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Valley Park, MO

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Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Valley Park, MO

Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Valley Park, MO. We love our pet dogs and may even go so far as to call them family members or honorary coworkers. Many of us have dogs at home in Valley Park, 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. 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 Valley Park 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 take place in Valley Park, MO. When it happens to you or a loved one, we hare here to help you recover fair compensation.

If your or your family member has been harmed by a dog that bit, contact Combs Waterkotte today at (314) 900-HELP. Our Valley Park, MO dog bite injury lawyers represent each case fervently and with great care and dedication. You did nothing to deserve to be injured and you should not have to suffer the consequences on your own. Our laws in Missouri offer you a path for recourse to recover full compensation for the full extent of the losses you have experienced because of the attack, but in order to collect the full value of your damages, you are going to need help from a skilled Valley Park, MO dob bite injury lawyer. Our team of competitive attorneys have the skills and resources to get you full compensation that will restore you after been harmed. Review your Valley Park, MO case with Combs Waterkotte for free today. Start your recovery by contacting us now.

What compensation can I get with the help of a dog bite injury lawyer in Valley Park, MO?

Every Valley Park, 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 amount in damages you could recover in your Valley Park, MO dog bite case ranges anywhere from $10,000 for minor but demonstrable injuries to more than $100,000 for bites that cause severe, permanent damage and expensive medical bills. Remember, though, that to truly understand what kind of settlement you can expect to receive for your Valley Park, MO dog bite case, speak to a Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer in Valley Park, MO about your case. Among other considerations, the amount of compensation you can recovery depends on how extensive and debilitating your injuries and other damages are.

Damages you can recover in a dog bite injury case in Valley Park, MO include:

  • Medical expenses
    • 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 depends greatly on many factors, including whether or not you hire a lawyer in Valley Park, MO. It is important to note that a Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer in Valley Park, 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 on your own. This includes the contingency-fee-basis on which we operate, which means that Combs Waterkotte will not bill you for anything unless your Valley Park, 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 Valley Park, MO area work on your case at no out-of-pocket costs to you. There is no reason not to speak to our Valley Park, 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 Valley Park, 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 cause permanent scarring and disfigurement settle for closer to $100,000 and permanent disabilities caused by dog bites can settle for over $200,000.

Unfortunately, these numbers are not guarantees 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 Valley Park, MO about your case. Turn to the Valley Park, MO dog bite attorneys of Combs Waterkotte and ask us to review your dog bite injury case today.

Factors That Affect Your Settlement in a Dog Bite Case

Factors related to the dog bite that can affect the value of your claim include:

  • 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 Valley Park, MO dog bite injury lawyer will remain committed to investigating and proving the statements above that apply in your case. We put the full weight of our resources behind trracking down evidence, determining liability and building an infallible case to get you the best possible result in your Valley Park, MO dog bite injury claim.

Beyond the situation surrounding the accident and the severity of your injuries, the total recovery your Valley Park, MO dog bite injury lawyer can secure for you is also related to other factors, such as:

  • What party or parties are 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 total cost of all 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 personal injury claims like dog attacks are around three times higher for plaintiffs who hire a dog bite injury lawyer to represent them in their claim 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 Valley Park, MO dog bite case by reaching us at (314) 900-HELP today to go over your case with a knowledgeable Valley Park, MO dog bite injury lawyer.

Valley Park, MO Dog Bite Injury Lawyer: Who Is Liable

To receive a complete settlement that can help you move forward in life after the losses you have suffered following a dog bite incident, you will need a dog bite injury lawyer in Valley Park, 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 has to do with who is responsible for your losses. A knowledgeable dog bite injury lawyer in Valley Park, 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 losses 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 fault or intention. In application, it means that your Valley Park, MO dog bite injury attorney does not need to show that the owner of the dog that bit you was negligent or had the dog attack you on purpose. To win your Missouri dog bite injury case, all you need to prove is that you were injured and that the owner’s dog bit you. In more certain terms, the Missouri statute lays out that the Valley Park or Missouri dog bite owner is liable for your injuries if:

  • you were injured by 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 Valley Park, MO will use our expertise to 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 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 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 seen as negligent and your Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer can fight to hold them accountable in a negligence case. If a property owner or landlord was aware of but neglected to fix a broken fence and a tenant’s dog got out of the property and bit someone, the landlord may be negligent.
  • 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 Valley Park, 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, some 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 permission from the property owner. If the person in possession of the dog broke one of these rules and their 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 the strict liability statute in Missouri, it is possible that you have other cases against other defendants in addition to the owner of the dog. Depending on considerations such as who was present, where the bite occurred, and what the parties in question did or did not do, your dog bite injury lawyer in Valley Park, MO may build a case against other parties in your Valley Park, 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 and you suspect 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 Valley Park, MO about your case as soon as possible. Combs Waterkotte is equipped with a dedicated team of talented Valley Park, MO dog bite injury attorneys willing to fight for your recovery and make the right parties pay. You did not deserve to be attacked or harmed, and you should be allowed to recover through all avenues of compensation available to you under Missouri law. The legal team at Combs Waterkotte will get you a just recovery. Call us now at (314) 900-HELP.

Our Valley Park, MO attorneys can help you seek justice in any type of personal injury or criminal case. Some of our practice area specialties include:

    Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Valley Park, 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 Valley Park, MO with Combs Waterkotte will work hard to bring you justice. A dog bite can be quite traumatic, 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 speaking to an accomplished Valley Park, 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 being bitten and injured by a dog, call Combs Waterkotte right away at (314) 900-HELP or send us a message to learn how we can help you with your case.

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