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St. Charles, MO

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Posted by Emily Herr on March 23, 2022

Dog Bite Injury Lawyer St. Charles, MO

Dog Bite Injury Lawyer St. Charles, 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. Charles, 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 given a recovery. Though we have a number of laws in St. Charles and Missouri and recommendations responsible pet owners can follow to prevent dogs from attacking humans, but dog bites and dog bite injuries still occur in St. Charles, MO. When it happens to you or a loved one, 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, call Combs Waterkotte today at (314) 900-HELP. Our St. Charles, 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 suffer the consequences on your own. Our laws in Missouri offer you a path for recourse to collect a complete financial recovery for the full extent of the losses you have experienced because of the attack, but in order to receive a fair settlement, you will likely need a skilled St. Charles, MO dog bite injury lawyer fighting by your side. Our distinguished team of attorneys have the skills and resources to get you full compensation that will restore you after been harmed. Review your St. Charles, MO case with Combs Waterkotte for free today. Start by reaching us now.

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

Each St. Charles, MO dog bite injury claim is unique and it is normal 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 St. Charles, MO dog bite case ranges anywhere from $10,000 in bites that cause minor but evident injuries to easily over $100,000 for bites that cause significant, permanent damage and costly medical care. However, to find out the possible settlement amount you can expect to receive in your St. Charles, MO dog bite case, 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 how extensive and debilitating your injuries and other damages are.

Damages you can recover in a dog bite injury case in St. Charles, 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 total sum you collect depends greatly on many variables, including whether you hire an experienced St. Charles, MO lawyer. Remember that a dog bite injury lawyer in St. Charles, 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 Combs Waterkotte will not bill you for anything unless your St. Charles, MO dog bite injury lawyer wins 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 St. Charles, MO area work on your case at no out-of-pocket costs to you. There is no reason not to speak to our St. Charles, MO dog bite injury lawyer team about your case to find out if we can help.

How much is my case worth if I hire a dog bite injury lawyer in St. Charles, 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.

While we wish we could promise an exact number, these averages do not guarantee anything for your particular case outcome. Because your recovery depends on the unique circumstances and characteristics of your individual case, you need to talk to a dog bite injury lawyer in St. Charles, MO about your case. Turn to the St. Charles, MO dog bite attorneys of Combs Waterkotte and contact us for a free review of your dog bite injury case today.

Factors That Influence 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.
  • 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 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. Charles, MO dog bite injury lawyer will work diligently to get to the bottom of and prove. We dedicate our full resources to trracking down evidence, determining liability and building a strong argument to make sure you get the best possible outcome in your St. Charles, MO dog bite injury claim.

In addition to the circumstances of the accident and the severity of your injuries, the total sum your St. Charles, MO dog bite injury lawyer can get 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 sum of the economic damages you have suffered as a result of the bite, including the cost of your medical expenses
  • How your dog bite injury lawyer assesses and 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 who try to settle their case on their own. Find out if Combs Waterkotte can help you collect a higher, more just settlement for your St. Charles, MO dog bite injuries by reaching us at (314) 900-HELP today to ask an experienced St. Charles, MO dog bite injury lawyer about your case.

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

In order to get a complete settlement that can help you move forward in life after being harmed in a dog bite incident, you will need to work with your St. Charles, 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 has to do with who is responsible for your losses. With a Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer in St. Charles, MO, you have a professional who knows Missouri law and has seen many different situations related to 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 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 is a legal policy that names a party accountable — in this case, the dog owner — irrespective of fault or intention. In application, it means that your St. Charles, MO dog bite injury attorney does not need to show 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. Specifically, the Missouri statute lays out that the St. Charles or Missouri dog bite owner is liable 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 St. Charles, MO will work to 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 pays out the settlement for 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 they are expecting visitors to 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 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 St. Charles, MO dog bite lawyer can show that the person 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 that require owners to keep their dogs on leashes 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 their dog bit you, you may have a case of negligence per se.

Who is responsible for my dog bite damages?

Because of the potential for negligence claims outside of Missouri’s strict liability policy, it is possible that you have other cases against other parties other than the owner of the dog. Depending on the circumstances of who was involved, where the bite occurred, and how the parties behaved, your dog bite injury lawyer in St. Charles, MO may build a case against other parties in your St. Charles, 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 were bitten by a dog but you believe that additional parties share the blame or that the owner has more blame than strict liability covers, act right away and speak to a dog bite injury lawyer in St. Charles, MO about your case as soon as possible. Combs Waterkotte is equipped with a team of exceptional St. Charles, MO dog bite injury attorneys ready to fight for your recovery and hold the right parties accountable. You did nothing to deserve being attacked by a dog, 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. Charles, 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:

Dog Bite Injury Lawyer St. Charles, Missouri: Hire a Lawyer Today

After facing the unexpected tragedy of a dog bite injury, a dog bite injury lawyer in St. Charles, 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. Give yourself a chance to receive the recovery you deserve by consulting with an accomplished St. Charles, MO dog bite injury lawyer today.

As your dog bite injury lawyer, we are here to demand that you are justly compensated 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 right away at (314) 900-HELP or reach us online to discover how we can help you with your case.

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