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St. Ann, MO

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Posted by Emily Herr on March 23, 2022

Dog Bite Injury Lawyer St. Ann, MO

Dog Bite Injury Lawyer St. Ann, MO. Dogs are beloved pets and, to some, even considered members of our family or fellow staff members. A lot of us have pet dogs in St. Ann, MO and interacting with any dog can bring us a lot of joy. However, dogs are still 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. There are St. Ann 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 St. Ann, 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 your family member has been harmed by a dog that bit, contact Combs Waterkotte today at (314) 900-HELP. Our St. Ann, MO dog bite injury lawyers handle 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 recover full compensation for the damages and losses you have suffered because of your injuries, but in order to receive the full value of your damages, you are going to need help from a skilled St. Ann, 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. Discuss your St. Ann, MO case with Combs Waterkotte for free today. Begin your recovery by contacting us now.

What compensation can my St. Ann, MO dog bite injury lawyer help me receive?

Every St. Ann, 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 St. Ann, MO could be anywhere from $10,000 in bites that cause minor but demonstrable injuries to more than $100,000 for bites that cause significant, long-term damage and expensive medical care. However, to find out what kind of settlement you can recover for your St. Ann, 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 the extent of the damages or losses you have experienced.

Types of damages available in a dog bite injury case in St. Ann, MO 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 variables, including whether you hire an experienced St. Ann, MO lawyer. Remember that a dog bite injury lawyer in St. Ann, 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 our contingency-fee model, which means that Combs Waterkotte will not bill you for anything unless your St. Ann, 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 St. Ann, MO area offer our dedicated representation at no out-of-pocket costs to you. There is no reason not to speak to our St. Ann, 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 St. Ann, MO?

The average dog bite injury settlement is 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 permanent disabilities caused by dog bites can result in settlements of 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, it is important that you talk to a dog bite injury lawyer in St. Ann, MO about your case. Trust the St. Ann, 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:

  • 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 suffered psychological harm from the dog bite incident that required professional mental health treatment.

These are all facts of your case that your Combs Waterkotte St. Ann, MO dog bite injury lawyer will investigate and prove without question. We dedicate our full resources to collecting evidence, examining liability and building an infallible argument to make sure you get the best possible result in your St. Ann, MO dog bite injury claim.

In addition to the circumstances of the accident and the extent of your injuries, the total compensation your St. Ann, 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 sum of the economic damages you have suffered as a result of the bite, including the cost of your medical bills
  • How your dog bite injury lawyer assesses and calculates your non-economic damages
  • The ability of your dog bite injury lawyer to negotiate a settlement for your case

Average settlements in personal injury claims like dog attacks are around three times higher for plaintiffs 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. Discover how Combs Waterkotte can help you collect a higher, more just settlement in your St. Ann, MO dog bite case by reaching us at (314) 900-HELP today to ask an experienced St. Ann, MO dog bite injury lawyer about your case.

St. Ann, MO Dog Bite Injury Lawyer: Determining Who Is Liable

To receive a complete settlement that makes you whole after being harmed in a dog bite incident, you will need to work with your St. Ann, 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. With a Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer in St. Ann, MO, you have a professional who knows Missouri law and has seen many different situations regarding liability in dog bites and other personal injury cases. We will make sure we hold the right people accountable and make sure they pay for the damages 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 St. Ann, MO dog bite injury attorney does not need to demonstrate that the dog owner 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 St. Ann 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 the property lawfully when you were bitten (in other words, you were not trespassing); and
  • you did not 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 St. Ann, MO can get you an excellent 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 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 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 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 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 St. Ann, MO dog bite lawyer proves that the person is liable for your injuries because of the simple fact that they broke a law that was meant to keep you safe. 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 their 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 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 who was present, where the bite occurred, and how the parties behaved, your dog bite injury lawyer in St. Ann, MO may build a case against other parties in your St. Ann, MO dog bite case, such as:

  • 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 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 St. Ann, MO about your case as soon as possible. Combs Waterkotte has a dedicated team of talented St. Ann, 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. The legal team at Combs Waterkotte will get you the recovery you deserve. Call us now at (314) 900-HELP.

Our St. Ann, 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 St. Ann, Missouri: Hire 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 St. Ann, MO with Combs Waterkotte can help you seek justice. A dog bite can be quite traumatic, often leaving you with lasting physical and mental scars that can have a significant impact on your life. You have a chance to be made whole again by speaking to an accomplished St. Ann, MO dog bite injury lawyer today.

As your dog bite injury lawyer, we make it our mission to secure just compensation for you 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 reach us online to learn how we can help you with your case.

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