Dog Bite Lawyer Westminster

A dog bite changes everything in an instant. One moment you’re walking your own dog, greeting a neighbor, or watching your child play outside. The next, you’re bleeding, in pain, and trying to make sense of what just happened. If the dog belongs to someone you know—a neighbor, a friend, someone whose house your kids visit—the confusion only deepens.

You’re wondering whether you even have a right to take action. You’re worried about making things awkward. You’re replaying the moment in your head, asking yourself if you could have done something differently.

Here’s what you need to know: dog owners in Colorado are responsible for their animals. The injury you or your child sustained is real. The trauma is real. And the medical bills, lost wages, and psychological impact don’t disappear just because the dog “has never done this before” or because you know the owner.

At McCormick & Murphy, P.C., we represent people in Westminster and across the Denver metro area who have been bitten or attacked by dogs. Kirk McCormick and Jay Murphy understand the position you’re in—caught between your physical injuries and the uncomfortable reality of holding someone accountable. We handle the legal side so you can focus on healing.

Why Dog Bite Cases Are Different

Dog bite cases sit at an uncomfortable intersection. They’re personal injury claims, but they feel personal in a way car accident cases don’t. The dog may belong to your neighbor. Your children may play together. You may have petted that same dog a dozen times before.

This emotional complexity doesn’t change the facts. If a dog bit you or your child, caused injury, and required medical treatment, you have a legal claim. Colorado law is clear about this.

What makes these cases particularly challenging is that many people minimize their own injuries. A parent whose child was bitten may focus entirely on the physical wound and miss the nightmares that follow. An adult who was attacked while jogging may downplay the puncture wounds because “it could have been worse.” But infection, nerve damage, scarring, and psychological trauma are all very real consequences of dog bites—and they all factor into your claim.

Colorado’s Dog Bite Law: What You Need to Know

Colorado operates under a statute that makes dog owners strictly liable for certain injuries. That means if a dog bites someone in a public place or lawfully on private property, the owner is responsible for the damages—period. You don’t have to prove the owner was careless. You don’t have to show the dog had a history of aggression.

The law is designed this way because dog bites are preventable. Owners are expected to control their animals. When they don’t, and someone gets hurt, the law holds them accountable.

There are important nuances, though. The statute covers bites that cause “serious bodily injury,” which includes broken bones, disfigurement, and injuries requiring multiple sutures. If your injury doesn’t meet that threshold, you may still have a claim under common-law negligence—but that requires proving the owner knew or should have known the dog was dangerous.

This is why working with a lawyer who understands these distinctions matters. We know how to build your case under the legal framework that applies to your specific situation.

Common Dog Bite Injuries in Westminster

Dog bites are not simple wounds. Even when a bite seems minor at first, complications can develop quickly.

Puncture wounds from a dog’s teeth can drive bacteria deep into tissue, leading to infections that require hospitalization. Nerve damage can cause permanent loss of sensation or function in your hand, arm, or leg. Facial bites—especially common in children, who are often at a dog’s eye level—can cause disfiguring scars that require reconstructive surgery.

Larger dogs can knock victims to the ground, resulting in broken bones, head injuries, and lacerations from the fall itself. Older adults and young children are particularly vulnerable to these secondary injuries.

Then there’s the psychological impact. Children who are bitten often develop a lasting fear of dogs. Adults may experience anxiety, flashbacks, or avoidance behavior. These aren’t weaknesses—they’re documented trauma responses. And they’re compensable under Colorado law.

What to Do After a Dog Bite in Westminster

The moments and hours after a dog bite are critical—both for your health and for any legal claim you may pursue.

First, get medical attention. Even if the wound looks minor, dog bites carry a high risk of infection. A doctor can clean the wound properly, assess the need for stitches or antibiotics, and document the injury. That medical record becomes a cornerstone of your claim.

Second, identify the dog and its owner. Get the owner’s name, address, and phone number. Find out whether the dog is current on its rabies vaccination. If animal control responds, get the incident report number.

Third, document everything. Take photos of your injuries as soon as possible and again over the following days and weeks as bruising and swelling develop. Write down what happened while the details are fresh. If there were witnesses, get their contact information.

Fourth, report the bite to Westminster Animal Control. This creates an official record and alerts authorities to a potentially dangerous dog. Even if you know the owner and feel uncomfortable making the report, this step protects others in your community.

Finally, call a dog bite lawyer before you talk to any insurance company. The owner’s homeowner’s insurance will likely cover your claim, but their adjuster works for them—not for you. Anything you say can be used to minimize your claim. Let an attorney handle those conversations.

The Role of Homeowner’s Insurance in Dog Bite Claims

Most people don’t realize that homeowner’s insurance policies typically cover dog bites. This is important because it means pursuing a claim doesn’t necessarily require taking money directly from your neighbor’s pocket. The insurance company covers the damages—that’s what the premiums are for.

Understanding this can ease some of the guilt people feel about filing a claim. You’re not ruining anyone’s life. You’re holding an insurance policy accountable for what it was designed to cover.

That said, insurance companies are businesses. They will look for reasons to reduce or deny your claim. They may argue you provoked the dog. They may claim you were trespassing. They may offer a quick settlement that sounds reasonable but doesn’t cover your long-term medical costs or account for scarring and psychological trauma.

