Image

Audrain County, MO

Verified Content

Posted by Emily Herr on March 23, 2022

Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Audrain County, MO

Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Audrain County, MO. Dogs are beloved pets and, to some, even considered family members or honorary coworkers. Many of us have pet dogs in Audrain County, MO and interacting with any dog can bring us a lot of joy. However, dogs are animals and cannot communicate with us verbally. 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 given a recovery. There are Audrain 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 occur in Audrain County, MO. When it happens to you or a loved one, we hare here to ensure that you get a fair recovery.

If your or someone you love has been harmed by a dog that bit, contact Combs Waterkotte today at (314) 900-HELP. Our Audrain County, MO dog bite injury lawyers handle each case with compassion and fervor. 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 full extent of the losses you have suffered because of your injuries, but for a chance to collect the full value of your damages, you will likely need an experienced Audrain County, 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 Audrain County, MO case with Combs Waterkotte for free today. Start your recovery by reaching us now.

What compensation can my Audrain County, MO dog bite injury lawyer help me receive?

Each dog bite injury case in the Audrain County, MO area is unique and you are likely to experience anxiety and uncertainly about your case after a dog hurts you. The amount in damages you could recover in your Audrain County, MO dog bite case ranges anywhere from $10,000 for minor but demonstrable injuries to well over $100,000 for bites that result in more serious, lasting damage and costly medical care. However, to find out what kind of settlement you can expect to receive for your Audrain County, MO dog bite case, speak to a Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer in Audrain County, 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.

Types of damages available in your Audrain County, 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 depends greatly on a variety of variables, including whether or not you hire a lawyer in Audrain County, MO. Remember that a dog bite injury lawyer in Audrain County, 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 also takes into account our contingency-fee model, which means that your Combs Waterkotte Audrain County, MO dog bite injury lawyer will not charge you anything unless we win your case. Then, at the end of the case, we collect a percent of your full settlement. That means our experienced dog bite injury lawyers in the Audrain County, MO area work on your case at no out-of-pocket costs to you. There is no reason not to speak to our Audrain 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 Audrain 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 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 Audrain County, MO. Count on the Audrain County, MO dog bite attorneys of Combs Waterkotte and contact us to review your dog bite injury case now.

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.
  • 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.

When you hire Combs Waterkotte, your Audrain County, 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 trracking down evidence, evaluating liability and building an infallible argument to make sure you get an excellent result in your Audrain County, MO dog bite injury claim.

Beyond the circumstances of the accident and the extent of your injuries, the total recovery your Audrain County, 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 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 dog bite attacks and other personal injury cases are threefold for plaintiffs who hire a dog bite injury lawyer for representation than for plaintiffs who try to settle their case without legal representation. Find out if Combs Waterkotte can help you collect a higher, more just settlement for your Audrain County, MO dog bite injuries by reaching us at (314) 900-HELP today to go over your case with a knowledgeable Audrain County, MO dog bite injury lawyer.

Audrain County, MO Dog Bite Injury Lawyer: Determining Liability

In order to successfully collect 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 Audrain County, 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 damages. With a Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer in Audrain County, MO, you have a professional who knows Missouri law and has seen many different 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 their intention or whether there was fault. That means that your Audrain County, 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. In 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 Audrain County 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 bitten by a dog that you did not provoke and you were not trespassing, your Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer in Audrain County, MO will use our expertise to get you a fair recovery in your strict liability claim against the dog’s owner, and most of the time it is the dog owner’s homeowners or renters insurance that will cover the cost of 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 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 they are expecting visitors to their home could be considered negligent and your Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer will diligently 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 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 Audrain County, MO dog bite lawyer proves that the defendant 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 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 injuries?

Because of the possibility of additional claims of negligence outside of Missouri’s strict liability policy, you may have a case 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 Audrain County, MO may build a case against other defendants in your Audrain County, 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 covers, act right away and speak to a dog bite injury lawyer in Audrain County, MO about your case as soon as possible. Combs Waterkotte has a dedicated team of talented Audrain County, 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 Missouri law provides. The legal team at Combs Waterkotte will get you a just recovery. Call us now at (314) 900-HELP.

Our Audrain 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 Audrain County, Missouri: Talk to a Lawyer Today

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 Audrain 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 have a significant impact on your life. You have a chance to receive the recovery you deserve by speaking to an accomplished Audrain 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 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.

View Service Areas
Open Video
Image

Featured Results:

Client Review, DUI Case

Play video
Image

Get In Touch:

St. Louis

Main Office

(314) 900-HELP

Get Directions

Clayton

By Appointment Only

(314) 900-HELP

Get Directions