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Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Ballwin, MO

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Posted by Emily Herr on March 23, 2022

Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Ballwin, MO

Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Ballwin, MO. Dogs are beloved pets and, to some, even considered family members or honorary coworkers. A lot of us have pet dogs in Ballwin, MO and interacting with any dog can bring us a lot of joy. However, dogs are animals and cannot communicate with us verbally. When a dog bites for whatever reason — they felt unsafe, were sick or in pain or were otherwise spurred to act on their instinct to attack — and you are hurt, you should be given a recovery. There are Ballwin 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 Ballwin, 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 your family member has been injured in a dog bite incident, contact Combs Waterkotte today at (314) 900-HELP. Our Ballwin, MO dog bite injury lawyers handle each case fervently and with great care and dedication. You did nothing to 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 full extent of the losses you have suffered as a result of the attack, but in order to collect just compensation, you will likely need a skilled Ballwin, 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. Discuss your Ballwin, MO case with Combs Waterkotte for free today. Start your recovery by contacting us now.

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

Each dog bite injury case in the Ballwin, MO area is unique and it is normal to have a number of questions running through your mind after a dog hurts you. The amount in damages you could recover in your Ballwin, MO dog bite case ranges anywhere from $10,000 for minor but evident injuries to more than $100,000 for bites that result in more serious, long-term damage and expensive medical care. Remember, though, that to truly understand the possible settlement amount you can recover in your Ballwin, MO dog bite injuries, 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 your Ballwin, 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 depends greatly on a variety of factors, including whether or not you hire a lawyer in Ballwin, MO. Remember that a dog bite injury lawyer in Ballwin, 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 on your own. This includes the contingency-fee-basis on which we operate, which means that Combs Waterkotte will not bill you for anything unless your Ballwin, MO dog bite injury lawyer wins 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 Ballwin, MO area work on your case at no out-of-pocket costs to you. There is no reason not to speak to our Ballwin, MO dog bite injury lawyer team to discuss your case and learn how we can help.

How much is my case worth if I hire a dog bite injury lawyer in Ballwin, MO?

The average dog bite injury settlement is about $40,000 for a “severe but typical dog bite injury”, while dog bites that leave disfiguring scars settle for closer to $100,000 and dog bites that result in permanent disability 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. Because your recovery depends on the unique circumstances and characteristics of your individual case, you need to speak to a dog bite injury lawyer in Ballwin, MO. Count on the Ballwin, MO dog bite attorneys of Combs Waterkotte and ask us to review your dog bite injury case now.

Factors That Affect Your Settlement in a Dog Bite Case

Factors related to the dog bite that can affect the value of your claim include:

  • 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 Ballwin, 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 collecting evidence, determining liability and building a strong argument to make sure you get the best possible result in your Ballwin, MO dog bite injury claim.

In addition to the situation surrounding the accident and the extent of your injuries, the total recovery your Ballwin, MO dog bite injury lawyer can get you is also related to other factors, such as:

  • What party or parties are 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 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 for representation than for plaintiffs who try to reach a settlement without legal representation. Discover how Combs Waterkotte can help you collect a higher, more just settlement in your Ballwin, MO dog bite case by calling us at (314) 900-HELP today to go over your case with a knowledgeable Ballwin, MO dog bite injury lawyer.

Ballwin, MO Dog Bite Injury Lawyer: Determining Liability

In order to settle your case at a sum that can help you move forward in life after the losses you have suffered following a dog bite incident, you will need to work with your Ballwin, MO dog bite injury lawyer to 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 describes who is responsible for your damages. With a Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer in Ballwin, 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 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 Ballwin, 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 assigns legal accountability to a party — in this case, the dog owner — regardless of fault or intention. That means that your Ballwin, MO dog bite injury attorney does not need to demonstrate that the owner of the dog that bit you was negligent or that they intentionally allowed the dog to attack you. 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. In more certain terms, the Missouri statute lays out that the Ballwin or Missouri dog bite owner is legally responsible for your injuries if:

  • you were injured by 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 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 Ballwin, MO can get you a fair recovery 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 through an action or omission, 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 strangers or children visit 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. 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 comparing the defendant’s behavior to that of a reasonable person in the same situation, your Ballwin, MO dog bite lawyer proves that the defendant 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 towns and municipalities have laws that require owners to keep their dogs on leashes or prohibit dogs from being on others’ properties without the property owner’s permission. If the person looking after or responsible for 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 injury?

Due to the potential for negligence claims 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 considerations such as the parties that were involved, where the bite occurred, and what the parties in question did or did not do, your dog bite injury lawyer in Ballwin, MO may build a case against other defendants in your Ballwin, MO dog bite case, such as:

  • 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 but you believe 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 Ballwin, MO about your case as soon as possible. Combs Waterkotte is equipped with a team of exceptional Ballwin, MO dog bite injury attorneys willing to fight for your recovery and make the right parties pay. You did not deserve to be attacked or harmed, and you should be allowed to recover through all avenues of compensation available to you under Missouri law. The legal team at Combs Waterkotte will get you a just recovery. Call us now at (314) 900-HELP.

Our Ballwin, 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 Ballwin, Missouri: Hire a Lawyer Today

After facing the unexpected tragedy of a dog bite injury, a dog bite injury lawyer in Ballwin, MO with Combs Waterkotte will work hard to bring you justice. A dog bite is usually a traumatic experience, and the physical and psychological injuries it leaves can have a significant impact on your life. Give yourself a chance to be made whole again by speaking to an accomplished Ballwin, 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 discover how we can help you with your case.

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