This is where having Kirk McCormick or Jay Murphy on your side matters. We know how these companies operate. We know what your claim is actually worth. And we don’t let adjusters bully injured people into accepting less than they deserve.

Proving Your Dog Bite Claim

Even in a strict liability state like Colorado, insurance companies will scrutinize your claim. They’ll look at where the bite occurred, what you were doing at the time, and whether the injury meets the legal standard for “serious bodily injury.”

We build your case by gathering evidence that answers those questions before the insurance company can use them against you. That includes medical records, photos of your injuries, witness statements, animal control reports, and documentation of the dog’s history if applicable.

If the dog has bitten someone before, that strengthens your claim significantly. If the owner failed to restrain the dog or violated a local leash law, that supports a negligence argument. If the bite occurred on public property or while you were lawfully on private property—delivering a package, attending a party, walking past on the sidewalk—the law is on your side.

We also work with medical experts who can testify about the severity of your injuries, the risk of complications, and the need for future treatment. For children, we may consult with psychologists who can explain the lasting impact of the trauma.

Compensation You Can Recover

Dog bite claims can include compensation for a wide range of damages. Medical expenses are the most obvious—emergency room visits, surgery, antibiotics, rabies shots, and any follow-up care. If your child needs scar revision surgery down the line, those future costs are part of your claim too.

You can also recover lost wages if your injuries kept you out of work. For serious bites that limit your ability to use your hand or arm, that may include compensation for reduced earning capacity.

Pain and suffering damages account for the physical pain you endured and the emotional distress that often follows a dog attack. For children, this can be substantial. A seven-year-old who now panics at the sight of dogs, refuses to play outside, and wakes up with nightmares has suffered real harm—and Colorado law recognizes that.

If the dog’s owner acted recklessly—say, by letting a dog with a known history of aggression run loose in a park full of children—you may be entitled to punitive damages as well. These are designed to punish egregious behavior and deter others from similar conduct.

What If the Dog Belonged to Someone You Know?

This is the question that keeps many dog bite victims from seeking legal help. The dog belongs to your neighbor. Your kids go to school together. You don’t want to make things awkward.

We understand that hesitation. But consider this: if the situation were reversed, wouldn’t you want the person your dog injured to get the medical care they need? Wouldn’t you expect your homeowner’s insurance to cover it?

Filing a claim isn’t about revenge or punishment. It’s about making sure you’re not stuck with thousands of dollars in medical bills because someone else’s dog bit you. It’s about ensuring your child gets the therapy they need to overcome their fear and trauma.

The dog owner’s insurance exists for exactly this situation. Using it is not a betrayal. It’s common sense.

And in our experience, people understand that—especially when they see the full extent of the injury and the medical bills that follow. What starts as an awkward conversation often ends with the owner admitting they feel terrible and want to make sure you’re taken care of.

How Long You Have to File a Dog Bite Claim in Colorado

Colorado’s statute of limitations for personal injury claims, including dog bites, is generally two years from the date of the injury. That may sound like a lot of time, but it goes faster than you think—especially when you’re dealing with medical appointments, follow-up care, and the daily reality of recovering from an injury.

More importantly, waiting too long can hurt your case. Witnesses’ memories fade. Medical records get harder to obtain. The dog may bite someone else in the meantime, and the owner may take steps to hide the animal’s history.

The sooner you talk to a lawyer, the stronger your case will be. At McCormick & Murphy, P.C., we handle dog bite claims throughout Westminster, Arvada, Thornton, Northglenn, and the surrounding Denver metro area. Kirk and Jay have seen how these cases unfold, and they know what it takes to get clients the compensation they deserve.

Why Choose McCormick & Murphy, P.C.

Dog bite cases require a specific kind of legal approach. You’re dealing with injured clients—often children—who are scared and confused. You’re navigating insurance policies that weren’t written with clarity in mind. And you’re often up against adjusters who will use any excuse to lowball a settlement.

Kirk McCormick and Jay Murphy bring both legal skill and genuine empathy to these cases. They don’t treat you like a file number. They listen. They explain what’s happening in plain language. And they fight to make sure you’re compensated fairly—not just for the injury you can see today, but for the scars, the trauma, and the fear that may linger for years.

We’ve represented clients throughout Westminster, Wheat Ridge, Lakewood, Commerce City, Aurora, Englewood, Littleton, Centennial, and beyond. We know the local courts, the insurance companies that operate in Colorado, and the tactics they use to avoid paying claims.

More than that, we know what it’s like to sit across from a parent whose child is afraid to leave the house or an adult who can’t shake the image of being knocked to the ground by a dog. Those aren’t abstractions to us. They’re the reason we do this work.

Your Rights Don’t Disappear Because You Know the Dog Owner

If you’ve been bitten by a dog in Westminster, you have options. You have the right to pursue compensation for your medical bills, your pain, your trauma, and your lost wages. You have the right to hold the dog owner—and their insurance company—accountable.

That doesn’t make you a bad neighbor. It makes you someone who refuses to shoulder the financial and emotional burden of someone else’s failure to control their animal.

The team at McCormick & Murphy, P.C. is here to help you understand those rights and take action. Call us at 888-668-1182 to talk through what happened and learn what your case might be worth. Consultations are free, and you don’t pay us unless we win your case.

You didn’t ask to be put in this position. But now that you’re here, you deserve a lawyer who will fight for you—not just process you. Let Kirk and Jay handle the legal side while you focus on healing.