Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Vandalia, MO

Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Vandalia, MO. Dogs are beloved pets and, to some, even considered family members or honorary coworkers. A lot of us have dogs at home in Vandalia, MO and interacting with any dog can bring us a lot of joy. However, dogs are still 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 Vandalia 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 Vandalia, MO. When it happens to you or a loved one, we hare here to ensure that you get a fair recovery.

If your or your family member has been harmed by a dog that bit, contact Combs Waterkotte today at (314) 900-HELP. Our Vandalia, MO dog bite injury lawyers handle each case with compassion and fervor. You did nothing to deserve to be injured and you should not have to suffer the consequences on your own. Missouri law provides a path for you to recover full compensation for the full extent of the losses you have suffered as a result of your injuries, but in order to receive just compensation, you will likely need an experienced Vandalia, MO dog bite injury lawyer standing by you. Our distinguished team of attorneys have the skills and resources to make sure you are made whole again and allowed to move forward from this experience. Review your Vandalia, MO case with Combs Waterkotte for free today. Start by reaching us now.

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

Every Vandalia, MO dog bite injury claim is different and it is normal to have a number of questions running through your mind after a dog hurts you. The value of a dog bite claim in Vandalia, MO could be anywhere from $10,000 for minor but evident injuries to well over $100,000 for bites that cause more serious, permanent damage and costly medical bills. Remember, though, that to truly understand the possible settlement amount you can expect to receive for your Vandalia, MO dog bite case, you must speak to a qualified St. Louis dog bite injury lawyer like the attorneys of Combs Waterkotte. Among other details, the amount of compensation you can recovery depends on how extensive and debilitating your injuries and other damages are.

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

The final dollar amount you recover depends greatly on a variety of variables, including whether you hire an experienced Vandalia, MO lawyer. Remember that a dog bite injury lawyer in Vandalia, MO like a member of the Combs Waterkotte team will only agree to represent you if they can add value to your case and help you recover more than you could by yourself. This also takes into account the contingency-fee-basis on which we operate, which means that your Combs Waterkotte Vandalia, MO dog bite injury lawyer will not charge you anything unless we win 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 Vandalia, MO area work on your case at no out-of-pocket costs to you. You have nothing to lose by contacting our Vandalia, MO dog bite injury lawyer team about your case to find out if we can help.

How much is my case worth if I hire a dog bite injury lawyer in Vandalia, 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 settle for closer to $100,000 and permanent disabilities caused by dog bites can settle for over $200,000.

While we wish we could promise an exact number, these averages do not guarantee anything for your particular case outcome. 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 Vandalia, MO. Trust the Vandalia, MO dog bite attorneys of Combs Waterkotte and ask us to review your dog bite injury case now.

Factors That Influence the Value of a Dog Bite Case

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

• The dog bite leaves visible scarring or disfigurement.
• 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 suffered psychological harm from the dog bite incident that required professional mental health treatment.

When you hire Combs Waterkotte, your Vandalia, 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 obtaining evidence, evaluating liability and building a strong case to make sure you get an excellent outcome in your Vandalia, MO dog bite injury claim.

Beyond the circumstances of the accident and the extent of your injuries, the total sum your Vandalia, 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 liable party’s insurance coverage policy limits
• The total economic losses 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 calculates the value of 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 around three times higher for plaintiffs who hire a dog bite injury lawyer for representation than for those who attempt to reach a settlement on their own. Discover how Combs Waterkotte can help you collect a higher, more just settlement for your Vandalia, MO dog bite injuries by reaching us at (314) 900-HELP today to ask an experienced Vandalia, MO dog bite injury lawyer about your case.

Vandalia, MO Dog Bite Injury Lawyer: Determining Who Is Liable

In order to successfully collect a complete settlement that makes you whole after the losses you have suffered following a dog bite incident, you will need to work with your Vandalia, MO dog bite injury lawyer to determine who is legally responsible for the damages you have suffered and, thus, who to hold accountable for your suffering.

Liability in a dog bite or any personal injury case has to do with who is responsible for your losses. With a Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer in Vandalia, MO, you have a professional who is well-acquainted with Missouri law and has seen many different situations regarding liability in dog bites and other personal injury cases. We will make sure we hold the right people accountable and make sure they pay for the damages you have experienced.

In Missouri, Revised Statute Section 273.036 makes our state one that practices strict liability in dog bite injury cases. Strict liabillity assigns legal accountability to a party — in this case, the dog owner — regardless of their intention or whether there was fault. That means that your Vandalia, MO dog bite injury attorney does not necessarily have to show 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, 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 Vandalia 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 not provoke the dog to attack.

If you were not trespassing and a dog bit you unprovoked, your Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer in Vandalia, MO will work to get you a fair settlement in your strict liability claim against the owner of the dog, 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 their duty to keep you safe. 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 can fight to 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 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 Vandalia, MO dog bite lawyer can show that the person is liable for your injuries because of the simple fact that they broke a law that was meant to protect you. For example, some towns and municipalities have laws that require owners to keep their dogs on leashes or ban dogs from being on others’ properties without permission from the property owner. If the person looking after or responsible for the dog violated one of these rules and that dog bit you, ask your attorney about a possible case of negligence per se.

Who is responsible for my dog bite damages?

Due to the possibility of additional claims of negligence outside of 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 considerations such as the parties that were involved, where the bite happened, and how the parties behaved, your dog bite injury lawyer in Vandalia, MO may identify additional responsible inidividuals in your Vandalia, 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 were bitten by a dog and you suspect that additional parties share the blame or that the owner has more blame than strict liability accounts for, act right away and speak to a dog bite injury lawyer in Vandalia, MO about your case as soon as possible. Combs Waterkotte is equipped with a dedicated team of talented Vandalia, MO dog bite injury attorneys ready 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 allowed to recover through all legal remedies available to you under Missouri law. The legal team at Combs Waterkotte will get you the recovery you deserve. Call us now at (314) 900-HELP.

Our Vandalia, MO attorneys have the skill and experience necessary to bring you 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 Vandalia, Missouri: Talk to a Lawyer Now

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 Vandalia, MO with Combs Waterkotte can help you seek justice. A dog bite is usually a traumatic experience, and the physical and psychological injuries it leaves can affect your life in profound, unrelenting ways. Give yourself a chance to be made whole again by speaking to an accomplished Vandalia, 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 as soon as possible at (314) 900-HELP or reach us online to discover how we can help you with your case.