Dog Bite Injury Lawyer High Ridge, MO
Dog Bite Injury Lawyer High Ridge, MO. Dogs are beloved pets and, to some, even considered family members or honorary coworkers. Many of us have dogs at home in High Ridge, 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 High Ridge 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 High Ridge, MO. When it happens to you or a loved one, 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, call Combs Waterkotte today at (314) 900-HELP. Our High Ridge, MO dog bite injury lawyers represent 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. Missouri law provides a path for you to recover full compensation for the damages and losses you have suffered because of your injuries, but in order to receive just compensation, you are going to need help from a skilled High Ridge, MO dob bite injury lawyer. Our team of competitive attorneys have the experience and resources to get you full compensation that will restore you after been harmed. Discuss your High Ridge, MO case with Combs Waterkotte today in a complementary consultation today. Start your recovery by reaching us now.
What compensation can my High Ridge, MO dog bite injury lawyer help me receive?
Each High Ridge, 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 amount in damages you could recover in your High Ridge, MO dog bite case ranges anywhere from $10,000 in bites that cause minor but demonstrable injuries to easily over $100,000 for bites that result in severe, long-term damage and costly medical care. However, to find out what kind of settlement you can recover for your High Ridge, MO dog bite case, you must speak to a qualified St. Louis dog bite injury lawyer like the attorneys of Combs Waterkotte. Your compensation depends, in addition to other factors, on how extensive and debilitating your injuries and other damages are.
Damages you can recover in a dog bite injury case in High Ridge, MO include:
- Medical expenses
- Ambulance bill
- Emergency room fees
- Hospital stay costs
- Doctors’ bills
- Surgery
- Treatment costs
- 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 depends greatly on a variety of variables, including whether you hire an experienced High Ridge, MO lawyer. It is important to note that a Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer in High Ridge, 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 our contingency-fee model, which means that your Combs Waterkotte High Ridge, 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 High Ridge, MO area provide quality legal support at no out-of-pocket costs to you. There is no reason not to speak to our High Ridge, 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 High Ridge, 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 result in settlements of over $200,000.
Unfortunately, these numbers are not guarantees 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 speak to a dog bite injury lawyer in High Ridge, MO. Count on the High Ridge, MO dog bite attorneys of Combs Waterkotte and contact us for a free review of your dog bite injury case today.
Factors That Influence the Value of 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.
- 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.
These are all facts of your case that your Combs Waterkotte High Ridge, 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, evaluating liability and building an infallible case to get you an excellent outcome in your High Ridge, MO dog bite injury claim.
Beyond the circumstances of the accident and the severity of your injuries, the total sum your High Ridge, 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 sum of the economic damages 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 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 for representation than for those in dog bite cases 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 High Ridge, MO dog bite injuries by calling us at (314) 900-HELP today to go over your case with a knowledgeable High Ridge, MO dog bite injury lawyer.
High Ridge, MO Dog Bite Injury Lawyer: Determining Liability
In order to settle your case at a sum that makes you whole after being harmed in a dog bite incident, you will need a dog bite injury lawyer in High Ridge, 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.
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 High Ridge, MO, you have a professional who knows Missouri law and has seen many different 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 damages you have experienced.
In Missouri, Revised Statute Section 273.036 makes our state one that practices strict liability in dog bite injury cases. Strict liabillity assigns legal accountability to a party — in this case, the dog owner — regardless of fault or intention. In application, it means that your High Ridge, 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. In 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 High Ridge or Missouri dog bite owner is liable for your injuries if:
- you were injured as a result of 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 bitten by a dog that you did not provoke and you were not trespassing, your Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer in High Ridge, MO can get you an excellent recovery in your strict liability claim against the dog’s owner, 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 their duty to keep you safe. Someone who allows a dog to run free through the neighborhood unsupervised 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 claim. 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 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 High Ridge, MO dog bite lawyer can show that the person is liable for your injuries by default because 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 prohibit dogs from being on others’ properties without permission from the property owner. If the person in possession of the dog violated one of these rules and that dog bit you, you may have a case of negligence per se.
Who is responsible for my dog bite damages?
Due to the possibility of additional claims of negligence 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 involved, where the bite occurred, and what the parties in question did or did not do, your dog bite injury lawyer in High Ridge, MO may identify additional responsible inidividuals in your High Ridge, MO dog bite case, such as:
- 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 and you suspect that someone beyond the owner is to blame, or that the owner has more blame than strict liability covers, take the first step toward your recovery and speak to a dog bite injury lawyer in High Ridge, MO about your case as soon as possible. Combs Waterkotte is equipped with a team of exceptional High Ridge, MO dog bite injury attorneys ready to fight for your recovery and make the right parties pay. You did nothing to deserve being attacked by a dog, 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 a just recovery. Call us now at (314) 900-HELP.
Our High Ridge, 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 High Ridge, Missouri: Talk to a Lawyer Now
After facing the unexpected tragedy of a dog bite injury, a dog bite injury lawyer in High Ridge, MO with Combs Waterkotte can help you seek 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 High Ridge, 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 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.