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Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Defiance, MO

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Posted by Emily Herr on March 23, 2022

Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Defiance, MO

Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Defiance, MO. Dogs are beloved pets and, to some, even considered family members or honorary coworkers. Many of us have pet dogs in Defiance, MO and we get a lot of joy from spending time with them. However, dogs are animals and do not have the ability to verbally communicate to us how they feel or what they are thinking. Whether they felt threatened, were sick or for one reason or another were prompted to act on their instincts to attack, when a dog bites you, you should be compensated. There are Defiance and Missouri laws in place and many things responsible pet owners can do to mitigate the risk of an attack, but dog bites and dog bite injuries still occur in Defiance, MO. When you or someone you know becomes the victim of a dog bite, it is our job to help you recover fair compensation.

If your or someone you love has been injured in a dog bite incident, contact Combs Waterkotte today at (314) 900-HELP. Our Defiance, MO dog bite injury lawyers handle each case fervently and with great care and dedication. You did not deserve to be injured and it would be unjust to leave you to suffer the consequences on your own. Missouri law provides a path for you to recover full compensation for the damages and losses you have experienced because of the attack, but in order to collect just compensation, you are going to need help from a skilled Defiance, MO dob bite injury lawyer. Our distinguished team of attorneys have the skills and resources to get you full compensation that will restore you after been harmed. Discuss your Defiance, MO case with Combs Waterkotte for free today. Start by contacting us now.

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What compensation can I get with the help of a dog bite injury lawyer in Defiance, MO?

Every Defiance, MO dog bite injury claim is different and you are likely to experience anxiety and uncertainly about your case after a dog hurts you. The value of a dog bite claim in Defiance, MO could be anywhere from $10,000 for minor but demonstrable injuries to more than $100,000 for bites that result in more serious, permanent damage and expensive medical bills. However, to truly understand what kind of settlement you can expect to receive in your Defiance, MO dog bite injuries, you must speak to a qualified St. Louis dog bite injury lawyer like the attorneys of Combs Waterkotte. Your compensation depends, in addition to other factors, on how extensive and debilitating your injuries and other damages are.

Damages you can recover in a dog bite injury case in Defiance, MO include:

  • Medical expenses
    • Ambulance bill
    • Emergency room fees
    • Hospital stay costs
    • Doctors’ bills
    • Surgery
  • Treatment costs
    • Prescriptions
    • Physical therapy, chiropractic, and other outpatient care
    • Mental health counseling
  • Physical pain
  • Emotional and psychological suffering
  • Loss of enjoyment of life
  • Lost wages
  • Lost future earning capacity
  • Loss of benefits

The total sum you collect depends greatly on a variety of variables, including whether or not you hire a lawyer in Defiance, MO. It is important to note that a Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer in Defiance, MO will not take on your case unless we can add value, meaning we will not agree to work for you unless we believe we can help you recover more money than you would be able to recover by yourself. This includes our contingency-fee model, which means that your Combs Waterkotte Defiance, MO dog bite injury lawyer will not charge you anything unless we win your case. Then, at the end of the case, we collect a percent of your full settlement. That means our experienced dog bite injury lawyers in the Defiance, MO area provide quality legal support at no out-of-pocket costs to you. You have nothing to lose by contacting our Defiance, MO dog bite injury lawyer team about your case to find out if we can help.

How much can I get for my case with a dog bite injury lawyer in Defiance, MO?

On average, a victim in a dog bite injury case can recover about $40,000 for a “severe but typical dog bite injury”, while dog bites that leave disfiguring scars could bring closer to $100,000 and dog bites that result in permanent disability can result in settlements of over $200,000.

While we wish we could promise an exact number, these averages do not guarantee anything in your particular case. Because your recovery depends on the unique circumstances and characteristics of your individual case, it is important that you speak to a dog bite injury lawyer in Defiance, MO. Trust the Defiance, MO dog bite attorneys of Combs Waterkotte and ask us to review your dog bite injury case today.

Factors That Influence the Value of a Dog Bite Case

The following factors determine the value of your case:

  • The dog bite leaves visible scarring or disfigurement.
  • Your injuries have caused permanent disability.
  • Your dog bite injuries necessitated emergency medical attention.
  • You had to receive surgery or other significant medical treatments for your injuries.
  • You suffered psychological harm from the dog bite incident that required professional mental health treatment.

These are all facts of your case that your Combs Waterkotte Defiance, MO dog bite injury lawyer will work diligently to get to the bottom of and prove. We dedicate our full resources to trracking down evidence, evaluating liability and building a strong argument to make sure you get an excellent result in your Defiance, MO dog bite injury claim.

In addition to the situation surrounding the accident and the severity of your injuries, the total compensation your Defiance, MO dog bite injury lawyer can get you will also depend on other factors, such as:

  • What party or parties are liable for the dog bite
  • The liable party’s insurance coverage policy limits
  • The sum of the economic damages you have suffered as a result of the bite, including the total cost of all of your medical bills
  • How your dog bite injury lawyer assesses and calculates your non-economic damages
  • The ability of your dog bite injury lawyer to negotiate a settlement for your case

On average, settlements in personal injury claims like dog attacks are threefold for plaintiffs who hire a dog bite injury lawyer to represent them in their claim than for those who attempt to reach a settlement without legal representation. Find out if Combs Waterkotte can help you collect a higher, more just settlement in your Defiance, MO dog bite case by reaching us at (314) 900-HELP today to go over your case with a knowledgeable Defiance, MO dog bite injury lawyer.

