Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Harvester, MO
Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Harvester, MO. We love our pet dogs and may even go so far as to call them family members or honorary coworkers. A lot of us have dogs at home in Harvester, MO and we get a lot of joy from spending time with them. However, dogs are still animals and cannot communicate with us verbally. 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 given a recovery. Though we have a number of laws in Harvester and Missouri and recommendations responsible pet owners can follow to prevent dogs from attacking humans, but dog bites and dog bite injuries still happen in Harvester, MO. When you or someone you know becomes the victim of a dog bite, it is our job to help you recover fair compensation.
If your or someone you love has been harmed by a dog that bit, contact Combs Waterkotte today at (314) 900-HELP. Our Harvester, 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 suffer the consequences on your own. Our laws in Missouri offer you a path for recourse to recover full compensation for the damages and losses you have suffered because of the attack, but in order to receive a fair settlement, you will likely need an experienced Harvester, MO dog bite injury lawyer standing by you. 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 Harvester, MO case with Combs Waterkotte for free today. Begin by contacting us now.
What compensation can my Harvester, MO dog bite injury lawyer help me receive?
Every Harvester, MO dog bite injury claim is different 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 Harvester, MO could be anywhere from $10,000 for minor but evident injuries to more than $100,000 for bites that cause more serious, lasting damage and expensive medical care. However, to truly understand what kind of settlement you can expect to receive for your Harvester, MO dog bite case, 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 a dog bite injury case in Harvester, 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 collect depends greatly on a variety of factors, including whether you hire an experienced Harvester, MO lawyer. It is important to note that a Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer in Harvester, 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 by yourself. This includes the contingency-fee-basis on which we operate, which means that Combs Waterkotte will not bill you for anything unless your Harvester, 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 Harvester, MO area work on your case at no out-of-pocket costs to you. There is no reason not to speak to our Harvester, 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 Harvester, MO?
The average dog bite injury settlement is 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.
While we wish we could promise an exact number, these averages do not guarantee anything in your particular case. Because your recovery depends on the unique circumstances and characteristics of your individual case, you need to talk to a dog bite injury lawyer in Harvester, MO about your case. Trust the Harvester, MO dog bite attorneys of Combs Waterkotte and contact 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:
- You have scarring or are disfigured as a result of the dog bite.
- Your injuries have caused permanent disability.
- Your dog bite injuries necessitated emergency medical attention.
- 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 Harvester, MO dog bite injury lawyer will investigate and prove without question. We dedicate our full resources to trracking down evidence, evaluating liability and building a strong case to get you an excellent result in your Harvester, MO dog bite injury claim.
Beyond the circumstances of the accident and the extent of your injuries, the total sum your Harvester, MO dog bite injury lawyer can get you will also depend on other factors, such as:
- Who is 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 total cost of all of your medical expenses
- How your dog bite injury lawyer 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 plaintiffs who hire a dog bite injury lawyer to represent them in their claim than for those who attempt to reach a settlement on their own. Find out if Combs Waterkotte can help you collect a higher, more just settlement in your Harvester, MO dog bite case by calling us at (314) 900-HELP today to go over your case with a knowledgeable Harvester, MO dog bite injury lawyer.
Harvester, MO Dog Bite Injury Lawyer: Determining Liability
In order 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 Harvester, 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 responsible for your damages. With a Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer in Harvester, MO, you have a professional who knows Missouri law and has first-hand experience with a variety of situations related to 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 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 their intention or whether there was fault. In application, it means that your Harvester, MO dog bite injury attorney does not need to show that the owner of the dog that bit you 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 that the owner’s dog bit you. In more certain terms, the Missouri statute lays out that the Harvester or Missouri dog bite owner is legally responsible 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 not provoke the dog to attack.
If you were not trespassing and a dog bit you unprovoked, your Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer in Harvester, MO will work to get you a fair recovery in your strict liability claim against the dog’s owner, and most of the time it is the dog owner’s homeowners or renters insurance that will cover the cost of 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 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 they are expecting visitors to their home could be considered negligent and your Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer will diligently 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 proving that the defendant did not act with care as a reasonable person would, your Harvester, MO dog bite lawyer proves that the defendant is liable for your injuries by default because they broke a law that was meant to protect you. 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 permission from the property owner. If the person looking after or responsible for the dog violated 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 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 parties other than the owner of the dog. Depending on the circumstances of who was present, where the bite happened, and how the parties behaved, your dog bite injury lawyer in Harvester, MO may build a case against other parties in your Harvester, MO dog bite case, like:
- 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 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, take the first step toward your recovery and speak to a dog bite injury lawyer in Harvester, MO about your case as soon as possible. Combs Waterkotte has a dedicated team of talented Harvester, 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 available to you under Missouri law. Let Combs Waterkotte help you get the recovery you deserve. Call us now at (314) 900-HELP.
Our Harvester, 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:
Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Harvester, Missouri: Talk to a Lawyer Today
After facing the unexpected tragedy of a dog bite injury, a dog bite injury lawyer in Harvester, MO with Combs Waterkotte will work hard to bring you justice. A dog bite is usually a traumatic experience, often leaving you with lasting physical and mental scars that can have a significant impact on your life. Give yourself a chance to be made whole again by consulting with an accomplished Harvester, 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 right away at (314) 900-HELP or send us a message to discover how we can help you with your case.