Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Maryland Heights, MO
Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Maryland Heights, 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 Maryland Heights, MO and interacting with any dog can bring us a lot of joy. 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. There are Maryland Heights 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 Maryland Heights, 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 harmed by a dog that bit, call Combs Waterkotte today at (314) 900-HELP. Our Maryland Heights, MO dog bite injury lawyers handle each case with compassion and fervor. You did not 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 full extent of the losses you have experienced because of your injuries, but in order to collect a fair settlement, you will likely need an experienced Maryland Heights, MO dog bite injury lawyer fighting by your side. Our team of competitive attorneys have the skills and resources to make sure you are made whole again and allowed to move forward from this experience. Discuss your Maryland Heights, MO case with Combs Waterkotte for free today. Start your recovery by contacting us now.
What compensation can my Maryland Heights, MO dog bite injury lawyer help me receive?
Every dog bite injury case in the Maryland Heights, 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 Maryland Heights, 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 significant, permanent damage and costly medical care. Remember, though, that to truly understand what kind of settlement you can expect to receive in your Maryland Heights, MO dog bite case, you must speak to a qualified St. Louis dog bite injury lawyer like the attorneys of Combs Waterkotte. Among other details, the amount of compensation you can recovery depends on how extensive and debilitating your injuries and other damages are.
Types of damages available in your Maryland Heights, MO dog bite injury case 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 final dollar amount you collect depends greatly on a variety of variables, including whether or not you hire a lawyer in Maryland Heights, MO. It is important to note that a Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer in Maryland Heights, MO will only agree to represent you if they can add value to your case and help you recover more than you could by yourself. This also takes into account the contingency-fee-basis on which we operate, which means that Combs Waterkotte will not bill you for anything unless your Maryland Heights, 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 Maryland Heights, MO area offer our dedicated representation at no out-of-pocket costs to you. There is no reason not to speak to our Maryland Heights, 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 Maryland Heights, 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 permanent disabilities caused by dog bites can settle for 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, it is important that you speak to a dog bite injury lawyer in Maryland Heights, MO. Turn to the Maryland Heights, MO dog bite attorneys of Combs Waterkotte and ask us to review your dog bite injury case now.
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.
- Your injuries have caused permanent disability.
- 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 Maryland Heights, MO dog bite injury lawyer will investigate and prove without question. We dedicate our full resources to collecting evidence, examining liability and building an infallible case to make sure you get an excellent result in your Maryland Heights, MO dog bite injury claim.
In addition to the situation surrounding the accident and the severity of your injuries, the total sum your Maryland Heights, MO dog bite injury lawyer can get you will also depend on other factors, such as:
- Who is 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 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 around three times higher for plaintiffs who hire a dog bite injury lawyer to represent them in their claim than for those who try to settle their case without legal representation. Find out if Combs Waterkotte can help you collect a higher, more just settlement for your Maryland Heights, MO dog bite injuries by reaching us at (314) 900-HELP today to ask an experienced Maryland Heights, MO dog bite injury lawyer about your case.
Maryland Heights, 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 to work with your Maryland Heights, MO dog bite injury lawyer to 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. A knowledgeable dog bite injury lawyer in Maryland Heights, MO with Combs Waterkotte 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 assigns legal accountability to a party — in this case, the dog owner — regardless of their intention or whether there was fault. In application, it means that your Maryland Heights, 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 it was the owner’s dog that injured you. In more certain terms, the Missouri statute lays out that the Maryland Heights 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 bitten by a dog that you did not provoke and you were not trespassing, your Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer in Maryland Heights, 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 will cover the cost of 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 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 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 Maryland Heights, MO dog bite lawyer can show that the person is liable for your injuries because of the simple fact that they broke a law that was meant to keep you safe. For example, some cities 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 the property owner’s permission. If the person looking after or responsible for 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?
Due to the possibility of additional claims of negligence 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 the circumstances of who was involved, where the bite happened, and what the parties in question did or did not do, your dog bite injury lawyer in Maryland Heights, MO may identify additional responsible inidividuals in your Maryland Heights, 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 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 Maryland Heights, MO about your case as soon as possible. Combs Waterkotte has a dedicated team of talented Maryland Heights, 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 legal remedies 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 Maryland Heights, MO attorneys can help you seek 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 Maryland Heights, Missouri: Talk to a Lawyer Today
After facing the unexpected tragedy of a dog bite injury, a dog bite injury lawyer in Maryland Heights, 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 affect your life in profound, unrelenting ways. Give yourself a chance to receive the recovery you deserve by consulting with an accomplished Maryland Heights, 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 as soon as possible at (314) 900-HELP or send us a message to discover how we can help you with your case.