Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Desloge, MO
Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Desloge, MO. Dogs are beloved pets and, to some, even considered family members or honorary coworkers. A lot of us have dogs at home in Desloge, MO and we get a lot of joy from spending time with them. 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 given a recovery. There are Desloge 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 Desloge, 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, call Combs Waterkotte today at (314) 900-HELP. Our Desloge, MO dog bite injury lawyers handle each case with compassion and fervor. You did not deserve to be injured and it would be unjust to leave you to suffer 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 because of the attack, but for a chance to collect just compensation, you are going to need help from a skilled Desloge, MO dob bite injury lawyer. Our distinguished team of attorneys have the skills and resources to make sure you are made whole again and allowed to move forward from this experience. Discuss your Desloge, MO case with Combs Waterkotte for free today. Begin by reaching us now.
What compensation can my Desloge, MO dog bite injury lawyer help me receive?
Every dog bite injury case in the Desloge, MO area is unique and it is normal to experience anxiety and uncertainly about your case after a dog hurts you. The amount in damages you could recover in your Desloge, MO dog bite case ranges anywhere from $10,000 in bites that cause minor but evident injuries to well over $100,000 for bites that cause significant, permanent damage and expensive medical care. However, to truly understand what kind of settlement you can expect to receive for your Desloge, MO dog bite case, speak to a Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer in Desloge, MO about your case. Your compensation depends, in addition to other factors, on how extensive and debilitating your injuries and other damages are.
Damages you can recover in your Desloge, MO dog bite injury case 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 collect depends greatly on a variety of factors, including whether or not you hire a lawyer in Desloge, MO. Remember that a dog bite injury lawyer in Desloge, 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 your Combs Waterkotte Desloge, 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 Desloge, MO area provide quality legal support at no out-of-pocket costs to you. There is no reason not to speak to our Desloge, 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 Desloge, 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 could bring 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 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 Desloge, MO about your case. Trust the Desloge, MO dog bite attorneys of Combs Waterkotte and contact us for a free review of your dog bite injury case today.
Factors That Influence Your Settlement in 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.
- Your dog bite injuries necessitated emergency medical attention.
- Your injuries require you to undergo surgery or receive other extensive medical care.
- You required mental health treatment for the psychological injuries you suffered due to the dog bite.
When you hire Combs Waterkotte, your Desloge, 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 obtaining evidence, evaluating liability and building a strong case to make sure you get the best possible outcome in your Desloge, MO dog bite injury claim.
Beyond the circumstances of the accident and the severity of your injuries, the total recovery your Desloge, 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 cost of your medical bills
- How your dog bite injury lawyer calculates the value of your non-economic damages
- How effectively your dog bite injury lawyer negotiates and how resistant the defendant is
Average settlements in dog bite attacks and other personal injury cases are around three times higher for victims who hire a dog bite injury lawyer to represent them in their claim than for those who try to reach a settlement without legal representation. Discover how Combs Waterkotte can help you collect a higher, more just settlement for your Desloge, MO dog bite injuries by calling us at (314) 900-HELP today to go over your case with a knowledgeable Desloge, MO dog bite injury lawyer.
Desloge, 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 to work with your Desloge, MO dog bite injury lawyer to determine 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 at fault for your losses. With a Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer in Desloge, MO, you have a professional who knows Missouri law and has first-hand experience with a variety of situations related to liability in personal injury cases including dog bite injuries. We help you hold the right people accountable and make sure they pay for the losses you have experienced.
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 Desloge, MO dog bite injury attorney does not necessarily have to prove that the dog owner was negligent or that they intentionally allowed the dog to attack you. To win 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 Desloge 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 Desloge, MO will use our expertise to 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, 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 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 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 case. 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 Desloge, 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 in place mandating that people keep dogs on leashes while off their own property or ban dogs from being on others’ properties without the property owner’s permission. 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 injury?
Because of the possibility of additional claims of negligence outside of Missouri’s strict liability policy, it is possible that you have other cases against other defendants in addition to the owner of the dog. Depending on considerations such as the parties that were involved, where the bite occurred, and how the parties behaved, your dog bite injury lawyer in Desloge, MO may identify additional responsible inidividuals in your Desloge, 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 have been injured in a dog bite incident but you believe that additional parties share the blame or that the owner has more blame than strict liability accounts for, act right away and speak to a dog bite injury lawyer in Desloge, MO about your case as soon as possible. Combs Waterkotte has a dedicated team of talented Desloge, MO dog bite injury attorneys willing to fight for your recovery and make the right parties pay. 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 the recovery you deserve. Call us now at (314) 900-HELP.
Our Desloge, 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 Desloge, Missouri: Talk to a Lawyer Now
After facing the unexpected tragedy of a dog bite injury, a dog bite injury lawyer in Desloge, MO with Combs Waterkotte can help you seek justice. A dog bite is usually a traumatic experience, and the physical and psychological injuries it leaves can affect your life in profound, unrelenting ways. Give yourself a chance to receive the recovery you deserve by consulting with an accomplished Desloge, 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 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 learn how we can help you with your case.