Average Dog Bite Settlement in Colorado
How a Dog Bite Settlement Is Calculated
If a dog has bitten you or someone you love in Colorado, the first question is usually: how much is my case worth? There is no official Colorado average — what your claim is worth depends on your injury and on Colorado’s dog-bite law (below). Across the dog bite cases our firm has resolved, settlements have averaged about $49,900 (median $22,700), ranging from $1,000 to $505,000. If you’d rather just talk it through, we’re here 24/7 — call 866-592-4837.
What is the average dog bite settlement in Colorado?
Across the dog bite cases our firm has resolved nationwide:
- Average settlement: ~$49,900
- Median settlement: ~$22,700 (the “typical” case)
- Range: $1,000 to $505,000
The average is higher than the median because a handful of severe-injury cases (facial wounds, surgeries, permanent scarring) pull the average up. For most people, the median is the more realistic benchmark for what an everyday dog bite claim looks like.
A quick word on these numbers: every case is different, and past results never guarantee a future outcome. These figures are gross recoveries from real cases before attorney’s fees and costs, shared to give you a realistic starting point, not a promise.
Dog bite law in Colorado
Colorado’s dog-bite law has two tracks. Under C.R.S. § 13-21-124, a dog owner is strictly liable — regardless of whether the dog ever bit before — but only when the victim suffers serious bodily injury or death, and only for economic damages like medical bills and lost wages. For less severe bites, or to recover pain-and-suffering and other non-economic damages, you must show the owner was negligent or knew the dog was dangerous. You have two years to file (C.R.S. § 13-80-102), and Colorado uses modified comparative fault with a 50% bar (C.R.S. § 13-21-111) — if your share of fault is as great as the owner’s, you recover nothing.
How our dog bite settlements break down
We don’t yet have enough resolved Colorado cases to publish a Colorado-specific average, so here is how our dog bite settlements break down nationwide:
About half of all dog bite cases settle between $10,000 and $50,000, while roughly 1 in 7 exceed $100,000 when injuries are severe. The Insurance Information Institute does not publish a Colorado-specific claim figure, but nationally in 2025 insurers paid an average of about $65,450 per dog-bite claim across roughly 28,450 claims — an insurer payout, not a settlement. In Colorado, the severity of the injury matters a great deal, because the state’s strict-liability law only reaches serious injuries (below).
Real dog bite settlement examples
Illustrative outcomes from real cases our firm has resolved (nationwide). Details are generalized to protect client privacy; amounts are gross recoveries before fees and costs.
- $505,000: Severe attack with multiple surgeries and permanent disfigurement
- $275,000: Significant scarring and lasting nerve damage
- $151,000: Deep puncture wounds requiring surgical repair
- $100,000: Facial injury to a child
- $50,000: Moderate injury with visible scarring
- $22,500: Single bite requiring an ER visit and follow-up care
- $5,000 – $10,000: Minor bite, treated and healed without lasting injury
What affects how much your dog bite case is worth
- Severity of your injuries. Puncture wounds, broken bones, nerve damage, and infections all raise a claim’s value.
- Scarring and disfigurement. Permanent or visible scars (especially on the face) significantly increase compensation.
- Medical bills and future care. Surgeries, reconstructive procedures, and ongoing treatment are all recoverable.
- Lost wages. Time missed from work, and any lasting impact on your ability to earn.
- Emotional trauma. Anxiety, PTSD, and fear of dogs are real injuries the law recognizes.
- Insurance coverage. Most dog bite claims are paid by the owner’s homeowner’s or renter’s insurance. If the owner has no insurance, recovering money becomes much harder.
- Your state’s dog bite law. “Strict liability” states (like Illinois) make it far easier to recover than “one-bite” states.
Because the severity of the bite matters most, see typical settlements by Level 3, Level 4, or Level 5 bites, or see average dog bite settlement amounts across all cases.
Two cases that sound similar can settle for very different amounts. The biggest factors are:
How to find out what your dog bite case is worth
Try our Dog Bite Settlement Calculator for an instant ballpark based on your injuries.
Talk to us directly. A free case review gives you a far more accurate picture than any calculator, because we’ll look at the specifics insurance companies care about.
You don’t have to guess. There are two easy ways to get a real estimate:
Bitten by a dog? Find out what your case is worth.
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Colorado Dog Bite Settlement FAQs
There is no official Colorado average, and Colorado’s two-track law makes injury severity pivotal. Across all the dog bite cases our firm has resolved, settlements have averaged about $49,900 (median $22,700), from $1,000 to $505,000.
Both, depending on severity. Under C.R.S. § 13-21-124 Colorado imposes strict liability for economic damages when a bite causes serious bodily injury or death. For lesser injuries, or for pain-and-suffering damages, you must prove negligence or that the owner knew the dog was dangerous.
Colorado law (C.R.S. § 18-1-901) defines it to include injuries that create a substantial risk of death, cause serious permanent disfigurement, or cause a break, fracture, or lasting loss or impairment of a body part.
Two years from the date of the bite (C.R.S. § 13-80-102).
Because full damages often require a negligence theory, and the strict-liability track is capped to economic damages, how the claim is framed matters. Our consultation is free and you pay nothing unless we win.