Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Bridgeton, MO
Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Bridgeton, 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 Bridgeton, 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 given a recovery. There are Bridgeton 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 Bridgeton, 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, contact Combs Waterkotte today at (314) 900-HELP. Our Bridgeton, MO dog bite injury lawyers handle each case fervently and with great care and dedication. You did not deserve to be injured and you should not have to deal with the consequences on your own. Our laws in Missouri offer you a path for recourse to recover full compensation for the damages and losses you have experienced as a result of the attack, but for a chance to receive the full value of your damages, you are going to need help from a skilled Bridgeton, MO dob bite injury lawyer. 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. Discuss your Bridgeton, MO case with Combs Waterkotte today in a complementary consultation today. Begin your recovery by reaching us now.
What compensation can my Bridgeton, MO dog bite injury lawyer help me receive?
Each Bridgeton, MO dog bite injury claim is unique 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 Bridgeton, MO dog bite case ranges anywhere from $10,000 for minor but evident injuries to well over $100,000 for bites that result in more serious, long-term damage and expensive medical care. Remember, though, that to find out the possible settlement amount you can expect to receive for your Bridgeton, MO dog bite claim, 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 the extent of the damages or losses you have experienced.
Damages you can recover in a dog bite injury case in Bridgeton, MO include:
- Medical expenses
- 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 is determined by a combination of many factors, including whether or not you hire a lawyer in Bridgeton, MO. Remember that a dog bite injury lawyer in Bridgeton, 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 Bridgeton, 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 Bridgeton, MO area offer our dedicated representation at no out-of-pocket costs to you. There is no reason not to speak to our Bridgeton, 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 Bridgeton, 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 permanent disabilities caused by dog bites can settle for over $200,000.
Unfortunately, these numbers are not guarantees 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 Bridgeton, MO. Turn to the Bridgeton, MO dog bite attorneys of Combs Waterkotte and ask us for a free review of your dog bite injury case today.
Factors That Affect Your Settlement in a Dog Bite Case
The following factors determine the value of your case:
- 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 suffered psychological harm from the dog bite incident that required professional mental health treatment.
These are all facts of your case that your Combs Waterkotte Bridgeton, MO dog bite injury lawyer will work diligently to get to the bottom of and prove. We dedicate our full resources to collecting evidence, determining liability and building a strong argument to get you an excellent outcome in your Bridgeton, MO dog bite injury claim.
In addition to the circumstances of the accident and the severity of your injuries, the total sum your Bridgeton, MO dog bite injury lawyer can get 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 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 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 Bridgeton, MO dog bite injuries by calling us at (314) 900-HELP today to ask an experienced Bridgeton, MO dog bite injury lawyer about your case.
Bridgeton, MO Dog Bite Injury Lawyer: Determining Who Is Liable
In order to receive 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 Bridgeton, MO you can trust to help you figure out 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 damages. A knowledgeable dog bite injury lawyer in Bridgeton, MO with Combs Waterkotte is well-acquainted with 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 losses you have suffered.
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 fault or intention. That means that your Bridgeton, MO dog bite injury attorney does not need to demonstrate that the dog owner was negligent or that they intentionally allowed the dog to attack you. 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 Bridgeton or Missouri dog bite owner is legally responsible for your injuries if:
- you were injured as a result of 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 bitten by a dog that you did not provoke and you were not trespassing, your Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer in Bridgeton, MO will use our expertise to get you an excellent 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, 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 allows a dog to run free through the neighborhood unsupervised 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. 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 Bridgeton, MO dog bite lawyer proves that the person is liable for your injuries by default because they broke a law that was meant to protect you. For example, certain 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 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 Missouri’s strict liability policy, you may have a case against other defendants other than the owner of the dog. Depending on considerations such as the parties that were involved, where the bite happened, and what the parties in question did or did not do, your dog bite injury lawyer in Bridgeton, MO may build a case against other parties in your Bridgeton, MO dog bite case, like:
- 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 and you suspect 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 Bridgeton, MO about your case as soon as possible. Combs Waterkotte has a team of exceptional Bridgeton, MO dog bite injury attorneys willing 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 legal remedies 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 Bridgeton, 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 Bridgeton, Missouri: Hire a Lawyer Today
After facing the unexpected tragedy of a dog bite injury, a dog bite injury lawyer in Bridgeton, 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 have a significant impact on your life. You have a chance to be made whole again by speaking to an accomplished Bridgeton, MO dog bite injury lawyer today.
As your dog bite injury lawyer, we make it our mission to secure just compensation for you after suffering the harm of something like a dog bite attack. 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 discover how we can help you with your case.