Dog Bite Injury Lawyer New Haven, MO
Dog Bite Injury Lawyer New Haven, 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 New Haven, MO and interacting with any dog can bring us a lot of joy. 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 New Haven 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 New Haven, MO. When it happens to you or a loved one, we hare here to ensure that you get a fair recovery.
If your or someone you love has been injured in a dog bite incident, contact Combs Waterkotte today at (314) 900-HELP. Our New Haven, MO dog bite injury lawyers represent each case fervently and with great care and dedication. You did nothing to deserve to be injured and you should not have 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 the attack, but in order to receive the full value of your damages, you are going to need help from a skilled New Haven, MO dob bite injury lawyer. Our distinguished team of attorneys have the experience and resources to get you full compensation that will restore you after been harmed. Review your New Haven, MO case with Combs Waterkotte today in a complementary consultation today. Begin your recovery by reaching us now.
What compensation can my New Haven, MO dog bite injury lawyer help me receive?
Each New Haven, MO dog bite injury claim is unique and you are likely to have a number of questions running through your mind after a dog hurts you. The value of a dog bite claim in New Haven, MO could be anywhere from $10,000 in bites that cause minor but demonstrable injuries to well over $100,000 for bites that cause significant, lasting damage and expensive medical care. Remember, though, that to truly understand the possible settlement amount you can recover in your New Haven, 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 the extent of the damages or losses you have experienced.
Types of damages available in your New Haven, 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 recover depends greatly on many factors, including whether or not you hire a lawyer in New Haven, MO. Remember that a dog bite injury lawyer in New Haven, 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 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 New Haven, MO dog bite injury lawyer wins 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 New Haven, MO area work on your case at no out-of-pocket costs to you. You have nothing to lose by contacting our New Haven, 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 New Haven, 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 cause permanent scarring and disfigurement 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 talk to a dog bite injury lawyer in New Haven, MO about your case. Count on the New Haven, MO dog bite attorneys of Combs Waterkotte and ask us for a free review of your dog bite injury case today.
Factors That Affect 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.
- Your dog bite injuries necessitated emergency medical attention.
- You had to receive surgery or other significant medical treatments for your injuries.
- You required mental health treatment for the psychological injuries you suffered due to the dog bite.
When you hire Combs Waterkotte, your New Haven, MO dog bite injury lawyer will remain committed to investigating and proving the statements above that apply in your case. We dedicate our full resources to obtaining evidence, determining liability and building a strong case to get you the best possible result in your New Haven, MO dog bite injury claim.
Beyond the situation surrounding the accident and the extent of your injuries, the total sum your New Haven, 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 sum of the economic damages you have suffered as a result of the bite, including the cost of your medical expenses
- How your dog bite injury lawyer assesses and calculates your non-economic damages
- The ability of your dog bite injury lawyer to negotiate a settlement for your case
On average, settlements in personal injury claims like dog attacks are threefold for victims who hire a dog bite injury lawyer to represent them in their claim than for those in dog bite cases who try to reach a settlement without legal representation. Find out if Combs Waterkotte can help you collect a higher, more just settlement in your New Haven, MO dog bite case by calling us at (314) 900-HELP today to go over your case with a knowledgeable New Haven, MO dog bite injury lawyer.
New Haven, MO Dog Bite Injury Lawyer: Determining Liability
To receive a complete settlement that makes you whole after the losses you have suffered following a dog bite incident, you will need to work with your New Haven, MO dog bite injury lawyer to determine 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 losses. A knowledgeable dog bite injury lawyer in New Haven, MO with Combs Waterkotte knows Missouri law and has first-hand experience with a variety of situations related to liability in dog bites and other personal injury cases. We will make sure we 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 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 New Haven, MO dog bite injury attorney does not need to prove that the owner of the dog that bit you 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. In more certain terms, the Missouri statute lays out that the New Haven 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 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 New Haven, MO will work to 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, 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 lets their dog roam the neighborhood freely or fails to crate their anxious dog when they are expecting visitors to 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. 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 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 New Haven, 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 towns 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 permission from the property owner. If the person looking after or responsible for the dog broke one of these rules and that dog bit you, ask your attorney about a possible case of negligence per se.
Who is responsible for my dog bite injury?
Due to the possibility of additional claims of negligence outside of Missouri’s strict liability policy, you may have a case against other parties other than the owner of the dog. Depending on considerations such as who was involved, where the bite happened, and what the parties in question did or did not do, your dog bite injury lawyer in New Haven, MO may identify additional responsible parties in your New Haven, MO dog bite case, such as:
- 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 and you suspect that someone beyond the owner is to 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 New Haven, MO about your case as soon as possible. Combs Waterkotte is equipped with a team of exceptional New Haven, MO dog bite injury attorneys willing 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 avenues of compensation Missouri law provides. Let Combs Waterkotte help you get the recovery you deserve. Call us now at (314) 900-HELP.
Our New Haven, 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 New Haven, Missouri: Talk to a Lawyer Today
When you or a loved one are suddenly thrown off course by way of an unexpected dog bite injury, a dog bite injury lawyer in New Haven, MO with Combs Waterkotte can help you seek justice. A dog bite is usually a traumatic experience, and the physical and psychological injuries it leaves can affect your life in profound, unrelenting ways. You have a chance to be made whole again by speaking to an accomplished New Haven, MO dog bite injury lawyer today.
As your dog bite injury lawyer, we are here to demand that you are justly compensated 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 reach us online to discover how we can help you with your case.