Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Potosi, MO
Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Potosi, 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 Potosi, MO and we get a lot of joy from spending time with them. However, dogs are animals and do not have the ability to verbally communicate to us how they feel or what they are thinking. 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 Potosi 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 occur in Potosi, MO. When you or someone you know becomes the victim of a dog bite, we hare here to ensure that you get a fair recovery.
If your or someone you love has been harmed by a dog that bit, contact Combs Waterkotte today at (314) 900-HELP. Our Potosi, MO dog bite injury lawyers handle each case with compassion and fervor. You did nothing to deserve to be injured and you should not have to suffer 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 experienced as a result of your injuries, but in order to collect just compensation, you will likely need a skilled Potosi, MO dog bite injury lawyer fighting by your side. 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 Potosi, MO case with Combs Waterkotte today in a complementary consultation today. Start by reaching us now.
What compensation can my Potosi, MO dog bite injury lawyer help me receive?
Each dog bite injury case in the Potosi, MO area is unique and it is normal to experience anxiety and uncertainly about your case after a dog hurts you. The value of a dog bite claim in Potosi, MO could be anywhere from $10,000 in bites that cause minor but evident injuries to easily over $100,000 for bites that cause severe, lasting damage and expensive medical bills. However, to find out the possible settlement amount you can expect to receive in your Potosi, MO dog bite injuries, speak to a Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer in Potosi, MO about your case. Your compensation depends, in addition to other factors, on the extent of the damages or losses you have experienced.
Damages you can recover in your Potosi, 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 depends greatly on a variety of variables, including whether you hire an experienced Potosi, MO lawyer. It is important to note that a Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer in Potosi, 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 on your own. This includes the contingency-fee-basis on which we operate, which means that your Combs Waterkotte Potosi, 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 Potosi, MO area offer our dedicated representation at no out-of-pocket costs to you. There is no reason not to speak to our Potosi, 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 Potosi, 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 leave disfiguring scars settle for closer to $100,000 and dog bites that result in permanent disability can settle for 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 speak to a dog bite injury lawyer in Potosi, MO. Count on the Potosi, MO dog bite attorneys of Combs Waterkotte and ask us for a free review of your dog bite injury case now.
Factors That Affect the Value of a Dog Bite Case
The settlement you receive in your dog bite case depends on factors like:
- You have scarring or are disfigured as a result of the dog bite.
- Your injuries have caused permanent disability.
- Your dog bite injuries necessitated emergency medical attention.
- You had to receive surgery or other significant medical treatments for your injuries.
- You suffered psychological harm from the dog bite incident that required professional mental health treatment.
When you hire Combs Waterkotte, your Potosi, 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 an infallible argument to make sure you get the best possible outcome in your Potosi, MO dog bite injury claim.
In addition to the circumstances of the accident and the extent of your injuries, the total recovery your Potosi, MO dog bite injury lawyer can get you is also related to other factors, such as:
- What party or parties are 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 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
Average settlements in dog bite attacks and other personal injury cases are threefold 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. Discover how Combs Waterkotte can help you collect a higher, more just settlement for your Potosi, MO dog bite injuries by calling us at (314) 900-HELP today to ask an experienced Potosi, MO dog bite injury lawyer about your case.
Potosi, MO Dog Bite Injury Lawyer: Determining Liability
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 Potosi, MO dog bite injury lawyer to figure out 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 responsible for your losses. A knowledgeable dog bite injury lawyer in Potosi, MO with Combs Waterkotte knows 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 suffered.
In Missouri, Revised Statute Section 273.036 makes our state one that practices 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. That means that your Potosi, MO dog bite injury attorney does not necessarily have to show that the owner of the dog that bit you was negligent or had the dog attack you on purpose. In 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 Potosi 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 not trespassing and a dog bit you unprovoked, your Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer in Potosi, MO can get you a fair recovery 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 will cover the cost of 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 upholding their duty of care to you. Someone who allows a dog to run free through the neighborhood unsupervised or fails to crate their anxious dog 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 proving that the defendant did not act with care as a reasonable person would, your Potosi, 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 protect you. For example, certain towns 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 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, you may have a case of negligence per se.
Who is responsible for my dog bite injury?
Due to the possibility of additional claims of negligence outside of 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 considerations such as the parties that were present, where the bite happened, and how the parties behaved, your dog bite injury lawyer in Potosi, MO may build a case against other defendants in your Potosi, MO dog bite case, like:
- Landlords
- Stores
- Employers
- Government organizations
- Dog walkers
- Businesses 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, act right away and speak to a dog bite injury lawyer in Potosi, MO about your case as soon as possible. Combs Waterkotte is equipped with a dedicated team of talented Potosi, MO dog bite injury attorneys willing 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 Potosi, 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:
Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Potosi, 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 Potosi, MO with Combs Waterkotte will work hard to bring you justice. A dog bite is usually a traumatic experience, often leaving you with lasting physical and mental scars that can affect your life in profound, unrelenting ways. You have a chance to receive the recovery you deserve by speaking to an accomplished Potosi, 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.