Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Montgomery County, MO
Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Montgomery County, 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 dogs at home in Montgomery County, 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 given a recovery. Though we have a number of laws in Montgomery County and Missouri and recommendations responsible pet owners can follow to prevent dogs from attacking humans, but dog bites and dog bite injuries still occur in Montgomery County, MO. When it happens to you or a loved one, we hare here to help you recover fair compensation.
If your or your family member has been harmed by a dog that bit, contact Combs Waterkotte today at (314) 900-HELP. Our Montgomery County, 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 full extent of the losses you have suffered because of the attack, but for a chance to receive just compensation, you are going to need help from a skilled Montgomery County, MO dob bite injury lawyer. Our distinguished team of attorneys have the skills and resources to make sure you are made whole again and allowed to move forward from this experience. Review your Montgomery County, MO case with Combs Waterkotte for free today. Begin by reaching us now.
What compensation can I get with the help of a dog bite injury lawyer in Montgomery County, MO?
Every dog bite injury case in the Montgomery County, MO area is different and it is normal to have a number of questions running through your mind after a dog hurts you. The amount in damages you could recover in your Montgomery County, MO dog bite case ranges anywhere from $10,000 in bites that cause minor but evident injuries to easily over $100,000 for bites that cause significant, long-term damage and costly medical care. However, to find out what kind of settlement you can expect to receive in your Montgomery County, MO dog bite injuries, 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 the extent of the damages or losses you have experienced.
Types of damages available in your Montgomery County, 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 depends greatly on many variables, including whether you hire an experienced Montgomery County, MO lawyer. It is important to note that a Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer in Montgomery County, 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 the contingency-fee-basis on which we operate, which means that your Combs Waterkotte Montgomery County, MO dog bite injury lawyer will not charge you anything unless we win 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 Montgomery County, MO area provide quality legal support at no out-of-pocket costs to you. You have nothing to lose by contacting our Montgomery County, 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 Montgomery County, 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 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. 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 Montgomery County, MO. Turn to the Montgomery County, MO dog bite attorneys of Combs Waterkotte and ask us to review your dog bite injury case now.
Factors That Influence 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 required mental health treatment for the psychological injuries you suffered due to the dog bite.
When you hire Combs Waterkotte, your Montgomery County, 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 collecting evidence, examining liability and building an infallible argument to make sure you get an excellent outcome in your Montgomery County, MO dog bite injury claim.
In addition to the circumstances of the accident and the severity of your injuries, the total recovery your Montgomery County, MO dog bite injury lawyer can secure for you is also related to other factors, such as:
- Who is liable for the dog bite
- The liable party’s 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 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 personal injury claims like dog attacks are around three times higher for victims who hire a dog bite injury lawyer for representation than for those who try to settle their case without legal representation. Discover how Combs Waterkotte can help you collect a higher, more just settlement for your Montgomery County, MO dog bite injuries by reaching us at (314) 900-HELP today to ask an experienced Montgomery County, MO dog bite injury lawyer about your case.
Montgomery County, MO Dog Bite Injury Lawyer: Who Is Liable
In order to receive a complete settlement that can help you move forward in life after the losses you have suffered following a dog bite incident, you will need to work with your Montgomery County, 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 has to do with who is responsible for your damages. A knowledgeable dog bite injury lawyer in Montgomery County, MO with Combs Waterkotte is well-acquainted with Missouri law and has first-hand experience with a variety of situations related to liability in personal injury cases including dog bite injuries. We will make sure we 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 is a legal policy that names a party accountable — in this case, the dog owner — irrespective of their intention or whether there was fault. That means that your Montgomery County, MO dog bite injury attorney does not necessarily have to prove that the dog owner was negligent or had the dog attack you on purpose. To win 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. In more certain terms, the Missouri statute lays out that the Montgomery County or Missouri dog bite owner is legally responsible 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 nothing to provoke the dog to attack.
If you were not trespassing and a dog bit you unprovoked, your Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer in Montgomery County, MO will work to get you an excellent settlement 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, 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 upholding their duty of care to you. 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 seen as negligent and your Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer can fight to 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 comparing the defendant’s behavior to that of a reasonable person in the same situation, your Montgomery County, MO dog bite lawyer proves that the person is liable for your injuries by default because they broke a law that was meant to keep you safe. For example, some cities and municipalities have laws that require owners to keep their dogs on leashes or prohibit 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 damages?
Due to the potential for negligence claims outside of Missouri’s strict liability policy, you may have a case against other defendants 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 Montgomery County, MO may identify additional responsible defendants in your Montgomery County, 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 were bitten by a dog and you suspect that additional parties share the 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 Montgomery County, MO about your case as soon as possible. Combs Waterkotte has a dedicated team of talented Montgomery County, MO dog bite injury attorneys willing to fight for your recovery and hold the right parties accountable. 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 the recovery you deserve. Call us now at (314) 900-HELP.
Our Montgomery County, MO attorneys have the skill and experience necessary to bring you justice in any type of personal injury or criminal case. The types of cases we take on include but are not limited to:
- Gun Crime Lawyer
- Child Abuse & Neglect Lawyer
- Homicide Lawyer
- Assault Lawyer
- Rape Defense Lawyer
- Sex Offense Lawyers
- DWI Attorney
- Crime Defense Lawyers
- Domestic Violence Defense Attorneys
- Child Pornography Defense Lawyer
Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Montgomery County, Missouri: Talk to a Lawyer Now
After facing the unexpected tragedy of a dog bite injury, a dog bite injury lawyer in Montgomery County, MO with Combs Waterkotte will work hard to bring you justice. A dog bite can be quite traumatic, and the physical and psychological injuries it leaves can affect your life in profound, unrelenting ways. Give yourself a chance to receive the recovery you deserve by consulting with an accomplished Montgomery County, 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 learn how we can help you with your case.