Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Bel-Nor, MO
Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Bel-Nor, 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 dogs at home in Bel-Nor, MO and we get a lot of joy from spending time with them. However, dogs are still 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 Bel-Nor 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 Bel-Nor, MO. When it happens to you or a loved one, we hare here 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 Bel-Nor, 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 deal with the consequences on your own. Missouri law provides a path for you 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 a fair settlement, you are going to need help from a skilled Bel-Nor, MO dob bite injury lawyer. Our distinguished team of attorneys have the experience and resources to make sure you are made whole again and allowed to move forward from this experience. Review your Bel-Nor, MO case with Combs Waterkotte for free today. Start by reaching us now.
What compensation can I get with the help of a dog bite injury lawyer in Bel-Nor, MO?
Every dog bite injury case in the Bel-Nor, 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 value of a dog bite claim in Bel-Nor, MO could be anywhere from $10,000 in bites that cause minor but demonstrable injuries to more than $100,000 for bites that result in more serious, lasting damage and costly medical care. However, to truly understand what kind of settlement you can expect to receive in your Bel-Nor, MO dog bite claim, speak to a Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer in Bel-Nor, MO about your case. Your compensation depends, in addition to other factors, on how extensive and debilitating your injuries and other damages are.
Types of damages available in your Bel-Nor, MO dog bite injury case 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 recover depends greatly on a variety of variables, including whether you hire an experienced Bel-Nor, MO lawyer. It is important to note that a Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer in Bel-Nor, 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 on your own. This includes our contingency-fee model, which means that your Combs Waterkotte Bel-Nor, 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 Bel-Nor, MO area offer our dedicated representation at no out-of-pocket costs to you. You have nothing to lose by contacting our Bel-Nor, 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 Bel-Nor, 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 cause permanent scarring and disfigurement could bring 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 in your particular case. Because your recovery depends on the unique circumstances and characteristics of your individual case, it is important that you talk to a dog bite injury lawyer in Bel-Nor, MO about your case. Turn to the Bel-Nor, 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
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.
- 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 Bel-Nor, MO dog bite injury lawyer will remain committed to investigating and proving the statements above that apply in your case. We dedicate our full resources to collecting evidence, determining liability and building a strong case to make sure you get the best possible outcome in your Bel-Nor, MO dog bite injury claim.
In addition to the circumstances of the accident and the extent of your injuries, the total recovery your Bel-Nor, MO dog bite injury lawyer can secure for you will also depend on other factors, such as:
- What party or parties are liable for the dog bite
- The 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
- The ability of your dog bite injury lawyer to negotiate a settlement for your case
On average, settlements in dog bite attacks and other personal injury cases are around three times higher for plaintiffs who hire a dog bite injury lawyer for representation than for plaintiffs in dog bite cases who try to settle their case on their own. Discover how Combs Waterkotte can help you collect a higher, more just settlement for your Bel-Nor, MO dog bite injuries by reaching us at (314) 900-HELP today to ask an experienced Bel-Nor, MO dog bite injury lawyer about your case.
Bel-Nor, MO Dog Bite Injury Lawyer: Determining Who Is Liable
To receive a complete settlement that can help you move forward in life after being harmed in a dog bite incident, you will need to work with your Bel-Nor, 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 describes who is responsible for your damages. A knowledgeable dog bite injury lawyer in Bel-Nor, MO with Combs Waterkotte knows Missouri law and has seen many different 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 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 — regardless of their intention or whether there was fault. In application, it means that your Bel-Nor, MO dog bite injury attorney does not need to show that the owner of the dog that bit you was negligent or that they intentionally allowed the dog to attack you. To win 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 Bel-Nor or Missouri dog bite owner is liable 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 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 Bel-Nor, MO can get you a fair 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 through an action or omission, in their duty to keep you safe. Someone who lets their dog roam the neighborhood freely 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 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 proving that the defendant did not act with care as a reasonable person would, your Bel-Nor, MO dog bite lawyer can show that the person is liable for your injuries by default because 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 prohibit 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 damages?
Because of the potential for negligence claims outside of the strict liability statute in Missouri, you may have a case 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 Bel-Nor, MO may identify additional responsible inidividuals in your Bel-Nor, 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 a loved one were bitten by a dog but you believe that additional parties share the blame or that the owner has more blame than strict liability covers, act right away and speak to a dog bite injury lawyer in Bel-Nor, MO about your case as soon as possible. Combs Waterkotte has a dedicated team of talented Bel-Nor, 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 allowed to recover through all avenues of compensation Missouri law provides. Let Combs Waterkotte help you get the recovery you deserve. Call us now at (314) 900-HELP.
Our Bel-Nor, MO attorneys have the skill and experience necessary to bring you justice in any type of personal injury or criminal case. Some of our practice area specialties include:
Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Bel-Nor, 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 Bel-Nor, 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 affect your life in profound, unrelenting ways. You have a chance to be made whole again by speaking to an accomplished Bel-Nor, 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 being bitten and injured by a dog, call Combs Waterkotte right away at (314) 900-HELP or send us a message to learn how we can help you with your case.