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Bowling Green, MO

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Posted by Emily Herr on March 23, 2022

Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Bowling Green, MO

Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Bowling Green, 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 Bowling Green, MO and interacting with any dog can bring us a lot of joy. However, dogs are 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 given a recovery. Though we have a number of laws in Bowling Green and Missouri and recommendations responsible pet owners can follow to prevent dogs from attacking humans, but dog bites and dog bite injuries still occur in Bowling Green, 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 harmed by a dog that bit, call Combs Waterkotte today at (314) 900-HELP. Our Bowling Green, MO dog bite injury lawyers handle each case with compassion and fervor. 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 collect a complete financial recovery for the full extent of the losses you have experienced because of the attack, but for a chance to collect a fair settlement, you will likely need an experienced Bowling Green, MO dog bite injury lawyer fighting by your side. Our team of competitive attorneys have the experience and resources to make sure you are made whole again and allowed to move forward from this experience. Review your Bowling Green, MO case with Combs Waterkotte for free today. Begin by reaching us now.

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

Every dog bite injury case in the Bowling Green, MO area is different and you are likely to have a number of questions running through your mind after a dog hurts you. The amount in damages you could recover in your Bowling Green, MO dog bite case ranges anywhere from $10,000 in bites that cause minor but demonstrable injuries to more than $100,000 for bites that cause significant, lasting damage and expensive medical bills. However, to truly understand what kind of settlement you can expect to receive in your Bowling Green, MO dog bite case, you must speak to a qualified St. Louis dog bite injury lawyer like the attorneys of Combs Waterkotte. Among other outside variables, the amount of compensation you can recovery depends on how extensive and debilitating your injuries and other damages are.

Damages you can recover in a dog bite injury case in Bowling Green, MO 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 final dollar amount you recover depends greatly on many variables, including whether you hire an experienced Bowling Green, MO lawyer. It is important to note that a Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer in Bowling Green, 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 also takes into account the contingency-fee-basis on which we operate, which means that your Combs Waterkotte Bowling Green, 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 Bowling Green, MO area provide quality legal support at no out-of-pocket costs to you. You have nothing to lose by contacting our Bowling Green, MO dog bite injury lawyer team to discuss your case and learn how we can help.

How much can I get for my case with a dog bite injury lawyer in Bowling Green, 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 settle for closer to $100,000 and dog bites that result in permanent disability can result in settlements of over $200,000.

Unfortunately, these numbers are not guarantees in your particular case. 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 Bowling Green, MO. Count on the Bowling Green, MO dog bite attorneys of Combs Waterkotte and ask us for a free review of your dog bite injury case today.

Factors That Affect the Value of a Dog Bite Case

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

  • You have scarring or are disfigured as a result of the dog bite.
  • The dog bite has made you permanently disabled.
  • 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.

These are all facts of your case that your Combs Waterkotte Bowling Green, MO dog bite injury lawyer will investigate and prove without question. We dedicate our full resources to obtaining evidence, determining liability and building an infallible case to make sure you get the best possible result in your Bowling Green, MO dog bite injury claim.

In addition to the situation surrounding the accident and the severity of your injuries, the total recovery your Bowling Green, MO dog bite injury lawyer can secure for 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 total cost of all of your medical expenses
  • How your dog bite injury lawyer calculates the value of 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 to represent them in their claim than for plaintiffs in dog bite cases who attempt to settle their case without legal representation. Discover how Combs Waterkotte can help you collect a higher, more just settlement in your Bowling Green, MO dog bite case by reaching us at (314) 900-HELP today to go over your case with a knowledgeable Bowling Green, MO dog bite injury lawyer.

Bowling Green, MO Dog Bite Injury Lawyer: Determining Liability

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 a dog bite injury lawyer in Bowling Green, MO you can trust to help you 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 has to do with who is responsible for your losses. With a Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer in Bowling Green, MO, you have a professional who knows Missouri law and has first-hand experience with a variety of situations related to liability in dog bites and other personal injury cases. We help you 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 Bowling Green, MO dog bite injury attorney does not need to show that the dog owner was negligent or had the dog attack you on purpose. 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. Specifically, the Missouri statute lays out that the Bowling Green 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 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 Bowling Green, MO will work to 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 in their actions or failure to act, 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 seen as negligent and your Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer can fight to hold them accountable in a negligence claim. 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 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 Bowling Green, MO dog bite lawyer can show that the defendant is liable for your injuries by default because they broke a law that was meant to protect you. 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 looking after or responsible for the dog broke one of these rules and their dog bit you, ask your attorney about a possible case of negligence per se.

Who is responsible for my dog bite injuries?

Because of 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 parties other than the owner of the dog. Depending on considerations such as 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 Bowling Green, MO may identify additional responsible defendants in your Bowling Green, 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 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, take the first step toward your recovery and speak to a dog bite injury lawyer in Bowling Green, MO about your case as soon as possible. Combs Waterkotte is equipped with a dedicated team of talented Bowling Green, MO dog bite injury attorneys ready to fight for your recovery and hold the right parties accountable. You did not deserve to be attacked or harmed, and you should be allowed to recover through all legal remedies available to you under Missouri law. Let Combs Waterkotte help you get the recovery you deserve. Call us now at (314) 900-HELP.

Our Bowling Green, 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 Bowling Green, Missouri: Talk to a Lawyer Today

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 Bowling Green, MO with Combs Waterkotte will work hard to bring you justice. A dog bite is usually a traumatic experience, often leaving you with lasting physical and mental scars that can have a significant impact on your life. You have a chance to be made whole again by consulting with an accomplished Bowling Green, 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 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.

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