Dog Bite Injury Lawyer De Soto, MO
Dog Bite Injury Lawyer De Soto, 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 De Soto, 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. 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. There are De Soto 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 De Soto, MO. When it happens to you or a loved one, we hare here 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 De Soto, MO dog bite injury lawyers represent each case fervently and with great care and dedication. You did nothing to 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 collect a complete financial recovery for the damages and losses you have experienced as a result of the attack, but for a chance to collect a fair settlement, you will likely need a reputable De Soto, MO dog bite injury lawyer standing by you. Our team of competitive attorneys have the experience and resources to get you full compensation that will restore you after been harmed. Discuss your De Soto, MO case with Combs Waterkotte for free today. Start by contacting us now.
What compensation can my De Soto, MO dog bite injury lawyer help me receive?
Every dog bite injury case in the De Soto, MO area is different 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 De Soto, MO dog bite case ranges anywhere from $10,000 for minor but evident injuries to well over $100,000 for bites that cause significant, lasting damage and costly medical care. However, to find out what kind of settlement you can recover for your De Soto, MO dog bite claim, you must speak to a qualified St. Louis dog bite injury lawyer like the attorneys of Combs Waterkotte. Among other considerations, the amount of compensation you can recovery depends on the extent of the damages or losses you have experienced.
Damages you can recover in your De Soto, MO dog bite injury case include:
- Medical expenses
- 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 is determined by a combination of many variables, including whether or not you hire a lawyer in De Soto, MO. It is important to note that a Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer in De Soto, MO 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 our contingency-fee model, which means that your Combs Waterkotte De Soto, MO dog bite injury lawyer will not charge you anything unless we win 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 De Soto, MO area provide quality legal support at no out-of-pocket costs to you. You have nothing to lose by contacting our De Soto, 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 De Soto, 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 leave disfiguring scars settle for 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, it is important that you talk to a dog bite injury lawyer in De Soto, MO about your case. Turn to the De Soto, MO dog bite attorneys of Combs Waterkotte and ask us for a free review of your dog bite injury case now.
Factors That Influence the Value of a Dog Bite Case
The settlement you receive in your dog bite case depends on factors like:
- 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.
- 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 De Soto, 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, examining liability and building a strong case to get you the best possible outcome in your De Soto, MO dog bite injury claim.
In addition to the situation surrounding the accident and the severity of your injuries, the total sum your De Soto, 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 liable party’s insurance coverage policy limits
- The total economic losses you have suffered as a result of the bite, including the cost of your medical bills
- 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
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 those in dog bite cases who try to settle their case without legal representation. Discover how Combs Waterkotte can help you collect a higher, more just settlement in your De Soto, MO dog bite case by reaching us at (314) 900-HELP today to ask an experienced De Soto, MO dog bite injury lawyer about your case.
De Soto, MO Dog Bite Injury Lawyer: Determining Who Is Liable
In order to get a complete settlement that makes you whole after being harmed in a dog bite incident, you will need a dog bite injury lawyer in De Soto, 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.
The idea of liability in a dog bite or any personal injury case describes who is at fault for your losses. With a Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer in De Soto, 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 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 — regardless of fault or intention. That means that your De Soto, MO dog bite injury attorney does not need to demonstrate that the dog owner was negligent or had the dog attack you on purpose. 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. In more certain terms, the Missouri statute lays out that the De Soto or Missouri dog bite owner is liable 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 De Soto, MO will use our expertise to get you a fair recovery in your strict liability claim against the owner of the dog, 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 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 will diligently hold them accountable in a negligence case. 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 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 De Soto, MO dog bite lawyer can show that the defendant is liable for your injuries because of the simple fact that they broke a law that was meant to keep you safe. For example, certain 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 looking after or responsible for the dog violated one of these rules and that dog bit you, ask your attorney about a possible case of negligence per se.
Who is responsible for my dog bite injuries?
Due to the potential for negligence claims outside of the strict liability statute in Missouri, it is possible that you have other cases against other defendants in addition to the owner of the dog. Depending on the circumstances of who was involved, where the bite occurred, and what the parties in question did or did not do, your dog bite injury lawyer in De Soto, MO may identify additional responsible defendants in your De Soto, 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 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 De Soto, MO about your case as soon as possible. Combs Waterkotte has a team of exceptional De Soto, 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 made whole through all legal remedies Missouri law provides. The legal team at Combs Waterkotte will get you the recovery you deserve. Call us now at (314) 900-HELP.
Our De Soto, 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 De Soto, 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 De Soto, 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. Give yourself a chance to be made whole again by speaking to an accomplished De Soto, 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 right away at (314) 900-HELP or send us a message to learn how we can help you with your case.