Defiance, MO Dog Bite Injury Lawyer: Determining Liability

To get a complete settlement that makes you whole after being harmed in a dog bite incident, you will need to work with your Defiance, MO dog bite injury lawyer to figure out who is legally responsible for the damages you have suffered and, thus, who to hold accountable for your suffering.

The idea of liability in a dog bite or any personal injury case has to do with who is responsible for your damages. A knowledgeable dog bite injury lawyer in Defiance, MO with Combs Waterkotte is well-acquainted with Missouri law and has first-hand experience with a variety of situations related to liability in dog bites and other personal injury cases. We help you hold the right people accountable and make sure they pay for the losses you have suffered.

dog bite injury lawyer Defiance, MO | Combs Waterkotte Missouri dog bite injury lawyers

In Missouri, Revised Statute Section 273.036 makes our state one that practices strict liability in dog bite injury cases. Strict liabillity is a legal policy that names a party accountable — in this case, the dog owner — irrespective of their intention or whether there was fault. That means that your Defiance, MO dog bite injury attorney does not necessarily have to prove that the dog owner was negligent or had the dog attack you on purpose. In your Missouri dog bite injury case, you only need to show that you were injured and it was the owner’s dog that injured you. Specifically, the Missouri statute lays out that the Defiance or Missouri dog bite owner is liable for your injuries if:

  • you were injured as a result of a dog bite;
  • you were on public property or were on a private property legally (in other words, you were not trespassing); and
  • you did nothing to provoke the dog to attack.

If you were not trespassing and a dog bit you unprovoked, your Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer in Defiance, MO will use our expertise to get you a fair recovery in your strict liability claim against the dog’s owner, and most of the time it is the dog owner’s homeowners or renters insurance that will cover the cost of your damages. However, there may be other types of liability and parties who are to blame for your dog bite injures, too.

  • Negligence: You may have a negligence claim if a person was negligent, either in their actions or failure to act, in upholding their duty of care to you. Someone who allows a dog to run free through the neighborhood unsupervised or does not put their large, aggressive dog away when they are expecting visitors to their home could be considered negligent and your Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer will diligently hold them accountable in a negligence claim. If a property owner or landlord was aware of but neglected to fix a broken fence and a tenant’s dog got out of the property and bit someone, the landlord may be negligent.
  • Negligence per se: Negligence per se is when a party is legally liable by the act of breaking a law. Rather than proving that the defendant did not act with care as a reasonable person would, your Defiance, MO dog bite lawyer proves that the defendant is liable for your injuries by default because they broke a law that was meant to keep you safe. For example, some towns and municipalities have laws that require owners to keep their dogs on leashes or prohibit dogs from being on others’ properties without permission from the property owner. If the person in possession of the dog broke one of these rules and that dog bit you, you may have a case of negligence per se.

Who is responsible for my dog bite damages?

Due to the potential for negligence claims beyond the strict liability statute in Missouri, you may have a case against other parties other than the owner of the dog. Depending on the circumstances of who was involved, where the bite occurred, and what the parties in question did or did not do, your dog bite injury lawyer in Defiance, MO may identify additional responsible inidividuals in your Defiance, MO dog bite case, like:

  • Landlords
  • Stores
  • Employers
  • Government organizations
  • Dog walkers
  • Businesses where dogs are present, such as pet stores, dog daycare facilities, etc.

If you or someone you love have been injured in a dog bite incident and you suspect that additional parties share the blame or that the owner has more blame than strict liability covers, take the first step toward your recovery and speak to a dog bite injury lawyer in Defiance, MO about your case as soon as possible. Combs Waterkotte is equipped with a team of exceptional Defiance, MO dog bite injury attorneys ready to fight for your recovery and hold the right parties accountable. You did not deserve to be attacked or harmed, and you should be made whole through all legal remedies available to you under Missouri law. Let Combs Waterkotte help you get the recovery you deserve. Call us now at (314) 900-HELP.

Our Defiance, MO attorneys can help you seek justice in any type of personal injury or criminal case. The types of cases we take on include but are not limited to:

    Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Defiance, Missouri: Talk to a Lawyer Today

    When you or a loved one are suddenly thrown off course by way of an unexpected dog bite injury, a dog bite injury lawyer in Defiance, MO with Combs Waterkotte will work hard to bring you justice. A dog bite can be quite traumatic, and the physical and psychological injuries it leaves can have a significant impact on your life. You have a chance to be made whole again by consulting with an accomplished Defiance, MO dog bite injury lawyer today.

    As your dog bite injury lawyer, we are here to demand that you are justly compensated after suffering the harm of something like a dog bite attack. After being bitten and injured by a dog, call Combs Waterkotte right away at (314) 900-HELP or reach us online to learn how we can help you with your case.

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