A police sergeant in Broomfield was forced to shoot and kill a dog that attacked him and another woman as they tried to help the dog’s owner. The dog’s owner, an 83-year-old man, was walking a Staffordshire terrier around 9:30 am. The man collapsed and a witness called 911 for assistance and began to assist the man herself. However, the man’s dog charged her and bit her arm.
When the sergeant arrived two minutes later and tried to help the man, the dog attacked and bit him on the upper leg. When the dog refused to release his leg, the sergeant shot the dog. However, he was forced to fire again (killing the dog) when the dog tried to attack him again. All three people involved were taken to the hospital.
The Broomfield Police Department is investigating the incident.
What to do if a dog attacks you
Typically, dog bite cases don’t go to court. They’re usually settled through negotiations between the injured and the dog owner (or the owner’s insurance company). This practice is an effort to keep victims from becoming embroiled in an expensive and time-consuming lawsuit.
You should contact the dog’s owner if you’ve been injured. The best way is to write the owner a letter detailing the events of the incident. You should do this even if the dog’s owner knows the facts. You should include an itemized list of any expenses you incurred. It may help to also include local and state dog-bite laws.
In addition, you should give a payment deadline as an incentive for the owner. You should also stress that, while you don’t want to, you will take the issue to small claims court if the two of you cannot come to an agreement. Luckily, the owner’s homeowners insurance may cover the cost—a fact that many dog owners may not know.
So you’ve been bitten by a dog and tried to work things out with the owner with no success – now you’re going to court. If your losses aren’t too large, you should make use of small claims court. Many states allow you to be able to sue for up to $10,000.
If you’re going to take your dog bite case to court, you need to look up your state’s laws. If your state doesn’t have a dog bite statute, you may be able to sue under the common law rule. However, to win under a common law rule, you need to be able to prove that the owner knew (or could have suspected) that their dog was likely to cause an injury.
If your state doesn’t have a dog bite statute, you will have to prove that the dog owner was negligent and knew that the dog had the potential to be dangerous. Some states place time limits on how long you have to file a claim, which means you need to work on your case as soon as possible.
If you have been bitten by another dog and sustained injuries, please schedule a free consultation with an attorney specializing in dog bite cases at Denver’s Babcock Law Firm to discuss your case today.
