Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Winfield, MO
Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Winfield, MO. We love our pet dogs and may even go so far as to call them members of our family or fellow staff members. Many of us have pet dogs in Winfield, 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. 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. There are Winfield 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 Winfield, 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, call Combs Waterkotte today at (314) 900-HELP. Our Winfield, 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 deal with the consequences on your own. Missouri law provides a path for you to recover full compensation for the damages and losses you have experienced because of the attack, but for a chance to receive a fair settlement, you will likely need a reputable Winfield, MO dog bite injury lawyer fighting by your side. 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. Review your Winfield, 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 Winfield, MO?
Each dog bite injury case in the Winfield, MO area is different and it is normal to experience anxiety and uncertainly about your case after being injured by a dog. The amount in damages you could recover in your Winfield, MO dog bite case ranges anywhere from $10,000 in bites that cause minor but demonstrable injuries to well over $100,000 for bites that result in more serious, lasting damage and costly medical bills. However, to truly understand what kind of settlement you can expect to receive in your Winfield, 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.
Types of damages available in your Winfield, MO dog bite injury case 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 final dollar amount you recover is determined by a combination of a variety of variables, including whether or not you hire a lawyer in Winfield, MO. Remember that a dog bite injury lawyer in Winfield, 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 also takes into account our contingency-fee model, which means that your Combs Waterkotte Winfield, 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 Winfield, MO area provide quality legal support at no out-of-pocket costs to you. You have nothing to lose by contacting our Winfield, MO dog bite injury lawyer team to discuss your case and learn how we can help.
How much is my case worth if I hire a dog bite injury lawyer in Winfield, 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 result in settlements of over $200,000.
Unfortunately, these numbers are not guarantees in your particular case. In order to understand the complexities of your unique case and learn what to expect from your recovery, you need to speak to a dog bite injury lawyer in Winfield, MO. Count on the Winfield, MO dog bite attorneys of Combs Waterkotte and contact us for a free review of your dog bite injury case now.
Factors That Influence the Value of 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 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 Winfield, MO dog bite injury lawyer will work diligently to get to the bottom of and prove. We dedicate our full resources to obtaining evidence, determining liability and building a strong case to make sure you get the best possible outcome in your Winfield, MO dog bite injury claim.
Beyond the situation surrounding the accident and the severity of your injuries, the total recovery your Winfield, MO dog bite injury lawyer can get you is also related to other factors, such as:
- What party or parties are 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 assesses and calculates the value of your non-economic damages
- The ability of your dog bite injury lawyer to negotiate a settlement for your case
Average settlements in personal injury claims like dog attacks are around three times higher for victims who hire a dog bite injury lawyer to represent them in their claim than for plaintiffs who attempt to settle their case on their own. Discover how Combs Waterkotte can help you collect a higher, more just settlement for your Winfield, MO dog bite injuries by reaching us at (314) 900-HELP today to go over your case with a knowledgeable Winfield, MO dog bite injury lawyer.
Winfield, MO Dog Bite Injury Lawyer: Who Is Liable
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 Winfield, 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 describes who is at fault for your losses. A knowledgeable dog bite injury lawyer in Winfield, 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 will make sure we hold the right people accountable and make sure they pay for the damages 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 Winfield, 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. In more certain terms, the Missouri statute lays out that the Winfield 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 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 Winfield, MO can get you a fair recovery 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 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 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 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 Winfield, MO dog bite lawyer can show that the person is liable for your injuries because of the simple fact that they broke a law that was meant to protect you. For example, some towns and municipalities have laws that require owners to keep their dogs on leashes or ban dogs from being on others’ properties without the property owner’s permission. If the person looking after or responsible for the dog violated one of these rules and that dog bit you, you may have a case of negligence per se.
Who is responsible for my dog bite injury?
Because of the potential for negligence claims beyond the strict liability statute in Missouri, you may have a case against other defendants in addition to the owner of the dog. Depending on the circumstances of the parties that were involved, where the bite happened, and how the parties behaved, your dog bite injury lawyer in Winfield, MO may build a case against other defendants in your Winfield, 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 a loved one were bitten by a dog and you suspect that someone beyond the owner is to blame, or that the owner has more blame than strict liability accounts for, take the first step toward your recovery and speak to a dog bite injury lawyer in Winfield, MO about your case as soon as possible. Combs Waterkotte has a dedicated team of talented Winfield, MO dog bite injury attorneys ready 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 made whole through all avenues of compensation Missouri law provides. The legal team at Combs Waterkotte will get you the recovery you deserve. Call us now at (314) 900-HELP.
Our Winfield, 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 Winfield, Missouri: Talk to a Lawyer Now
After facing the unexpected tragedy of a dog bite injury, a dog bite injury lawyer in Winfield, MO with Combs Waterkotte will work hard to bring you justice. A dog bite is usually a traumatic experience, often leaving you with lasting physical and mental scars that can affect your life in profound, unrelenting ways. You have a chance to be made whole again by consulting with an accomplished Winfield, MO dog bite injury lawyer today.
As your dog bite injury lawyer, we make it our mission to secure just compensation for you when a life-changing incident such as a dog attack causes you harm. After being bitten and injured by a dog, call Combs Waterkotte as soon as possible at (314) 900-HELP or send us a message to learn how we can help you with your case.