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 dogs at home in St. Charles, MO and interacting with any dog can bring us a lot of joy. 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 compensated. 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 take place in St. Charles, MO. When you or someone you know becomes the victim of a dog bite, we hare here to help you recover fair compensation.
If your or your family member has been injured in a dog bite incident, call Combs Waterkotte today at (314) 900-HELP. Our St. Charles, MO dog bite injury lawyers handle each case fervently and with great care and dedication. You did not deserve to be injured and you should not have to suffer the consequences on your own. Missouri law provides a path for you to recover full compensation for the full extent of the losses you have experienced as a result of your injuries, but in order to collect a fair settlement, you will likely need a reputable St. Charles, MO dog bite injury lawyer standing by you. 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 St. Charles, MO case with Combs Waterkotte for free today. Begin by contacting us now.
What compensation can I get with the help of a dog bite injury lawyer in St. Charles, MO?
Every dog bite injury case in the St. Charles, MO area is different and it is normal to experience anxiety and uncertainly about your case after a dog hurts you. The amount in damages you could recover in your St. Charles, MO dog bite case ranges anywhere from $10,000 for minor but evident injuries to well over $100,000 for bites that result in significant, long-term damage and costly medical bills. However, to truly understand the possible settlement amount you can expect to receive for 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 your St. Charles, MO dog bite injury case 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 final dollar amount you recover depends greatly on a variety of variables, including whether or not you hire a lawyer in St. Charles, MO. Remember that a dog bite injury lawyer in St. Charles, 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 by yourself. This includes our contingency-fee model, which means that Combs Waterkotte will not bill you for anything unless your St. Charles, 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. Charles, MO area provide quality legal support at no out-of-pocket costs to you. You have nothing to lose by contacting our St. Charles, 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 St. Charles, 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.
While we wish we could promise an exact number, these averages do not guarantee anything 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. Charles, MO about your case. Trust the St. Charles, MO dog bite attorneys of Combs Waterkotte and contact us for a free review of your dog bite injury case now.
Factors That Influence Your Settlement in 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.
- Your dog bite injuries necessitated emergency medical attention.
- Your injuries require you to undergo surgery or receive other extensive medical care.
- You required mental health treatment for the psychological injuries you suffered due to the dog bite.
When you hire Combs Waterkotte, your St. Charles, 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 collecting evidence, evaluating liability and building an infallible argument to get you the best possible outcome in your St. Charles, MO dog bite injury claim.
Beyond the circumstances of the accident and the extent of your injuries, the total sum your St. Charles, MO dog bite injury lawyer can get you is also related to 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 bills
- 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 dog bite attacks and other personal injury cases are around three times higher for plaintiffs who hire a dog bite injury lawyer to represent them in their claim than for plaintiffs who attempt to reach a settlement without legal representation. Find out if Combs Waterkotte can help you collect a higher, more just settlement for your St. Charles, MO dog bite injuries by calling 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 Liability
In order to settle your case at a sum that makes you whole after the losses you have suffered following a dog bite incident, you will need a dog bite injury lawyer in St. Charles, MO you can trust to help you figure out 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 losses. A knowledgeable dog bite injury lawyer in St. Charles, MO with Combs Waterkotte is well-acquainted with Missouri law and has first-hand experience with a variety of 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 damages you have suffered.
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 — regardless of their intention or whether there was fault. That means that your St. Charles, MO dog bite injury attorney does not need to prove that the dog owner was negligent or that they intentionally allowed the dog to attack you. In your Missouri dog bite injury case, all you need to prove is that you were injured and it was the owner’s dog that injured you. Specifically, the Missouri statute lays out that the St. Charles 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 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 St. Charles, MO will use our expertise to get you an excellent recovery in your strict liability claim against the owner of the dog, 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 their duty to keep you safe. Someone who allows a dog to run free through the neighborhood unsupervised or does not put their large, aggressive dog away when strangers or children visit their home could be considered 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 proving that the defendant did not act with care as a reasonable person would, your St. Charles, MO dog bite lawyer can show that the defendant 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 that require owners to keep their dogs on leashes or ban dogs from being on others’ properties without permission from the property owner. If the person in possession of the dog violated 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 injury?
Due to the potential for negligence claims outside of Missouri’s strict liability policy, you may have a case against other defendants other than the owner of the dog. Depending on considerations such as who was present, where the bite occurred, and how the parties behaved, your dog bite injury lawyer in St. Charles, MO may identify additional responsible parties in your St. Charles, 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 were bitten by a dog and you suspect 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 St. Charles, MO about your case as soon as possible. Combs Waterkotte is equipped with a dedicated team of talented St. Charles, 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 allowed to recover through all avenues of compensation Missouri law provides. Let Combs Waterkotte help you get a just recovery. 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 Now
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 is usually a traumatic experience, and the physical and psychological injuries it leaves can have a significant impact on your life. Give yourself a chance to be made whole again by speaking to 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.