relationship or seem like you’re taking advantage of a terrible accident.

Here’s the truth: filing a claim is not an act of aggression. It’s an acknowledgment that a real injury occurred and that someone needs to be responsible for the medical bills, the lost income, the therapy appointments, and the scars.

The dog owner is protected by insurance. You, on the other hand, are dealing with expenses and consequences that didn’t exist before their animal attacked you. Choosing not to file a claim doesn’t erase the injury. It just means you absorb the entire financial burden yourself.

Most responsible dog owners understand this. They carry insurance because they know their dog is an animal and animals can be unpredictable. If the owner reacts with anger or defensiveness, that’s a sign of their own guilt and fear, not a reflection of your right to be made whole.

Colorado’s Statute of Limitations for Dog Bite Claims

In Colorado, you generally have two years from the date of the dog bite to file a personal injury lawsuit. If you’re filing on behalf of a child, the timeline can be different, but you should not wait.

Two years might sound like plenty of time. It’s not. Medical treatment takes time. Gathering evidence takes time. Negotiating with insurance companies takes time. And if your case doesn’t settle and needs to go to trial, you’ll need every available day within that window.

More importantly, the sooner you act, the stronger your case. Witnesses’ memories fade. Photos of injuries heal. Records get lost. Starting the process early means you preserve the evidence that proves what happened and how it hurt you.

Compensation You May Be Entitled To

A dog bite claim in Longmont can include several types of compensation, depending on the severity of your injuries and the circumstances of the attack.

Medical expenses are the most obvious. This includes emergency room visits, stitches, antibiotics, rabies or tetanus shots, follow-up appointments, physical therapy, and any future surgeries or reconstructive procedures. If your child needs therapy to overcome a fear of dogs, those sessions count too.

Lost wages come into play if you had to miss work to recover or attend medical appointments. If the injury prevents you from returning to your job at full capacity, you may be entitled to compensation for diminished earning capacity.

Pain and suffering covers the physical pain of the injury and the emotional toll of the attack. For children, this can include nightmares, anxiety around animals, and the social impact of visible scarring.

Scarring and disfigurement, especially on the face, hands, or other visible areas, can have a lasting impact on your quality of life. Colorado law recognizes that these injuries are compensable even if they don’t prevent you from working.

In rare cases where the dog owner’s conduct was especially reckless — for example, they knew the dog was aggressive and failed to secure it anyway — punitive damages may be available. These are meant to punish the owner and deter similar behavior.

Why Children Are at Greater Risk

Children are disproportionately affected by dog bites. They’re smaller, so they’re more likely to suffer bites to the face, neck, and head. They’re more trusting, so they may approach a dog that’s showing signs of aggression without recognizing the danger. And they’re less able to defend themselves once an attack begins.

The psychological impact on a child can be profound. A dog attack can create a lasting fear of animals, disrupt sleep, and cause anxiety in situations that used to feel safe. For some children, the trauma reshapes how they move through the world.

If your child was bitten, don’t minimize the injury because they seem to be bouncing back. Children are resilient, but they also internalize trauma in ways that don’t always show up immediately. Getting them the care they need now — medical, psychological, and legal — is not overreacting. It’s protecting their future.

What McCormick & Murphy, P.C. Does for Dog Bite Victims

We start by listening. We want to know what happened, how you’re feeling, and what questions are keeping you up at night. Then we explain your options in plain language. No jargon. No pressure. Just honest guidance about what comes next.

From there, we handle the investigation. We gather medical records, talk to witnesses, obtain animal control reports, and document the full extent of your injuries. We deal with the insurance company so you don’t have to field their calls or worry about saying the wrong thing.

Our job is to build a case that reflects the true cost of what happened — not just the emergency room bill, but the ongoing treatment, the time away from work, the fear your child now carries, and the scar that won’t fade.

We’ve represented clients across Longmont, Boulder, and the surrounding areas. We know how these cases unfold, we know what the insurance companies will try, and we know how to push back.

You Don’t Have to Carry This Alone

Dog bites are traumatic. They happen fast, they hurt, and they leave you wondering what you’re supposed to do next. The answer is simpler than you think: you take care of yourself, and you let someone who knows this area of law take care of the rest.

You don’t owe the dog owner your silence. You don’t owe the insurance company a quick settlement. You owe yourself and your family a fair recovery.

If you were bitten by a dog in Longmont, call McCormick & Murphy, P.C. at 888-668-1182. We’ll talk through what happened, answer your questions, and help you understand your rights. There’s no cost to talk, and no obligation to hire us. But if we can help, we will.