Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Franklin County, MO
Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Franklin County, MO. Dogs are beloved pets and, to some, even considered family members or honorary coworkers. Many of us have dogs at home in Franklin County, MO and we get a lot of joy from spending time with them. However, dogs are 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. There are Franklin County 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 Franklin 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 someone you love has been harmed by a dog that bit, contact Combs Waterkotte today at (314) 900-HELP. Our Franklin County, MO dog bite injury lawyers handle each case with compassion and fervor. You did nothing to deserve to be injured and it would be unjust to leave you 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 your injuries, but in order to receive the full value of your damages, you are going to need help from a skilled Franklin County, MO dob bite injury lawyer. Our distinguished team of attorneys have the experience and resources to make sure you are made whole again and allowed to move forward from this experience. Review your Franklin County, MO case with Combs Waterkotte today in a complementary consultation today. Start by contacting us now.
What compensation can I get with the help of a dog bite injury lawyer in Franklin County, MO?
Each dog bite injury case in the Franklin County, MO area is unique and it is normal to have a number of questions running through your mind after being injured by a dog. The value of a dog bite claim in Franklin County, MO could be anywhere from $10,000 in bites that cause minor but evident injuries to easily over $100,000 for bites that cause severe, long-term damage and expensive medical bills. However, to truly understand what kind of settlement you can recover for your Franklin County, MO dog bite injuries, speak to a Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer in Franklin County, MO about your case. Among other considerations, 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 Franklin County, MO 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 total sum you recover is determined by a combination of a variety of factors, including whether or not you hire a lawyer in Franklin County, MO. It is important to note that a Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer in Franklin County, MO 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 Combs Waterkotte will not bill you for anything unless your Franklin County, MO dog bite injury lawyer wins 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 Franklin County, MO area provide quality legal support at no out-of-pocket costs to you. There is no reason not to speak to our Franklin County, MO dog bite injury lawyer team about your case to find out if we can help.
How much is my case worth if I hire a dog bite injury lawyer in Franklin 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 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 in your particular case. 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 Franklin County, MO about your case. Turn to the Franklin County, MO dog bite attorneys of Combs Waterkotte and contact us for a free review of your dog bite injury case now.
Factors That Affect the Value of a Dog Bite Case
The settlement you receive in your dog bite case depends on factors like:
- You have scarring or are disfigured as a result of the dog bite.
- 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 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 Franklin County, MO dog bite injury lawyer will investigate and prove without question. We dedicate our full resources to obtaining evidence, determining liability and building an infallible case to get you the best possible outcome in your Franklin County, MO dog bite injury claim.
Beyond the situation surrounding the accident and the severity of your injuries, the total recovery your Franklin County, MO dog bite injury lawyer can get 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 bills
- How your dog bite injury lawyer assesses and calculates your non-economic damages
- How effectively your dog bite injury lawyer negotiates and how resistant the defendant is
On average, settlements in dog bite attacks and other personal injury cases are around three times higher for plaintiffs who hire a dog bite injury lawyer to represent them in their claim than for those who try to settle their case on their own. Discover how Combs Waterkotte can help you collect a higher, more just settlement for your Franklin County, MO dog bite injuries by reaching us at (314) 900-HELP today to go over your case with a knowledgeable Franklin County, MO dog bite injury lawyer.
Franklin County, MO Dog Bite Injury Lawyer: Who Is Liable
In order to get 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 to work with your Franklin County, MO dog bite injury lawyer to determine 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 damages. A knowledgeable dog bite injury lawyer in Franklin County, MO with Combs Waterkotte knows Missouri law and has seen many different situations related to 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 experienced.
In Missouri, Revised Statute Section 273.036 puts into effect a practice of strict liability in dog bite injury cases. Strict liabillity assigns legal accountability to a party — in this case, the dog owner — regardless of their intention or whether there was fault. In application, it means that your Franklin County, MO dog bite injury attorney does not necessarily have to show that the owner of the dog that bit you 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 Franklin County or Missouri dog bite owner is liable for your injuries if:
- you were injured by a dog bite;
- you were on the property lawfully when you were bitten (in other words, you were not trespassing); and
- you did nothing to 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 Franklin County, MO will work 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 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 allows a dog to run free through the neighborhood unsupervised or fails to crate their anxious dog when strangers or children visit 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 refers to liability that is assigned automatically through the act of breaking a law. Rather than comparing the defendant’s behavior to that of a reasonable person in the same situation, your Franklin County, MO dog bite lawyer proves 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 in place mandating that people keep dogs on leashes while off their own property or prohibit 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 their dog bit you, ask your attorney about a possible case of negligence per se.
Who is responsible for my dog bite damages?
Due to the potential for negligence claims beyond Missouri’s strict liability policy, it is possible that you have other cases 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 Franklin County, MO may build a case against other defendants in your Franklin 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 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 Franklin County, MO about your case as soon as possible. Combs Waterkotte is equipped with a team of exceptional Franklin County, 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 made whole through all legal remedies Missouri law provides. The legal team at Combs Waterkotte will get you a just recovery. Call us now at (314) 900-HELP.
Our Franklin County, MO attorneys have the skill and experience necessary to bring you justice in any type of personal injury or criminal case. The types of cases we take on include but are not limited to:
- Homicide Lawyer
- Assault Lawyer
- Rape Defense Lawyer
- Sex Offense Lawyers
- DWI Attorney
- Crime Defense Lawyers
- Domestic Violence Defense Attorneys
- Child Pornography Defense Lawyer
- Criminal Lawyer
Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Franklin County, 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 Franklin County, MO with Combs Waterkotte will work hard to bring you justice. A dog bite can be quite traumatic, often leaving you with lasting physical and mental scars that can have a significant impact on your life. You have a chance to receive the recovery you deserve by speaking to an accomplished Franklin County, MO dog bite injury lawyer today.
As your dog bite injury lawyer, we are here to demand that you are justly compensated 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 learn how we can help you with your case.