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 family members or honorary coworkers. A lot of us have pet dogs in Imperial, MO and we get a lot of joy from spending time with them. However, dogs are still 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 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 help you recover fair compensation.
If your or someone you love has been injured in a dog bite incident, contact Combs Waterkotte today at (314) 900-HELP. Our Imperial, MO dog bite injury lawyers handle each case with compassion and fervor. You did not deserve to be injured and you should not have 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 experienced as a result of your injuries, but for a chance to receive just compensation, you are going to need help from a skilled Imperial, MO dob bite injury lawyer. Our team of competitive attorneys have the skills and resources to get you full compensation that will restore you after been harmed. Discuss your Imperial, MO case with Combs Waterkotte for free today. Begin your recovery by reaching us now.
What compensation can my Imperial, MO dog bite injury lawyer help me receive?
Every Imperial, MO dog bite injury claim is different and it is normal to have a number of questions running through your mind after a dog hurts you. The value of a dog bite claim in Imperial, MO could be anywhere from $10,000 for minor but evident injuries to more than $100,000 for bites that cause significant, lasting damage and expensive medical bills. Remember, though, that to find out the possible settlement amount you can expect to receive for your Imperial, MO dog bite claim, speak to a Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer in Imperial, MO about your case. Your compensation depends, in addition to other factors, on how extensive and debilitating your injuries and other damages are.
Types of damages available in your Imperial, MO dog bite injury case include:
- Medical costs
- 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 collect depends greatly on many variables, 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 only agree to represent you if they can add value to your case and help you recover more than you could 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 is my case worth if I hire 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 dog bites that result in permanent disability can result in settlements of over $200,000.
Unfortunately, these numbers are not guarantees for your particular case outcome. Because your recovery depends on the unique circumstances and characteristics of your individual case, it is important that you speak to a dog bite injury lawyer in Imperial, MO. Count on the Imperial, MO dog bite attorneys of Combs Waterkotte and ask us to review your dog bite injury case today.
Factors That Influence the Value of a Dog Bite Case
The settlement you receive in your dog bite case depends on factors like:
- 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 Imperial, MO dog bite injury lawyer will work diligently to get to the bottom of and prove. We put the full weight of our resources behind collecting evidence, evaluating liability and building a strong case to make sure you get the best possible result in your Imperial, MO dog bite injury claim.
In addition to the circumstances of the accident and the extent of your injuries, the total recovery your Imperial, MO dog bite injury lawyer can get you is also related to 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
- 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 plaintiffs who try to reach a settlement without legal representation. Discover how Combs Waterkotte can help you collect a higher, more just settlement in your Imperial, MO dog bite case by calling 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 Liability
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 Imperial, MO you can trust to help you 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 describes who is at fault 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 dog bites and other personal injury cases. We help you hold the right people accountable and make sure they pay for the losses you have suffered.
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 Imperial, MO dog bite injury attorney does not necessarily have to show 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 it was the owner’s dog that injured 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 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 Imperial, MO will use our expertise 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 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 in their actions or failure to act, 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 they are expecting visitors to their home could be seen as 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 is when a party is legally liable by the act of breaking a law. Rather than comparing the defendant’s behavior to that of a reasonable person in the same situation, your Imperial, MO dog bite lawyer proves that the defendant is liable for your injuries because of the simple fact that they broke a law that was meant to keep you safe. For example, certain cities 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 in possession of 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 injuries?
Because of the possibility of additional claims of negligence outside of the strict liability statute in Missouri, you may have a case against other parties in addition to 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 Imperial, MO may build a case against other defendants in your Imperial, 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 a loved one were bitten by a dog and you suspect that additional parties share the blame or that the owner has more blame than strict liability covers, act right away and speak to a dog bite injury lawyer in Imperial, MO about your case as soon as possible. Combs Waterkotte has a team of exceptional Imperial, 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 allowed to recover 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: Hire a Lawyer Now
After facing the unexpected tragedy of a dog bite injury, a dog bite injury lawyer in Imperial, MO with Combs Waterkotte can help you seek 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 speaking to 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 after suffering the harm of something like a dog bite attack. After you or someone you love have been injured by a dog bite, call Combs Waterkotte right away at (314) 900-HELP or send us a message to discover how we can help you with your case.