Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Steelville, MO
Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Steelville, 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 dogs at home in Steelville, 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. 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 Steelville 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 Steelville, MO. When it happens to you or a loved one, 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, call Combs Waterkotte today at (314) 900-HELP. Our Steelville, MO dog bite injury lawyers represent each case with compassion and fervor. You did nothing to 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 damages and losses you have suffered because of the attack, but in order to collect a fair settlement, you will likely need a reputable Steelville, 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 Steelville, MO case with Combs Waterkotte for free today. Begin your recovery by contacting us now.
What compensation can my Steelville, MO dog bite injury lawyer help me receive?
Each dog bite injury case in the Steelville, MO area is different and it is normal to have a number of questions running through your mind after a dog hurts you. The amount in damages you could recover in your Steelville, MO dog bite case ranges anywhere from $10,000 for minor but demonstrable injuries to easily over $100,000 for bites that cause severe, lasting damage and costly medical care. However, to find out the possible settlement amount you can recover for your Steelville, MO dog bite case, speak to a Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer in Steelville, MO about your case. Among other considerations, the amount of compensation you can recovery depends on the extent of the damages or losses you have experienced.
Damages you can recover in your Steelville, 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 total sum you recover is determined by a combination of many variables, including whether you hire an experienced Steelville, MO lawyer. Remember that a dog bite injury lawyer in Steelville, 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 on your own. This includes our contingency-fee model, which means that your Combs Waterkotte Steelville, MO dog bite injury lawyer will not charge you anything unless we win 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 Steelville, MO area offer our dedicated representation at no out-of-pocket costs to you. There is no reason not to speak to our Steelville, 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 Steelville, 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 could bring 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 speak to a dog bite injury lawyer in Steelville, MO. Count on the Steelville, MO dog bite attorneys of Combs Waterkotte and contact us to review your dog bite injury case now.
Factors That Influence Your Settlement in a Dog Bite Case
The following factors determine the value of your case:
- The dog bite leaves visible scarring or disfigurement.
- The dog bite has made you permanently disabled.
- 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.
These are all facts of your case that your Combs Waterkotte Steelville, MO dog bite injury lawyer will work diligently to get to the bottom of and prove. We put the full weight of our resources behind collecting evidence, evaluating liability and building a strong case to make sure you get an excellent outcome in your Steelville, MO dog bite injury claim.
Beyond the circumstances of the accident and the extent of your injuries, the total recovery your Steelville, MO dog bite injury lawyer can get you is also related to other factors, such as:
- Who is 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 the value of your non-economic damages
- The ability of your dog bite injury lawyer to negotiate a settlement for your case
On 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 those in dog bite cases who try to settle their case without legal representation. Find out if Combs Waterkotte can help you collect a higher, more just settlement in your Steelville, MO dog bite case by reaching us at (314) 900-HELP today to ask an experienced Steelville, MO dog bite injury lawyer about your case.
Steelville, MO Dog Bite Injury Lawyer: Who Is Liable
In order to settle your case at a sum that makes you whole after being harmed in a dog bite incident, you will need to work with your Steelville, MO dog bite injury lawyer to figure out who is legally responsible for the damages you have suffered and, thus, who to hold accountable for your suffering.
The idea of liability in a dog bite or any personal injury case describes who is responsible for your damages. A knowledgeable dog bite injury lawyer in Steelville, 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 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 Steelville, MO dog bite injury attorney does not necessarily have to prove 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 Steelville 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 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 Steelville, MO can get you an excellent settlement in your strict liability claim against the dog’s owner, and typically 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 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 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 Steelville, 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, certain towns and municipalities have laws in place mandating that people keep dogs on leashes while off their own property or ban dogs from being on others’ properties without the property owner’s permission. If the person in possession of the dog broke 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 injuries?
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 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 Steelville, MO may build a case against other parties in your Steelville, 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 someone you love were bitten by a dog but you believe that someone beyond the owner is to blame, or that the owner has more blame than strict liability covers, take the first step toward your recovery and speak to a dog bite injury lawyer in Steelville, MO about your case as soon as possible. Combs Waterkotte is equipped with a team of exceptional Steelville, MO dog bite injury attorneys ready to fight for your recovery and hold the right parties accountable. You did not deserve to be attacked or harmed, and you should be allowed to recover 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 Steelville, 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 Steelville, Missouri: Talk to a Lawyer Today
After facing the unexpected tragedy of a dog bite injury, a dog bite injury lawyer in Steelville, 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 affect your life in profound, unrelenting ways. You have a chance to be made whole again by consulting with an accomplished Steelville, 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 you or someone you love have been injured by a dog bite, call Combs Waterkotte as soon as possible at (314) 900-HELP or reach us online to learn how we can help you with your case.