Black Forest Dog Bite Lawyer
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If you were hurt in a dog bite in Black Forest, Colorado, you generally have 2 years to file (C.R.S. 13-80-102), the El Paso County Sheriff's Office holds the report because Black Forest is unincorporated, and the case is filed at the El Paso County Combined Courts in Colorado Springs. Call (719) 475-2555 for a free consultation.
Key Takeaways
- Deadline: 2 years to file (C.R.S. 13-80-102).
- Who responds: Black Forest is unincorporated, so the El Paso County Sheriff's Office takes the report — not a city police department.
- Where it is filed: El Paso County Combined Courts, 270 S Tejon St, Colorado Springs, CO 80903.
- Partial fault: Modified comparative fault, barred at 50% (C.R.S. 13-21-111).
What should I do after a dog bite in Black Forest?
Get medical attention the same day, then create the record.
Report it to the El Paso County Sheriff's Office, at 27 E Vermijo Ave, Colorado Springs, CO 80903 — that is the agency whose report an insurer will read, and requesting it from anywhere else wastes weeks. Photograph the scene before anything is moved, cleared or repaired, and get names for anyone who saw it. Black Forest is unincorporated, so no municipal police department or city ordinance layer exists; the county Sheriff takes the report a claim is built on. Say nothing to the other side's insurer until you have advice.
Who takes the report after a dog bite in Black Forest?
The El Paso County Sheriff's Office, at 27 E Vermijo Ave, Colorado Springs, CO 80903.
The El Paso County Sheriff's Office, at 27 E Vermijo Ave, Colorado Springs, CO 80903. Black Forest is unincorporated, so no municipal police department or city ordinance layer exists; the county Sheriff takes the report a claim is built on. That report is the record an insurer reads first, and it is requested from that agency and no other.
What Is a Black Forest Dog Bite Claim?
A Black Forest dog bite claim is a Colorado personal-injury action brought for a dog bite that happened in Black Forest, an unincorporated census-designated place in Black Forest, and filed in the El Paso County Combined Courts in Colorado Springs. Because Black Forest has no municipal police department, the El Paso County Sheriff's Office investigates and holds the report the claim depends on.
Because Black Forest is unincorporated, there is no municipal animal control department; the El Paso County Sheriff's Office responds and records the bite.
The Bussey Law Firm, P.C. brings these claims for Black Forest residents. See our Black Forest personal injury overview, or call (719) 475-2555.
Where Is a Black Forest Dog Bite Case Filed?
In the El Paso County Combined Courts at 270 S Tejon St, Colorado Springs, CO 80903, the district court serving Black Forest. Black Forest has no municipal court of its own.
| Where a claim is filed | El Paso County Combined Courts, 270 S Tejon St, Colorado Springs, CO 80903 |
|---|---|
| Responding agency | El Paso County Sheriff's Office (27 E Vermijo Ave, Colorado Springs, CO 80903) |
| Nearest hospitals | UCHealth Memorial Hospital North (4050 Briargate Pkwy) · CommonSpirit St. Francis Hospital (6001 E Woodmen Rd) |
| Deadline to file | 2 years — general personal injury actions (C.R.S. 13-80-102) |
| Governing statute | Strict liability for serious bodily injury or death (C.R.S. 13-21-124) |
| Fault rule | Modified comparative fault, barred at 50% (C.R.S. 13-21-111) |
| County | Black Forest |
| ZIP | 80908 |
| Main routes | Black Forest Road, Herring Road, Hodgen Road, Vollmer Road |
Who Investigates a Dog Bite in Black Forest?
The El Paso County Sheriff's Office, at 27 E Vermijo Ave, Colorado Springs, CO 80903. This matters more than it sounds: Black Forest is unincorporated, so there is no city police department and no municipal ordinance layer above Colorado law. The Sheriff's report is the record your claim is built on, and it is requested from the county rather than a city records office.
How Long Do You Have to File a Dog Bite Claim in Black Forest?
2 years. Colorado allows 2 years for general personal injury actions (C.R.S. 13-80-102). Missing that deadline normally ends the claim regardless of its merits, so the date of the dog bite is the first fact to establish.
