Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Clarkson Valley, MO
Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Clarkson Valley, MO. We love our pet dogs and may even go so far as to call them members of our family or fellow staff members. A lot of us have pet dogs in Clarkson Valley, MO and interacting with any dog can bring us a lot of joy. However, dogs are still 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 compensated. Though we have a number of laws in Clarkson Valley and Missouri and recommendations responsible pet owners can follow to prevent dogs from attacking humans, but dog bites and dog bite injuries still happen in Clarkson Valley, MO. When you or someone you know becomes the victim of a dog bite, 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 Clarkson Valley, 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 suffer the consequences on your own. Our laws in Missouri offer you a path for recourse to collect a complete financial recovery for the damages and losses you have experienced because of the attack, but for a chance to collect the full value of your damages, you are going to need help from a skilled Clarkson Valley, MO dob bite injury lawyer. 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. Discuss your Clarkson Valley, MO case with Combs Waterkotte for free today. Begin by reaching us now.
What compensation can my Clarkson Valley, MO dog bite injury lawyer help me receive?
Every Clarkson Valley, MO dog bite injury claim is unique and you are likely to have a number of questions running through your mind after being injured by a dog. The value of a dog bite claim in Clarkson Valley, MO could be anywhere from $10,000 in bites that cause minor but evident injuries to easily over $100,000 for bites that cause significant, lasting damage and costly medical bills. However, to truly understand the possible settlement amount you can recover in your Clarkson Valley, MO dog bite case, speak to a Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer in Clarkson Valley, MO about your case. 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 Clarkson Valley, MO dog bite injury case 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 final dollar amount you collect depends greatly on many factors, including whether you hire an experienced Clarkson Valley, MO lawyer. It is important to note that a Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer in Clarkson Valley, MO will only agree to represent you if they can add value to your case and help you recover more than you could by yourself. This includes the contingency-fee-basis on which we operate, which means that your Combs Waterkotte Clarkson Valley, 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 Clarkson Valley, MO area offer our dedicated representation at no out-of-pocket costs to you. You have nothing to lose by contacting our Clarkson Valley, 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 Clarkson Valley, 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 dog bites that result in permanent disability can result in settlements of over $200,000.
Unfortunately, these numbers are not guarantees for your particular case outcome. In order to understand the complexities of your unique case and learn what to expect from your recovery, it is important that you speak to a dog bite injury lawyer in Clarkson Valley, MO. Trust the Clarkson Valley, 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
Factors related to the dog bite that can affect the value of your claim include:
- 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.
These are all facts of your case that your Combs Waterkotte Clarkson Valley, MO dog bite injury lawyer will investigate and prove without question. We dedicate our full resources to collecting evidence, examining liability and building a strong argument to get you an excellent outcome in your Clarkson Valley, MO dog bite injury claim.
Beyond the circumstances of the accident and the severity of your injuries, the total sum your Clarkson Valley, 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 sum of the economic damages 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
On 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 reach a settlement without legal representation. Discover how Combs Waterkotte can help you collect a higher, more just settlement for your Clarkson Valley, MO dog bite injuries by calling us at (314) 900-HELP today to go over your case with a knowledgeable Clarkson Valley, MO dog bite injury lawyer.
Clarkson Valley, MO Dog Bite Injury Lawyer: Determining Who Is Liable
In order to settle your case at a sum that makes you whole after the losses you have suffered following a dog bite incident, you will need a dog bite injury lawyer in Clarkson Valley, MO you can trust to help you 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 has to do with who is at fault for your damages. A knowledgeable dog bite injury lawyer in Clarkson Valley, MO with Combs Waterkotte knows 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 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 Clarkson Valley, MO dog bite injury attorney does not need to show that the dog owner was negligent or that they intentionally allowed the dog to attack you. 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 Clarkson Valley 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 Clarkson Valley, MO will use our expertise 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, 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 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. 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 Clarkson Valley, 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 keep you safe. For example, some cities 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 looking after or responsible for 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 damages?
Due to the possibility of additional claims of negligence beyond Missouri’s strict liability policy, it is possible that you have other cases against other parties in addition to the owner of the dog. Depending on the circumstances of who was present, where the bite occurred, and how the parties behaved, your dog bite injury lawyer in Clarkson Valley, MO may identify additional responsible defendants in your Clarkson Valley, 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 have been injured in a dog bite incident but you believe that someone beyond the owner is to 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 Clarkson Valley, MO about your case as soon as possible. Combs Waterkotte is equipped with a team of exceptional Clarkson Valley, 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. Let Combs Waterkotte help you get a just recovery. Call us now at (314) 900-HELP.
Our Clarkson Valley, MO attorneys can help you seek justice in any type of personal injury or criminal case. Some of our practice area specialties include:
- Gun Crime Lawyer
- Child Abuse & Neglect Lawyer
- Homicide Lawyer
- Assault Lawyer
- Rape Defense Lawyer
- Sex Offense Lawyers
- DWI Attorney
- Crime Defense Lawyers
- Domestic Violence Defense Attorneys
- Child Pornography Defense Lawyer
Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Clarkson Valley, 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 Clarkson Valley, MO with Combs Waterkotte will work hard to bring you justice. A dog bite is usually a traumatic experience, and the physical and psychological injuries it leaves can have a significant impact on your life. Give yourself a chance to be made whole again by speaking to an accomplished Clarkson Valley, 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 reach us online to discover how we can help you with your case.