Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Hazelwood, MO

Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Hazelwood, MO. Dogs are beloved pets and, to some, even considered family members or honorary coworkers. Many of us have pet dogs in Hazelwood, MO and interacting with any dog can bring us a lot of joy. However, dogs are still 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 given a recovery. Though we have a number of laws in Hazelwood 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 Hazelwood, 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 injured in a dog bite incident, call Combs Waterkotte today at (314) 900-HELP. Our Hazelwood, 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 collect a complete financial recovery for the damages and losses you have suffered because of the attack, but in order to receive just compensation, you will likely need a reputable Hazelwood, 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 Hazelwood, MO case with Combs Waterkotte today in a complementary consultation today. Begin by reaching us now.

About Us

What compensation can my Hazelwood, MO dog bite injury lawyer help me receive?

Every dog bite injury case in the Hazelwood, MO area is different 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 Hazelwood, MO dog bite case ranges anywhere from $10,000 in bites that cause minor but evident injuries to more than $100,000 for bites that cause significant, lasting damage and costly medical care. However, to truly understand what kind of settlement you can recover in your Hazelwood, MO dog bite injuries, 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 how extensive and debilitating your injuries and other damages are.

Damages you can recover in your Hazelwood, MO dog bite injury case include:

The final dollar amount you recover depends greatly on many factors, including whether you hire an experienced Hazelwood, MO lawyer. Remember that a dog bite injury lawyer in Hazelwood, 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 the contingency-fee-basis on which we operate, which means that Combs Waterkotte will not bill you for anything unless your Hazelwood, 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 Hazelwood, MO area work on your case at no out-of-pocket costs to you. You have nothing to lose by contacting our Hazelwood, 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 Hazelwood, 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.

While we wish we could promise an exact number, these averages do not guarantee anything for your particular case outcome. Because your recovery depends on the unique circumstances and characteristics of your individual case, it is important that you talk to a dog bite injury lawyer in Hazelwood, MO about your case. Trust the Hazelwood, 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 following factors determine the value of your case:

• 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.
• 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 Hazelwood, MO dog bite injury lawyer will work diligently to get to the bottom of and prove. We dedicate our full resources to trracking down evidence, determining liability and building an infallible argument to make sure you get an excellent result in your Hazelwood, MO dog bite injury claim.

Beyond the circumstances of the accident and the severity of your injuries, the total recovery your Hazelwood, MO dog bite injury lawyer can secure for you will also depend on other factors, such as:

• What party or parties are 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
• The ability of your dog bite injury lawyer to negotiate a settlement for your case

On average, settlements in personal injury claims like dog attacks are threefold for plaintiffs who hire a dog bite injury lawyer to represent them in their claim than for those who attempt to settle their case without legal representation. Find out if Combs Waterkotte can help you collect a higher, more just settlement for your Hazelwood, MO dog bite injuries by reaching us at (314) 900-HELP today to ask an experienced Hazelwood, MO dog bite injury lawyer about your case.

Hazelwood, 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 to work with your Hazelwood, 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 responsible for your losses. With a Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer in Hazelwood, MO, you have a professional who knows Missouri law and has seen many different situations regarding 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 — irrespective of their intention or whether there was fault. In application, it means that your Hazelwood, MO dog bite injury attorney does not necessarily have to show that the dog owner was negligent or had the dog attack you on purpose. In your Missouri dog bite injury case, you only need to show that you were injured and that the owner’s dog bit you. In more certain terms, the Missouri statute lays out that the Hazelwood or Missouri dog bite owner is liable 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 not trespassing and a dog bit you unprovoked, your Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer in Hazelwood, 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, 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 their duty to keep you safe. Someone who lets their dog roam the neighborhood freely 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 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 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 Hazelwood, 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, some towns and municipalities have laws that require owners to keep their dogs on leashes 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 that 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 the strict liability statute in Missouri, you may have a case against other defendants 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 Hazelwood, MO may build a case against other parties in your Hazelwood, 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 were bitten by a dog but you believe that someone beyond the owner is to 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 Hazelwood, MO about your case as soon as possible. Combs Waterkotte is equipped with a team of exceptional Hazelwood, 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 avenues of compensation Missouri law provides. The legal team at Combs Waterkotte will get you a just recovery. Call us now at (314) 900-HELP.

Our Hazelwood, 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:

• Criminal Defense Lawyer with Payment Plans

Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Hazelwood, Missouri: Hire a Lawyer Today

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 Hazelwood, 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 be made whole again by consulting with an accomplished Hazelwood, 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 being bitten and injured by a dog, call Combs Waterkotte as soon as possible at (314) 900-HELP or send us a message to discover how we can help you with your case.