What if You Were Partly at Fault?
You can still recover if you were less than 50% at fault. Colorado applies modified comparative fault, barred at 50% (C.R.S. 13-21-111): your damages are reduced by your share, and barred entirely at 50%. Insurers argue this aggressively on rural two-lane roads where there are no signals or lane markings to point to.
Where Are Black Forest Accident Victims Treated?
The nearest hospitals are UCHealth Memorial Hospital North (4050 Briargate Pkwy, Colorado Springs, CO 80920) and CommonSpirit St. Francis Hospital (6001 E Woodmen Rd, Colorado Springs, CO 80923). Treatment records from those facilities usually become the medical backbone of a Black Forest claim, and the transport distance from Black Forest Road is itself sometimes relevant to injury severity.
Which Black Forest Roads Produce the Most Claims?
The routes through the community are Black Forest Road (1.4 mi from the centre of Black Forest), Herring Road (2.2 mi from the centre of Black Forest), Hodgen Road (4.3 mi from the centre of Black Forest), Vollmer Road (4.4 mi from the centre of Black Forest), plus Colorado Highway 83. These are unlit two-lane county roads through wooded terrain, without a continuous paved shoulder — the conditions behind most right-of-way and visibility disputes here.
Which Colorado Statutes Govern a Black Forest Dog Bite Claim?
These are the controlling sections of the Colorado Revised Statutes, quoted in full. Text is taken from the Colorado General Assembly’s official Title 13 as published for 2024.
| 13-21-124(2) | dog-bite claims — strict liability for serious bodily injury or death |
|---|---|
| 13-80-102(1)(a) | non-vehicle injury claims — ATV on private land, dog bite, premises |
| 13-21-111 | every Colorado negligence claim |
C.R.S. 13-21-124(2) — civil actions against dog owners
A person or a personal representative of a person who suffers serious bodily injury or death from being bitten by a dog while lawfully on public or private property shall be entitled to bring a civil action to recover economic damages against the dog owner regardless of the viciousness or dangerous propensities of the dog or the dog owner's knowledge or lack of knowledge of the dog's viciousness or dangerous propensities.
C.R.S. 13-80-102(1)(a) — two-year limitation, tort actions
Tort actions, including but not limited to actions for negligence, trespass, malicious abuse of process, malicious prosecution, outrageous conduct, interference with relationships, and tortious breach of contract; except that this paragraph (a) does not apply to any tort action arising out of the use or operation of a motor vehicle as set forth in section 13-80-101 (1)(n);
C.R.S. 13-21-111 — comparative negligence as measure of damages
Contributory negligence shall not bar recovery in any action by any person or his legal representative to recover damages for negligence resulting in death or in injury to person or property, if such negligence was not as great as the negligence of the person against whom recovery is sought, but any damages allowed shall be diminished in proportion to the amount of negligence attributable to the person for whose injury, damage, or death recovery is made.
Why Choose The Bussey Law Firm for a Black Forest Dog Bite Claim?
Timothy Bussey has represented injury victims across Black Forest since entering private practice in 1997. The firm handles truck, motorcycle, pedestrian and premises liability claims from its Colorado Springs office. Consultations are free — call (719) 475-2555, or see our personal injury practice.
Meet Our Dog Bite Attorney
Timothy R. Bussey
Timothy R. Bussey is the founder of The Bussey Law Firm, P.C. Since entering private practice in 1997 he has represented injury victims across Black Forest, including Black Forest. He is a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America and a recipient of the Martindale-Hubbell Gold Client Champion Award.
Read more on Timothy Bussey’s profile, or see case results.
Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Every case is decided on its own facts.
Additional Information
- Black Forest personal injury overview
- Colorado Springs personal injury practice
- Case results
- Client reviews
Frequently Asked Questions: Black Forest Dog Bites
These are the questions Black Forest residents ask most often after a dog bite. If yours is not here, call (719) 475-2555.
Does it matter that Black Forest is unincorporated?
