Image

Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Sullivan, MO

Verified Content

Posted by Emily Herr on March 23, 2022

Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Sullivan, MO

Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Sullivan, MO. We love our pet dogs and may even go so far as to call them members of our family or fellow staff members. Many of us have pet dogs in Sullivan, 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. Though we have a number of laws in Sullivan and Missouri and recommendations responsible pet owners can follow to prevent dogs from attacking humans, but dog bites and dog bite injuries still happen in Sullivan, MO. When it happens to you or a loved one, it is our job to ensure that you get a fair recovery.

If your or someone you love has been injured in a dog bite incident, call Combs Waterkotte today at (314) 900-HELP. Our Sullivan, MO dog bite injury lawyers represent 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. Missouri law provides a path for you to collect a complete financial recovery for the damages and losses you have experienced because of your injuries, but for a chance to collect the full value of your damages, you are going to need help from a skilled Sullivan, MO dob bite injury lawyer. Our team of competitive attorneys have the skills and resources to make sure you are made whole again and allowed to move forward from this experience. Review your Sullivan, MO case with Combs Waterkotte for free today. Begin your recovery by contacting us now.

About Us

What compensation can my Sullivan, MO dog bite injury lawyer help me receive?

Each Sullivan, MO dog bite injury claim 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 Sullivan, MO dog bite case ranges anywhere from $10,000 in bites that cause minor but evident injuries to more than $100,000 for bites that cause severe, lasting damage and expensive medical care. However, to find out the possible settlement amount you can recover in your Sullivan, MO dog bite case, 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.

Types of damages available in a dog bite injury case in Sullivan, MO include:

  • Medical costs
    • Ambulance bill
    • Emergency room fees
    • Hospital stay costs
    • Doctors’ bills
    • Surgery
  • Costs of treatment
    • 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 or not you hire a lawyer in Sullivan, MO. It is important to note that a Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer in Sullivan, 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 our contingency-fee model, which means that Combs Waterkotte will not bill you for anything unless your Sullivan, MO dog bite injury lawyer wins your case. At that point, we accept payment through a percentage of your total settlement once you receive your payment. That means our experienced dog bite injury lawyers in the Sullivan, MO area offer our dedicated representation at no out-of-pocket costs to you. You have nothing to lose by contacting our Sullivan, 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 Sullivan, 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 permanent disabilities caused by dog bites can result in settlements of over $200,000.

Unfortunately, these numbers are not guarantees in your particular case. In order to understand the complexities of your unique case and learn what to expect from your recovery, you need to speak to a dog bite injury lawyer in Sullivan, MO. Turn to the Sullivan, MO dog bite attorneys of Combs Waterkotte and ask us for a free review of your dog bite injury case today.

Factors That Influence the Value of a Dog Bite Case

The settlement you receive in your dog bite case depends on factors like:

  • You have scarring or are disfigured as a result of the dog bite.
  • The dog bite has made you permanently disabled.
  • You need emergency medical care due to your dog bite injuries.
  • 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.

These are all facts of your case that your Combs Waterkotte Sullivan, MO dog bite injury lawyer will investigate and prove without question. We dedicate our full resources to obtaining evidence, determining liability and building a strong argument to make sure you get an excellent result in your Sullivan, MO dog bite injury claim.

Beyond the circumstances of the accident and the extent of your injuries, the total recovery your Sullivan, MO dog bite injury lawyer can secure for you will also depend on other factors, such as:

  • Who is liable for the dog bite
  • The insurance coverage policy limits
  • The total economic losses 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
  • The ability of your dog bite injury lawyer to negotiate a settlement for your case

Average settlements in dog bite attacks and other personal injury cases are threefold for victims who hire a dog bite injury lawyer for representation than for those who try to settle their case without legal representation. Find out if Combs Waterkotte can help you collect a higher, more just settlement for your Sullivan, MO dog bite injuries by calling us at (314) 900-HELP today to go over your case with a knowledgeable Sullivan, MO dog bite injury lawyer.

Sullivan, MO Dog Bite Injury Lawyer: Determining Liability

In order to get a complete settlement that can help you move forward in life after the losses you have suffered following a dog bite incident, you will need a dog bite injury lawyer in Sullivan, MO you can trust to help you figure out who to file a claim against and who, in turn, is responsible for your damages.

Liability in a dog bite or any personal injury case has to do with who is responsible for your damages. With a Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer in Sullivan, 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 help you hold the right people accountable and make sure they pay for the damages you have experienced.

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

In Missouri, Revised Statute Section 273.036 puts into effect a practice of 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 Sullivan, MO dog bite injury attorney does not need to prove that the owner of the dog that bit you was negligent or had the dog attack you on purpose. In your Missouri dog bite injury case, all you need to prove is that you were injured and that the owner’s dog bit you. Specifically, the Missouri statute lays out that the Sullivan or Missouri dog bite owner is legally responsible for your injuries if:

  • you were injured by 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 Sullivan, MO will use our expertise to get you an excellent settlement in your strict liability claim against the dog’s owner, and typically it is the dog owner’s homeowners or renters insurance that pays out the settlement for your damages. However, you may have claims against other parties under other types of liability standards, 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 fails to crate their anxious dog when they are expecting visitors to their home could be seen as negligent and your Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer will diligently hold them accountable in a negligence case. 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 refers to liability that is assigned automatically through the act of breaking a law. Rather than comparing the defendant’s behavior to that of a reasonable person in the same situation, your Sullivan, MO dog bite lawyer proves that the person is liable for your injuries because of the simple fact that they broke a law that was meant to keep you safe. For example, certain cities 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 permission from the property owner. 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 injury?

Due to the possibility of additional claims of negligence beyond the strict liability statute in Missouri, it is possible that you have other cases against other defendants in addition to the owner of the dog. Depending on the circumstances of the parties that were present, where the bite happened, and what the parties in question did or did not do, your dog bite injury lawyer in Sullivan, MO may build a case against other parties in your Sullivan, 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 someone you love have been injured in a dog bite incident but you believe 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 Sullivan, MO about your case as soon as possible. Combs Waterkotte is equipped with a dedicated team of talented Sullivan, MO dog bite injury attorneys willing to fight for your recovery and make the right parties pay. You did nothing to deserve being attacked by a dog, and you should be made whole through all avenues of compensation Missouri law provides. The legal team at Combs Waterkotte will get you a just recovery. Call us now at (314) 900-HELP.

Our Sullivan, MO attorneys can help you seek justice in any type of personal injury or criminal case. Some of our practice area specialties include:

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

    After facing the unexpected tragedy of a dog bite injury, a dog bite injury lawyer in Sullivan, MO with Combs Waterkotte can help you seek justice. A dog bite can be quite traumatic, and the physical and psychological injuries it leaves can affect your life in profound, unrelenting ways. You have a chance to receive the recovery you deserve by speaking to an accomplished Sullivan, MO dog bite injury lawyer today.

    As your dog bite injury lawyer, we are here to demand that you are justly compensated when a life-changing incident such as a dog attack causes you harm. After being bitten and injured by a dog, call Combs Waterkotte as soon as possible at (314) 900-HELP or send us a message to learn how we can help you with your case.

    View Service Areas
    Open Video
    Image

    Featured Results:

    Client Review, DUI Case

    Play video
    Image

    Get In Touch:

    St. Louis

    Main Office

    (314) 900-HELP

    Get Directions

    Clayton

    By Appointment Only

    (314) 900-HELP

    Get Directions

    Kansas City

    By Appointment Only

    (913) 77-CRIME

    Get Directions