Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Chesterfield, MO
Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Chesterfield, MO. Dogs are beloved pets and, to some, even considered family members or honorary coworkers. Many of us have pet dogs in Chesterfield, 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. Though we have a number of laws in Chesterfield 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 Chesterfield, MO. When you or someone you know becomes the victim of a dog bite, 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 Chesterfield, 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 damages and losses you have suffered as a result of the attack, but in order to collect the full value of your damages, you are going to need help from a skilled Chesterfield, MO dob bite injury lawyer. Our team of competitive attorneys have the skills and resources to get you full compensation that will restore you after been harmed. Review your Chesterfield, MO case with Combs Waterkotte today in a complementary consultation today. Begin your recovery by reaching us now.
What compensation can I get with the help of a dog bite injury lawyer in Chesterfield, MO?
Every Chesterfield, MO dog bite injury claim is unique and you are likely to have a number of questions running through your mind after being injured by a dog. The amount in damages you could recover in your Chesterfield, MO dog bite case ranges anywhere from $10,000 for minor but demonstrable injuries to more than $100,000 for bites that cause more serious, permanent damage and costly medical bills. However, to find out the possible settlement amount you can recover in your Chesterfield, MO dog bite case, you must speak to a qualified St. Louis dog bite injury lawyer like the attorneys of Combs Waterkotte. Your compensation depends, in addition to other factors, on the extent of the damages or losses you have experienced.
Types of damages available in a dog bite injury case in Chesterfield, MO 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 final dollar amount you recover depends greatly on a variety of variables, including whether you hire an experienced Chesterfield, MO lawyer. Remember that a dog bite injury lawyer in Chesterfield, MO like a member of the Combs Waterkotte team 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 Combs Waterkotte will not bill you for anything unless your Chesterfield, 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 Chesterfield, MO area work on your case at no out-of-pocket costs to you. There is no reason not to speak to our Chesterfield, 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 Chesterfield, 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.
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, it is important that you talk to a dog bite injury lawyer in Chesterfield, MO about your case. Turn to the Chesterfield, MO dog bite attorneys of Combs Waterkotte and contact us to review your dog bite injury case now.
Factors That Affect the Value of a Dog Bite Case
The following factors determine the value of your case:
- 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 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 Chesterfield, MO dog bite injury lawyer will investigate and prove without question. We dedicate our full resources to obtaining evidence, evaluating liability and building an infallible argument to make sure you get an excellent result in your Chesterfield, MO dog bite injury claim.
Beyond the circumstances of the accident and the extent of your injuries, the total compensation your Chesterfield, 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 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 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 dog bite attacks and other personal injury cases are threefold for victims who hire a dog bite injury lawyer to represent them in their claim than for plaintiffs in dog bite cases who attempt to reach a settlement without legal representation. Discover how Combs Waterkotte can help you collect a higher, more just settlement in your Chesterfield, MO dog bite case by calling us at (314) 900-HELP today to ask an experienced Chesterfield, MO dog bite injury lawyer about your case.
Chesterfield, 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 being harmed in a dog bite incident, you will need to work with your Chesterfield, 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. A knowledgeable dog bite injury lawyer in Chesterfield, MO with Combs Waterkotte is well-acquainted with Missouri law and has seen many different 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 fault or intention. In application, it means that your Chesterfield, MO dog bite injury attorney does not necessarily have to prove 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, all you need to prove is that you were injured and it was the owner’s dog that injured you. Specifically, the Missouri statute lays out that the Chesterfield 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 Chesterfield, MO can get you an excellent 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, 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 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 considered 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 comparing the defendant’s behavior to that of a reasonable person in the same situation, your Chesterfield, 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 keep you safe. 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 broke 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?
Due to the possibility of additional claims of negligence beyond the strict liability statute in Missouri, you may have a case against other parties in addition to the owner of the dog. Depending on the circumstances of the parties that were involved, where the bite occurred, and how the parties behaved, your dog bite injury lawyer in Chesterfield, MO may build a case against other parties in your Chesterfield, MO dog bite case, like:
- 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 a loved one 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 accounts for, take the first step toward your recovery and speak to a dog bite injury lawyer in Chesterfield, MO about your case as soon as possible. Combs Waterkotte has a dedicated team of talented Chesterfield, MO dog bite injury attorneys ready to fight for your recovery and make the right parties pay. You did not deserve to be attacked or harmed, and you should be made whole through all avenues of compensation Missouri law provides. The legal team at Combs Waterkotte will get you a just recovery. Call us now at (314) 900-HELP.
Our Chesterfield, 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:
- Gun Crime Lawyer
- Child Abuse & Neglect Lawyer
- Homicide Lawyer
- Assault Lawyer
- Rape Defense Lawyer
- Sex Offense Lawyers
- DWI Attorney
- Crime Defense Lawyers
- Domestic Violence Defense Attorneys
- Child Pornography Defense Lawyer
Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Chesterfield, Missouri: Hire a Lawyer Today
After facing the unexpected tragedy of a dog bite injury, a dog bite injury lawyer in Chesterfield, MO with Combs Waterkotte can help you seek justice. A dog bite is usually a traumatic experience, often leaving you with lasting physical and mental scars that can affect your life in profound, unrelenting ways. You have a chance to receive the recovery you deserve by speaking to an accomplished Chesterfield, 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 as soon as possible at (314) 900-HELP or send us a message to learn how we can help you with your case.