Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Warren County, MO
Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Warren County, 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 Warren County, MO and we get a lot of joy from spending time with them. 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 Warren County 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 Warren County, 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 injured in a dog bite incident, call Combs Waterkotte today at (314) 900-HELP. Our Warren County, MO dog bite injury lawyers handle 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. Our laws in Missouri offer you a path for recourse to recover full compensation for the full extent of the losses you have experienced as a result of the attack, but for a chance to receive the full value of your damages, you are going to need help from a skilled Warren County, MO dob bite injury lawyer. Our distinguished team of attorneys have the skills and resources to make sure you are made whole again and allowed to move forward from this experience. Discuss your Warren County, 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 Warren County, MO?
Every dog bite injury case in the Warren County, MO area is unique 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 Warren County, MO dog bite case ranges anywhere from $10,000 in bites that cause minor but demonstrable injuries to more than $100,000 for bites that result in more serious, permanent damage and costly medical care. However, to truly understand the possible settlement amount you can expect to receive in your Warren County, MO dog bite case, you must speak to a qualified St. Louis dog bite injury lawyer like the attorneys of Combs Waterkotte. Among other outside variables, the amount of compensation you can recovery depends on the extent of the damages or losses you have experienced.
Damages you can recover in a dog bite injury case in Warren County, MO 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 final dollar amount you recover depends greatly on a variety of variables, including whether or not you hire a lawyer in Warren County, MO. It is important to note that a Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer in Warren County, 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 also takes into account the contingency-fee-basis on which we operate, which means that Combs Waterkotte will not bill you for anything unless your Warren County, 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 Warren County, MO area offer our dedicated representation at no out-of-pocket costs to you. You have nothing to lose by contacting our Warren County, 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 Warren County, 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 dog bites that result in permanent disability 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 Warren County, MO. Turn to the Warren County, MO dog bite attorneys of Combs Waterkotte and ask us to review your dog bite injury case today.
Factors That Influence the Value of a Dog Bite Case
The following factors determine the value of your case:
- You have scarring or are disfigured as a result of the dog bite.
- Your injuries have caused permanent disability.
- 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 Warren County, 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 collecting evidence, determining liability and building an infallible case to get you an excellent result in your Warren County, MO dog bite injury claim.
Beyond the circumstances of the accident and the extent of your injuries, the total compensation your Warren County, 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 the value of 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 threefold for plaintiffs who hire a dog bite injury lawyer to represent them in their claim than for plaintiffs who try to settle their case without legal representation. Discover how Combs Waterkotte can help you collect a higher, more just settlement in your Warren County, MO dog bite case by reaching us at (314) 900-HELP today to go over your case with a knowledgeable Warren County, MO dog bite injury lawyer.
Warren County, MO Dog Bite Injury Lawyer: Determining Liability
To successfully collect a complete settlement that makes you whole after being harmed in a dog bite incident, you will need to work with your Warren County, MO dog bite injury lawyer to 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 Warren County, MO with Combs Waterkotte is well-acquainted with Missouri law and has first-hand experience with a variety of 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 damages you have suffered.
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 — irrespective of their intention or whether there was fault. That means that your Warren County, MO dog bite injury attorney does not necessarily have to prove 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, you only need to show that you were injured and it was the owner’s dog that injured you. In more certain terms, the Missouri statute lays out that the Warren County or Missouri dog bite owner is legally responsible 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 bitten by a dog that you did not provoke and you were not trespassing, your Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer in Warren County, MO will work to get you a fair 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, 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 lets their dog roam the neighborhood freely 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 claim. 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 proving that the defendant did not act with care as a reasonable person would, your Warren County, MO dog bite lawyer can show that the defendant is liable for your injuries by default because they broke a law that was meant to protect you. For example, certain cities 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 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 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 defendants in addition to the owner of the dog. Depending on considerations such as the parties that were present, where the bite happened, and what the parties in question did or did not do, your dog bite injury lawyer in Warren County, MO may build a case against other parties in your Warren County, MO dog bite case, like:
- 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 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 Warren County, MO about your case as soon as possible. Combs Waterkotte is equipped with a team of exceptional Warren County, MO dog bite injury attorneys willing 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 allowed to recover through all avenues of compensation available to you under Missouri law. Let Combs Waterkotte help you get the recovery you deserve. Call us now at (314) 900-HELP.
Our Warren County, MO attorneys have the skill and experience necessary to bring you 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 Warren County, Missouri: Talk to a Lawyer Now
After facing the unexpected tragedy of a dog bite injury, a dog bite injury lawyer in Warren County, 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 receive the recovery you deserve by consulting with an accomplished Warren County, 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 send us a message to learn how we can help you with your case.