Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Pulaski County, MO
Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Pulaski County, MO. We love our pet dogs and may even go so far as to call them members of our family or fellow staff members. Many of us have dogs at home in Pulaski County, MO and we get a lot of joy from spending time with them. However, dogs are 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 Pulaski County 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 happen in Pulaski County, MO. When you or someone you know becomes the victim of a dog bite, it is our job 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 Pulaski County, 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 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 experienced because of the attack, but for a chance to collect a fair settlement, you will likely need an experienced Pulaski County, 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. Discuss your Pulaski County, MO case with Combs Waterkotte for free today. Start by contacting us now.
What compensation can my Pulaski County, MO dog bite injury lawyer help me receive?
Every Pulaski County, MO dog bite injury claim is unique and it is normal to have a number of questions running through your mind after a dog hurts you. The value of a dog bite claim in Pulaski County, MO could be anywhere from $10,000 for minor but evident injuries to well over $100,000 for bites that result in significant, long-term damage and expensive medical bills. Remember, though, that to find out what kind of settlement you can expect to receive in your Pulaski County, MO dog bite claim, 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 the extent of the damages or losses you have experienced.
Types of damages available in a dog bite injury case in Pulaski County, MO include:
- Medical costs
- 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 recover is determined by a combination of many variables, including whether you hire an experienced Pulaski County, MO lawyer. It is important to note that a Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer in Pulaski County, 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 by yourself. This also takes into account our contingency-fee model, which means that Combs Waterkotte will not bill you for anything unless your Pulaski County, 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 Pulaski County, MO area provide quality legal support at no out-of-pocket costs to you. You have nothing to lose by contacting our Pulaski County, 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 Pulaski County, 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 dog bites that result in permanent disability can settle for over $200,000.
While we wish we could promise an exact number, these averages do not guarantee anything for your particular case outcome. In order to understand the complexities of your unique case and learn what to expect from your recovery, it is important that you speak to a dog bite injury lawyer in Pulaski County, MO. Trust the Pulaski County, MO dog bite attorneys of Combs Waterkotte and contact us to review your dog bite injury case now.
Factors That Affect Your Settlement in a Dog Bite Case
The following factors determine the value of your case:
- 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.
- 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.
These are all facts of your case that your Combs Waterkotte Pulaski County, MO dog bite injury lawyer will investigate and prove without question. We put the full weight of our resources behind obtaining evidence, evaluating liability and building a strong case to make sure you get the best possible result in your Pulaski County, MO dog bite injury claim.
Beyond the circumstances of the accident and the severity of your injuries, the total recovery your Pulaski County, MO dog bite injury lawyer can secure for you will also depend on other factors, such as:
- What party or parties are 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 expenses
- How your dog bite injury lawyer calculates your non-economic damages
- The ability of your dog bite injury lawyer to negotiate a settlement for your case
Average settlements in dog bite attacks and other personal injury cases are around three times higher for victims who hire a dog bite injury lawyer for representation than for plaintiffs who attempt to settle their case on their own. Discover how Combs Waterkotte can help you collect a higher, more just settlement in your Pulaski County, MO dog bite case by calling us at (314) 900-HELP today to go over your case with a knowledgeable Pulaski County, MO dog bite injury lawyer.
Pulaski County, MO Dog Bite Injury Lawyer: Determining Liability
In order to successfully collect a complete settlement that makes you whole after being harmed in a dog bite incident, you will need to work with your Pulaski County, 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 at fault for your losses. A knowledgeable dog bite injury lawyer in Pulaski County, MO with Combs Waterkotte is well-acquainted with Missouri law and has seen many different situations regarding liability in dog bites and other personal injury cases. We help you 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 their intention or whether there was fault. That means that your Pulaski County, MO dog bite injury attorney does not need to demonstrate that the dog owner was negligent or that they intentionally allowed the dog to attack you. 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 Pulaski County or Missouri dog bite owner is liable for your injuries if:
- you were injured by 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 Pulaski County, MO can get you an excellent settlement in your strict liability claim against the owner of the dog, and typically it is the dog owner’s homeowners or renters insurance that will cover the cost of 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 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 they are expecting visitors to their home could be seen as negligent and your Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer will diligently 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 comparing the defendant’s behavior to that of a reasonable person in the same situation, your Pulaski County, MO dog bite lawyer proves that the person is liable for your injuries by default because they broke a law that was meant to protect you. For example, some towns and municipalities have laws that require owners to keep their dogs on leashes or ban dogs from being on others’ properties without the property owner’s permission. If the person in possession of the dog violated 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 injuries?
Because of the possibility of additional claims of negligence beyond Missouri’s strict liability policy, you may have a case against other parties in addition to 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 Pulaski County, MO may identify additional responsible parties in your Pulaski County, 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 and you suspect that someone beyond the owner is to 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 Pulaski County, MO about your case as soon as possible. Combs Waterkotte has a team of exceptional Pulaski County, 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 legal remedies Missouri law provides. Let Combs Waterkotte help you get the recovery you deserve. Call us now at (314) 900-HELP.
Our Pulaski County, 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:
- Gun Crime Lawyer
- Child Abuse & Neglect Lawyer
- Homicide Lawyer
- Assault Lawyer
- Rape Defense Lawyer
- Sex Offense Lawyers
- DWI Attorney
- Crime Defense Lawyers
- Domestic Violence Defense Attorneys
- Child Pornography Defense Lawyer
Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Pulaski County, Missouri: Talk to a Lawyer Today
After facing the unexpected tragedy of a dog bite injury, a dog bite injury lawyer in Pulaski County, 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 be made whole again by consulting with an accomplished Pulaski County, 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 as soon as possible at (314) 900-HELP or send us a message to discover how we can help you with your case.