Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Elsberry, MO
Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Elsberry, MO. Dogs are beloved pets and, to some, even considered family members or honorary coworkers. Many of us have dogs at home in Elsberry, MO and we get a lot of joy from spending time with them. However, dogs are still animals and cannot communicate with us verbally. 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 Elsberry 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 take place in Elsberry, MO. When you or someone you know becomes the victim of a dog bite, it is our job to ensure that you get a fair recovery.
If your or someone you love has been harmed by a dog that bit, contact Combs Waterkotte today at (314) 900-HELP. Our Elsberry, MO dog bite injury lawyers handle each case with compassion and fervor. You did not deserve to be injured and you should not have to suffer the consequences on your own. Our laws in Missouri offer you a path for recourse to collect a complete financial recovery for the full extent of the losses you have suffered because of your injuries, but for a chance to collect just compensation, you are going to need help from a skilled Elsberry, MO dob bite injury lawyer. Our team of competitive attorneys have the skills and resources to get you full compensation that will restore you after been harmed. Review your Elsberry, MO case with Combs Waterkotte today in a complementary consultation today. Begin your recovery by reaching us now.
What compensation can I get with the help of a dog bite injury lawyer in Elsberry, MO?
Every dog bite injury case in the Elsberry, MO area is unique and you are likely to have a number of questions running through your mind after being injured by a dog. The amount in damages you could recover in your Elsberry, MO dog bite case ranges anywhere from $10,000 in bites that cause minor but demonstrable injuries to easily over $100,000 for bites that result in more serious, lasting damage and costly medical bills. However, to truly understand the possible settlement amount you can expect to receive in your Elsberry, MO dog bite case, speak to a Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer in Elsberry, MO about your case. Your compensation depends, in addition to other factors, on the extent of the damages or losses you have experienced.
Types of damages available in your Elsberry, MO dog bite injury case include:
- Medical costs
- 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 is determined by a combination of many variables, including whether you hire an experienced Elsberry, MO lawyer. It is important to note that a Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer in Elsberry, MO will only agree to represent you if they can add value to your case and help you recover more than you could on your own. This includes the contingency-fee-basis on which we operate, which means that your Combs Waterkotte Elsberry, 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 Elsberry, MO area provide quality legal support at no out-of-pocket costs to you. You have nothing to lose by contacting our Elsberry, 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 Elsberry, MO?
The average dog bite injury settlement is about $40,000 for a “severe but typical dog bite injury”, while dog bites that cause permanent scarring and disfigurement could bring closer to $100,000 and dog bites that result in permanent disability can settle for over $200,000.
Unfortunately, these numbers are not guarantees for your particular case outcome. Because your recovery depends on the unique circumstances and characteristics of your individual case, you need to talk to a dog bite injury lawyer in Elsberry, MO about your case. Turn to the Elsberry, MO dog bite attorneys of Combs Waterkotte and contact us to review your dog bite injury case today.
Factors That Affect Your Settlement in 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 required mental health treatment for the psychological injuries you suffered due to the dog bite.
When you hire Combs Waterkotte, your Elsberry, MO dog bite injury lawyer will remain committed to investigating and proving the statements above that apply in your case. We put the full weight of our resources behind trracking down evidence, examining liability and building a strong argument to make sure you get the best possible outcome in your Elsberry, MO dog bite injury claim.
In addition to the situation surrounding the accident and the severity of your injuries, the total sum your Elsberry, MO dog bite injury lawyer can get you will also depend on other factors, such as:
- Who is 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 cost of your medical expenses
- How your dog bite injury lawyer assesses and calculates your non-economic damages
- How effectively your dog bite injury lawyer negotiates and how resistant the defendant is
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 in dog bite cases who try to settle their case on their own. Find out if Combs Waterkotte can help you collect a higher, more just settlement in your Elsberry, MO dog bite case by calling us at (314) 900-HELP today to ask an experienced Elsberry, MO dog bite injury lawyer about your case.
Elsberry, MO Dog Bite Injury Lawyer: Who Is Liable
In order to settle your case at a sum that makes you whole after the losses you have suffered following a dog bite incident, you will need to work with your Elsberry, MO dog bite injury lawyer to figure out who to file a claim against and who, in turn, is responsible for your damages.
The idea of liability in a dog bite or any personal injury case describes who is responsible for your damages. With a Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer in Elsberry, MO, you have a professional who is well-acquainted with Missouri law and has first-hand experience with a variety of situations regarding liability in personal injury cases including dog bite injuries. We will make sure we hold the right people accountable and make sure they pay for the damages you have suffered.
In Missouri, Revised Statute Section 273.036 puts into effect a practice of strict liability in dog bite injury cases. Strict liabillity assigns legal accountability to a party — in this case, the dog owner — regardless of fault or intention. In application, it means that your Elsberry, MO dog bite injury attorney does not need to demonstrate 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 Elsberry or Missouri dog bite owner is liable for your injuries if:
- you were injured as a result of a dog bite;
- you were on the property lawfully when you were bitten (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 Elsberry, MO can get you a fair settlement 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 pays out the settlement for 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 lets their dog roam the neighborhood freely or does not put their large, aggressive dog away when strangers or children visit their home could be considered negligent and your Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer will diligently hold them accountable in a negligence claim. A property owner or landlord could be partly liable for your injuries in they knew or should have known about a broken latch on the gate to a normally fenced-in yard and failed to fix it, allowing a dog to get out and attack.
- Negligence per se: Negligence per se is when a party is legally liable by the act of breaking a law. Rather than comparing the defendant’s behavior to that of a reasonable person in the same situation, your Elsberry, 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 in place mandating that people keep dogs on leashes while off their own property or ban dogs from being on others’ properties without the property owner’s permission. If the person in possession of the dog violated one of these rules and their dog bit you, you may have a case of negligence per se.
Who is responsible for my dog bite injuries?
Because of the possibility of additional claims of negligence outside of Missouri’s strict liability policy, it is possible that you have other cases against other defendants other than the owner of the dog. Depending on considerations such as the parties that were present, where the bite occurred, and how the parties behaved, your dog bite injury lawyer in Elsberry, MO may identify additional responsible defendants in your Elsberry, MO dog bite case, such as:
- Landlords
- Stores
- Employers
- Government organizations
- Dog walkers
- Places of business where dogs are present, such as pet stores, dog daycare facilities, etc.
If you or a loved one have been injured in a dog bite incident and you suspect that someone beyond the owner is to blame, or that the owner has more blame than strict liability covers, act right away and speak to a dog bite injury lawyer in Elsberry, MO about your case as soon as possible. Combs Waterkotte has a team of exceptional Elsberry, MO dog bite injury attorneys ready to fight for your recovery and hold the right parties accountable. You did nothing to deserve being attacked by a dog, and you should be made whole through all legal remedies Missouri law provides. Let Combs Waterkotte help you get the recovery you deserve. Call us now at (314) 900-HELP.
Our Elsberry, 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 Elsberry, Missouri: Hire a Lawyer Now
After facing the unexpected tragedy of a dog bite injury, a dog bite injury lawyer in Elsberry, MO with Combs Waterkotte will work hard to bring you justice. A dog bite can be quite traumatic, often leaving you with lasting physical and mental scars that can have a significant impact on your life. Give yourself a chance to be made whole again by consulting with an accomplished Elsberry, MO dog bite injury lawyer today.
As your dog bite injury lawyer, we make it our mission to secure just compensation for you when a life-changing incident such as a dog attack causes you harm. After you or someone you love have been injured by a dog bite, call Combs Waterkotte right away at (314) 900-HELP or send us a message to learn how we can help you with your case.