Dog Bite Injury Lawyer O’Fallon, MO

Dog Bite Injury Lawyer O’Fallon, MO. Dogs are beloved pets and, to some, even considered family members or honorary coworkers. Many of us have dogs at home in O’Fallon, MO and we get a lot of joy from spending time with them. However, dogs are still animals and cannot communicate with us verbally. When a dog bites for whatever reason — they felt unsafe, were sick or in pain or were otherwise spurred to act on their instinct to attack — and you are hurt, you should be given a recovery. There are O’Fallon 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 take place in O’Fallon, MO. When it happens to you or a loved one, we hare here to help you recover fair compensation.

If your or someone you love has been harmed by a dog that bit, call Combs Waterkotte today at (314) 900-HELP. Our O’Fallon, MO dog bite injury lawyers represent each case with compassion and fervor. You did not 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 full extent of the losses you have suffered because of your injuries, but in order to receive the full value of your damages, you will likely need a reputable O’Fallon, MO dog bite injury lawyer standing by you. Our team of competitive attorneys have the experience and resources to get you full compensation that will restore you after been harmed. Review your O’Fallon, MO case with Combs Waterkotte for free today. Start by reaching us now.

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What compensation can my O’Fallon, MO dog bite injury lawyer help me receive?

Each O’Fallon, MO dog bite injury claim is unique and it is normal to experience anxiety and uncertainly about your case after being injured by a dog. The value of a dog bite claim in O’Fallon, MO could be anywhere from $10,000 for minor but demonstrable injuries to easily over $100,000 for bites that cause significant, long-term damage and costly medical care. Remember, though, that to truly understand what kind of settlement you can recover for your O’Fallon, MO dog bite injuries, speak to a Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer in O’Fallon, MO about your case. Your compensation depends, in addition to other factors, on how extensive and debilitating your injuries and other damages are.

Damages you can recover in a dog bite injury case in O’Fallon, MO include:

The total sum you recover depends greatly on many factors, including whether you hire an experienced O’Fallon, MO lawyer. Remember that a dog bite injury lawyer in O’Fallon, 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 our contingency-fee model, which means that your Combs Waterkotte O’Fallon, 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 O’Fallon, MO area provide quality legal support at no out-of-pocket costs to you. You have nothing to lose by contacting our O’Fallon, 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 O’Fallon, 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 settle for over $200,000.

While we wish we could promise an exact number, these averages do not guarantee anything 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 talk to a dog bite injury lawyer in O’Fallon, MO about your case. Turn to the O’Fallon, MO dog bite attorneys of Combs Waterkotte and ask us for a free review of your dog bite injury case today.

Factors That Influence the Value of 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.

When you hire Combs Waterkotte, your O’Fallon, 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, evaluating liability and building a strong case to make sure you get an excellent outcome in your O’Fallon, MO dog bite injury claim.

In addition to the situation surrounding the accident and the extent of your injuries, the total recovery your O’Fallon, MO dog bite injury lawyer can secure for you will also depend on 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 cost 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 dog bite attacks and other personal injury cases are threefold for victims who hire a dog bite injury lawyer for representation than for plaintiffs in dog bite cases who attempt to settle their case without legal representation. Find out if Combs Waterkotte can help you collect a higher, more just settlement for your O’Fallon, MO dog bite injuries by calling us at (314) 900-HELP today to go over your case with a knowledgeable O’Fallon, MO dog bite injury lawyer.

O’Fallon, 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 a dog bite injury lawyer in O’Fallon, MO you can trust to help you determine who to file a claim against and who, in turn, is responsible for your damages.

The idea of liability in a dog bite or any personal injury case describes who is at fault for your damages. A knowledgeable dog bite injury lawyer in O’Fallon, MO with Combs Waterkotte is well-acquainted with Missouri law and has seen many different 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 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 — regardless of fault or intention. That means that your O’Fallon, MO dog bite injury attorney does not necessarily have to demonstrate 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 that the owner’s dog bit you. In more certain terms, the Missouri statute lays out that the O’Fallon 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 nothing to 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 O’Fallon, 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, 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 upholding their duty of care to you. 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 considered negligent and your Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer can fight to hold them accountable in a negligence case. 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 comparing the defendant’s behavior to that of a reasonable person in the same situation, your O’Fallon, MO dog bite lawyer can show that the defendant is liable for your injuries by default because 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 prohibit dogs from being on others’ properties without permission from the property owner. 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 potential for negligence claims outside of Missouri’s strict liability policy, you may have a case against other parties in addition to the owner of the dog. Depending on the circumstances of the parties that were involved, where the bite occurred, and how the parties behaved, your dog bite injury lawyer in O’Fallon, MO may build a case against other inidividuals in your O’Fallon, MO dog bite case, like:

• 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 and you suspect that someone beyond the owner is to blame, or that the owner has more blame than strict liability covers, act right away and speak to a dog bite injury lawyer in O’Fallon, MO about your case as soon as possible. Combs Waterkotte is equipped with a team of exceptional O’Fallon, 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 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 O’Fallon, 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 O’Fallon, 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 O’Fallon, MO with Combs Waterkotte can help you seek justice. A dog bite can be quite traumatic, 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 O’Fallon, 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 being bitten and injured by a dog, call Combs Waterkotte right away at (314) 900-HELP or send us a message to discover how we can help you with your case.