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Crawford County, MO

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Posted by Emily Herr on March 23, 2022

Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Crawford County, MO

Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Crawford County, MO. Dogs are beloved pets and, to some, even considered members of our family or fellow staff members. Many of us have dogs at home in Crawford County, MO and we get a lot of joy from spending time with them. 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 compensated. Though we have a number of laws in Crawford County and Missouri and recommendations responsible pet owners can follow to prevent dogs from attacking humans, but dog bites and dog bite injuries still take place in Crawford County, 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 Crawford County, MO dog bite injury lawyers represent each case fervently and with great care and dedication. You did not deserve to be injured and you should not have 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 because of the attack, but in order to collect just compensation, you will likely need a reputable Crawford County, 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. Discuss your Crawford County, MO case with Combs Waterkotte today in a complementary consultation today. Begin by contacting us now.

What compensation can I get with the help of a dog bite injury lawyer in Crawford County, MO?

Each Crawford County, MO dog bite injury claim is unique and you are likely to experience anxiety and uncertainly about your case after a dog hurts you. The value of a dog bite claim in Crawford County, MO could be anywhere from $10,000 for minor but evident injuries to well over $100,000 for bites that cause more serious, permanent damage and expensive medical care. Remember, though, that to truly understand what kind of settlement you can recover in your Crawford County, MO dog bite case, speak to a Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer in Crawford County, MO about your case. Among other outside variables, the amount of compensation you can recovery depends on the extent of the damages or losses you have experienced.

Types of damages available in a dog bite injury case in Crawford County, 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 total sum you recover is determined by a combination of a variety of factors, including whether you hire an experienced Crawford County, MO lawyer. Remember that a dog bite injury lawyer in Crawford County, 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 includes our contingency-fee model, which means that your Combs Waterkotte Crawford County, 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 Crawford County, MO area provide quality legal support at no out-of-pocket costs to you. There is no reason not to speak to our Crawford County, 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 Crawford County, MO?

The average dog bite injury settlement is 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 for your particular case outcome. In order to understand the complexities of your unique case and learn what to expect from your recovery, you need to talk to a dog bite injury lawyer in Crawford County, MO about your case. Trust the Crawford County, MO dog bite attorneys of Combs Waterkotte and contact us to review 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:

  • 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.
  • Your injuries require you to undergo surgery or receive other extensive medical care.
  • You suffered psychological harm from the dog bite incident that required professional mental health treatment.

When you hire Combs Waterkotte, your Crawford County, 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, evaluating liability and building a strong case to get you the best possible outcome in your Crawford County, MO dog bite injury claim.

Beyond the circumstances of the accident and the extent of your injuries, the total compensation your Crawford County, MO dog bite injury lawyer can secure for you is also related to other factors, such as:

  • Who is 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 total cost of all of your medical expenses
  • How your dog bite injury lawyer 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 threefold for plaintiffs who hire a dog bite injury lawyer to represent them in their claim than for plaintiffs who attempt to reach a settlement without legal representation. Find out if Combs Waterkotte can help you collect a higher, more just settlement in your Crawford County, MO dog bite case by reaching us at (314) 900-HELP today to ask an experienced Crawford County, MO dog bite injury lawyer about your case.

Crawford County, MO Dog Bite Injury Lawyer: Who Is Liable

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 Crawford County, MO you can trust to help you 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 has to do with who is at fault for your losses. With a Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer in Crawford County, MO, you have a professional who is well-acquainted with Missouri law and has seen many different 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 damages you have experienced.

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 — irrespective of their intention or whether there was fault. In application, it means that your Crawford County, MO dog bite injury attorney does not need to demonstrate that the dog owner was negligent or had the dog attack you on purpose. To win your Missouri dog bite injury case, all you need to prove is that you were injured and that the owner’s dog bit you. In more certain terms, the Missouri statute lays out that the Crawford County 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 bitten by a dog that you did not provoke and you were not trespassing, your Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer in Crawford County, MO will use our expertise to get you an excellent recovery 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 will cover the cost of 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 does not put their large, aggressive dog away 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 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 Crawford County, MO dog bite lawyer can show that the person is liable for your injuries because of the simple fact that they broke a law that was meant to protect you. For example, certain cities and municipalities have laws that require owners to keep their dogs on leashes or ban dogs from being on others’ properties without the property owner’s permission. If the person looking after or responsible for the dog violated 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 injuries?

Because of the possibility of additional claims of negligence beyond Missouri’s strict liability policy, you may have a case 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 how the parties behaved, your dog bite injury lawyer in Crawford County, MO may build a case against other inidividuals in your Crawford County, 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 covers, act right away and speak to a dog bite injury lawyer in Crawford County, MO about your case as soon as possible. Combs Waterkotte has a dedicated team of talented Crawford County, MO dog bite injury attorneys willing 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 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 Crawford County, 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 Crawford County, Missouri: Talk to a Lawyer Today

After facing the unexpected tragedy of a dog bite injury, a dog bite injury lawyer in Crawford County, 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 receive the recovery you deserve by speaking to an accomplished Crawford County, 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 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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