Dog Bite Injury Lawyer New Melle, MO
Dog Bite Injury Lawyer New Melle, 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 dogs at home in New Melle, MO and interacting with any dog can bring us a lot of joy. However, dogs are 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. Though we have a number of laws in New Melle and Missouri and recommendations responsible pet owners can follow to prevent dogs from attacking humans, but dog bites and dog bite injuries still take place in New Melle, MO. When you or someone you know becomes the victim of a dog bite, we hare here to help you recover fair compensation.
If your or your family member has been injured in a dog bite incident, contact Combs Waterkotte today at (314) 900-HELP. Our New Melle, MO dog bite injury lawyers represent each case fervently and with great care and dedication. 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 for a chance to collect just compensation, you will likely need an experienced New Melle, 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. Review your New Melle, MO case with Combs Waterkotte for free today. Begin your recovery by contacting us now.
What compensation can I get with the help of a dog bite injury lawyer in New Melle, MO?
Each New Melle, MO dog bite injury claim is different and you are likely to have a number of questions running through your mind after being injured by a dog. The value of a dog bite claim in New Melle, MO could be anywhere from $10,000 for minor but evident injuries to more than $100,000 for bites that cause more serious, long-term damage and costly medical bills. Remember, though, that to truly understand what kind of settlement you can recover in your New Melle, 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 how extensive and debilitating your injuries and other damages are.
Damages you can recover in your New Melle, 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 is determined by a combination of a variety of factors, including whether you hire an experienced New Melle, MO lawyer. Remember that a dog bite injury lawyer in New Melle, 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 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 Melle, 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 Melle, MO area work on your case at no out-of-pocket costs to you. There is no reason not to speak to our New Melle, MO dog bite injury lawyer team about your case to find out if we can help.
How much can I get for my case with a dog bite injury lawyer in New Melle, MO?
The average dog bite injury settlement is about $40,000 for a “severe but typical dog bite injury”, while dog bites that cause permanent scarring and disfigurement 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. Because your recovery depends on the unique circumstances and characteristics of your individual case, you need to talk to a dog bite injury lawyer in New Melle, MO about your case. Count on the New Melle, MO dog bite attorneys of Combs Waterkotte and ask us to review your dog bite injury case now.
Factors That Affect the Value of a Dog Bite Case
The following factors determine the value of your case:
- The dog bite leaves visible scarring or disfigurement.
- The dog bite has made you permanently disabled.
- Your dog bite injuries necessitated emergency medical attention.
- 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 New Melle, 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 trracking down evidence, evaluating liability and building an infallible argument to make sure you get an excellent outcome in your New Melle, MO dog bite injury claim.
In addition to the situation surrounding the accident and the severity of your injuries, the total compensation your New Melle, 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 insurance coverage policy limits
- The sum of the economic damages 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
- 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 those in dog bite cases who attempt to reach a settlement without legal representation. Find out if Combs Waterkotte can help you collect a higher, more just settlement in your New Melle, MO dog bite case by calling us at (314) 900-HELP today to ask an experienced New Melle, MO dog bite injury lawyer about your case.
New Melle, MO Dog Bite Injury Lawyer: Determining Liability
In order to settle your case at a sum 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 New Melle, MO dog bite injury lawyer to determine who to file a claim against and who, in turn, is responsible for your damages.
Liability in a dog bite or any personal injury case describes who is at fault for your losses. A knowledgeable dog bite injury lawyer in New Melle, MO with Combs Waterkotte knows 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 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 — irrespective of their intention or whether there was fault. In application, it means that your New Melle, MO dog bite injury attorney does not need to show that the dog owner was negligent or had the dog attack you on purpose. In your Missouri dog bite injury case, all you need to prove is that you were injured and that the owner’s dog bit you. Specifically, the Missouri statute lays out that the New Melle or Missouri dog bite owner is legally responsible for your injuries if:
- you were injured by 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 Melle, MO can get you a fair settlement 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 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 through an action or omission, in their duty to keep you safe. 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 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 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 New Melle, MO dog bite lawyer can show that the defendant is liable for your injuries because of the simple fact that they broke a law that was meant to protect you. 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 in possession of 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 injuries?
Because of the possibility of additional claims of negligence beyond the strict liability statute in Missouri, it is possible that you have other cases against other parties in addition to the owner of the dog. Depending on the circumstances of the parties that were present, where the bite occurred, and how the parties behaved, your dog bite injury lawyer in New Melle, MO may identify additional responsible inidividuals in your New Melle, 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 have been injured in a dog bite incident 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 New Melle, MO about your case as soon as possible. Combs Waterkotte has a dedicated team of talented New Melle, 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 made whole through all legal remedies available to you under Missouri law. Let Combs Waterkotte help you get a just recovery. Call us now at (314) 900-HELP.
Our New Melle, MO attorneys have the skill and experience necessary to bring you justice in any type of personal injury or criminal case. Some of our practice area specialties include:
Dog Bite Injury Lawyer New Melle, Missouri: Talk to a Lawyer Now
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 Melle, MO with Combs Waterkotte will work hard to bring you 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 receive the recovery you deserve by speaking to an accomplished New Melle, MO dog bite injury lawyer today.
As your dog bite injury lawyer, we are here to demand that you are justly compensated 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 reach us online to discover how we can help you with your case.