Yes. It decides which agency holds your report — the El Paso County Sheriff's Office, not a city police department — and it means no municipal ordinance applies on top of Colorado law.
Who investigates a dog bite in Black Forest?
The El Paso County Sheriff's Office at 27 E Vermijo Ave, Colorado Springs, CO 80903. Their report is the record your claim is built on, and it is requested from the county rather than a city.
El Paso County Combined Courts, 270 S Tejon St, Colorado Springs, CO 80903 — the district court serving Black Forest.
2 years for general personal injury actions (C.R.S. 13-80-102). Missing that deadline normally ends the claim regardless of its merits.
What if I was partly at fault?
Modified comparative fault, barred at 50% (C.R.S. 13-21-111). You may recover if you were less than 50% at fault, reduced by your share.
Do I have to travel to Colorado Springs?
Most matters resolve without a court appearance, and consultations are free.
What does a Black Forest dog bite claim cost?
Nothing up front. Call (719) 475-2555 for a free consultation.
Sources and References
- Colorado Revised Statutes, Title 13 (Colorado General Assembly)
- Colorado Revised Statutes, Title 42 (Colorado General Assembly)
- El Paso County Combined Courts — Colorado Judicial Branch
- El Paso County Sheriff's Office
- Black Forest
- Black Forest, Colorado — Wikipedia · Wikidata Q880249
Statutory text quoted verbatim from the Colorado General Assembly’s published Title 13 and Title 42, retrieved 21 August 2026. This page is general information, not legal advice.
Our Colorado Springs Office
The Bussey Law Firm, P.C.
12 E. Boulder Street
Colorado Springs, CO 80903
(719) 475-2555
Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
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Where is a Black Forest dog bite claim filed?
In the El Paso County Combined Courts at 270 S Tejon St, Colorado Springs, CO 80903 — the district court serving El Paso County, in the 4th Judicial District. Black Forest has no court of its own, so that is where the claim is heard however local the crash was.
How much is a Black Forest dog bite claim worth?
Nobody can price it from a web page, and the figure does not depend on where in El Paso County it happened. What sets it: your medical cost and future care and lost earnings, which are economic and uncapped; your pain and loss of enjoyment, which Colorado caps at $1,500,000 for claims accruing on or after 1 January 2025 (C.R.S. 13-21-102.5(3)(a)(II), up from $250,000 before that date); your share of fault; and how much insurance actually exists to pay it.
How long do I have to file a Black Forest dog bite claim?
2 years — general personal injury actions (C.R.S. 13-80-102). Missing that deadline normally ends the claim regardless of its merits, so the date of the incident is the first fact to establish.
How long does a Black Forest dog bite claim take to settle?
Longer than you want, and for a reason worth understanding: a claim should not settle before your doctors know what you are left with, because the release you sign is final. Filing suit inside the deadline puts the case on the El Paso County Combined Courts docket and replaces the adjuster's pace with a court's.
Do I need a lawyer for a dog bite in Black Forest?
Not for every claim — if nobody was hurt and fault is admitted, you can handle it yourself. Get advice when you needed more than one visit to a doctor, when fault is disputed, when the insurer wants a recorded statement, or when an offer arrives before you have finished treating. Black Forest is unincorporated, so no municipal police department or city ordinance layer exists; the county Sheriff takes the report a claim is built on. That status decides which agency holds the report and whether a municipal layer sits above Colorado law, and both change how the claim is built.
Do I have to travel to Colorado Springs to bring a Black Forest claim?
Almost never. Most injury matters resolve without a court appearance, and the firm handles Black Forest claims from its Colorado Springs office at 12 E. Boulder Street. Consultations can be held by phone.
What does a Black Forest dog bite lawyer cost?
Nothing up front, and nothing at all unless there is a recovery. Consultations are free and injury cases are handled on a contingency fee, so the firm is paid a percentage of what it recovers rather than by the hour. Call (719) 475-2555.
What if I was partly at fault in Black Forest?
Modified comparative fault, barred at 50% (C.R.S. 13-21-111). Your damages are reduced by your share and barred entirely at 50%, and insurers argue this hardest where there are no signals or lane markings to point to.