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Oakville, MO

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Posted by Emily Herr on March 23, 2022

Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Oakville, MO

Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Oakville, 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 Oakville, MO and we get a lot of joy from spending time with them. However, dogs are 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 compensated. Though we have a number of laws in Oakville and Missouri and recommendations responsible pet owners can follow to prevent dogs from attacking humans, but dog bites and dog bite injuries still happen in Oakville, 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 injured in a dog bite incident, contact Combs Waterkotte today at (314) 900-HELP. Our Oakville, MO dog bite injury lawyers handle 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 collect a complete financial recovery for the damages and losses you have experienced as a result of the attack, but for a chance to receive the full value of your damages, you are going to need help from a skilled Oakville, MO dob bite injury lawyer. Our team of competitive attorneys have the experience and resources to make sure you are made whole again and allowed to move forward from this experience. Review your Oakville, MO case with Combs Waterkotte for free today. Begin your recovery by reaching us now.

What compensation can I get with the help of a dog bite injury lawyer in Oakville, MO?

Each dog bite injury case in the Oakville, MO area is unique and you are likely to have a number of questions running through your mind after being injured by a dog. The amount in damages you could recover in your Oakville, MO dog bite case ranges anywhere from $10,000 for minor but demonstrable injuries to well over $100,000 for bites that result in severe, permanent damage and expensive medical care. Remember, though, that to find out the possible settlement amount you can recover in your Oakville, MO dog bite case, speak to a Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer in Oakville, MO about your case. Among other considerations, the amount of compensation you can recovery depends on how extensive and debilitating your injuries and other damages are.

Damages you can recover in your Oakville, 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 final dollar amount you collect is determined by a combination of many variables, including whether you hire an experienced Oakville, MO lawyer. Remember that a dog bite injury lawyer in Oakville, 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 by yourself. This includes the contingency-fee-basis on which we operate, which means that your Combs Waterkotte Oakville, 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 Oakville, MO area work on your case at no out-of-pocket costs to you. There is no reason not to speak to our Oakville, 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 Oakville, 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 settle for 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 in your particular case. 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 Oakville, MO. Count on the Oakville, MO dog bite attorneys of Combs Waterkotte and contact us for a free review of your dog bite injury case now.

Factors That Influence Your Settlement in 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.
  • 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 Oakville, 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 collecting evidence, evaluating liability and building an infallible argument to get you an excellent outcome in your Oakville, MO dog bite injury claim.

Beyond the circumstances of the accident and the severity of your injuries, the total sum your Oakville, MO dog bite injury lawyer can get you is also related to 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 cost of your medical bills
  • How your dog bite injury lawyer calculates your non-economic damages
  • How effectively your dog bite injury lawyer negotiates and how resistant the defendant is

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 plaintiffs in dog bite cases who attempt to reach a settlement on their own. Discover how Combs Waterkotte can help you collect a higher, more just settlement in your Oakville, MO dog bite case by calling us at (314) 900-HELP today to ask an experienced Oakville, MO dog bite injury lawyer about your case.

Oakville, MO Dog Bite Injury Lawyer: Determining Liability

To successfully collect a complete settlement that makes you whole after being harmed in a dog bite incident, you will need a dog bite injury lawyer in Oakville, MO you can trust to help you determine who is legally responsible for the damages you have suffered and, thus, who to hold accountable for your suffering.

The idea of liability in a dog bite or any personal injury case has to do with who is responsible for your damages. With a Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer in Oakville, MO, you have a professional who knows Missouri law and has first-hand experience with a variety of situations regarding 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 — regardless of their intention or whether there was fault. In application, it means that your Oakville, MO dog bite injury attorney does not need to show that the owner of the dog that bit you 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 that the owner’s dog bit you. In more certain terms, the Missouri statute lays out that the Oakville or Missouri dog bite owner is legally responsible for your injuries if:

  • you were injured as a result of 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 not trespassing and a dog bit you unprovoked, your Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer in Oakville, MO will work to get you an excellent recovery in your strict liability claim against the owner of the dog, and typically it is the dog owner’s homeowners or renters insurance that pays out the settlement for 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 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 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 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 proving that the defendant did not act with care as a reasonable person would, your Oakville, 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 keep you safe. For example, some towns 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 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 potential for negligence claims beyond Missouri’s strict liability policy, it is possible that you have other cases against other defendants other than the owner of the dog. Depending on the circumstances of who was present, where the bite happened, and what the parties in question did or did not do, your dog bite injury lawyer in Oakville, MO may identify additional responsible defendants in your Oakville, 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 someone you love have been injured in a dog bite incident but you believe 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 Oakville, MO about your case as soon as possible. Combs Waterkotte has a team of exceptional Oakville, 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 made whole through all avenues of compensation Missouri law provides. The legal team at Combs Waterkotte will get you a just recovery. Call us now at (314) 900-HELP.

Our Oakville, 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 Oakville, Missouri: Talk to a Lawyer Now

    After facing the unexpected tragedy of a dog bite injury, a dog bite injury lawyer in Oakville, 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. Give yourself a chance to receive the recovery you deserve by consulting with an accomplished Oakville, 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 you or someone you love have been injured by a dog bite, 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.

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