Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Imperial, MO
Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Imperial, MO. We love our pet dogs and may even go so far as to call them members of our family or fellow staff members. A lot of us have pet dogs in Imperial, MO and interacting with any dog can bring us a lot of joy. However, dogs are 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. There are Imperial 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 happen in Imperial, 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 your family member has been injured in a dog bite incident, call Combs Waterkotte today at (314) 900-HELP. Our Imperial, MO dog bite injury lawyers handle each case fervently and with great care and dedication. You did not deserve to be injured and you should not have 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 full extent of the losses you have suffered as a result of the attack, but for a chance to collect just compensation, you will likely need an experienced Imperial, MO dog bite injury lawyer standing by you. Our distinguished team of attorneys have the skills and resources to get you full compensation that will restore you after been harmed. Review your Imperial, 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 Imperial, MO?
Every Imperial, MO dog bite injury claim is unique and it is normal to have a number of questions running through your mind after being injured by a dog. The amount in damages you could recover in your Imperial, 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 more serious, long-term damage and expensive medical care. However, to truly understand the possible settlement amount you can recover for your Imperial, MO dog bite case, speak to a Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer in Imperial, 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 your Imperial, MO dog bite injury case 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 many factors, including whether you hire an experienced Imperial, MO lawyer. Remember that a dog bite injury lawyer in Imperial, 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 your Combs Waterkotte Imperial, 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 Imperial, MO area provide quality legal support at no out-of-pocket costs to you. There is no reason not to speak to our Imperial, 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 Imperial, 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 settle for 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 Imperial, MO about your case. Turn to the Imperial, MO dog bite attorneys of Combs Waterkotte and ask us to review your dog bite injury case today.
Factors That Affect 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.
- 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.
When you hire Combs Waterkotte, your Imperial, 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, examining liability and building an infallible case to get you an excellent outcome in your Imperial, MO dog bite injury claim.
Beyond the situation surrounding the accident and the severity of your injuries, the total recovery your Imperial, 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 expenses
- How your dog bite injury lawyer assesses and calculates the value of 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 for representation than for plaintiffs in dog bite cases who try to settle their case without legal representation. Discover how Combs Waterkotte can help you collect a higher, more just settlement for your Imperial, MO dog bite injuries by reaching us at (314) 900-HELP today to ask an experienced Imperial, MO dog bite injury lawyer about your case.
Imperial, MO Dog Bite Injury Lawyer: Determining Who Is Liable
To get a complete settlement that makes you whole after being harmed in a dog bite incident, you will need a dog bite injury lawyer in Imperial, 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 describes who is responsible for your damages. With a Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer in Imperial, MO, you have a professional who knows Missouri law and has first-hand experience with a variety of 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 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 — irrespective of fault or intention. In application, it means that your Imperial, MO dog bite injury attorney does not need to demonstrate that the dog owner was negligent or that they intentionally allowed the dog to attack you. To win your Missouri dog bite injury case, you only need to show that you were injured and that the owner’s dog bit you. Specifically, the Missouri statute lays out that the Imperial or Missouri dog bite owner is liable for your injuries if:
- you were injured as a result of 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 Imperial, MO can get you a fair settlement 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 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 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 can fight to 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 proving that the defendant did not act with care as a reasonable person would, your Imperial, 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, 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 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 potential for negligence claims outside of the strict liability statute in Missouri, you may have a case against other defendants other than the owner of the dog. Depending on considerations such as who was involved, where the bite occurred, and what the parties in question did or did not do, your dog bite injury lawyer in Imperial, MO may identify additional responsible defendants in your Imperial, 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 someone you love 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 accounts for, act right away and speak to a dog bite injury lawyer in Imperial, MO about your case as soon as possible. Combs Waterkotte is equipped with a team of exceptional Imperial, 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 legal remedies available to you under Missouri law. Let Combs Waterkotte help you get the recovery you deserve. Call us now at (314) 900-HELP.
Our Imperial, 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 Imperial, Missouri: Talk to a Lawyer Now
After facing the unexpected tragedy of a dog bite injury, a dog bite injury lawyer in Imperial, 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 be made whole again by consulting with an accomplished Imperial, 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 right away at (314) 900-HELP or reach us online to discover how we can help you with your case.