Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Elsberry, MO
Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Elsberry, 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 dogs at home in Elsberry, MO and interacting with any dog can bring us a lot of joy. However, dogs are still animals and cannot communicate with us verbally. 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 Elsberry 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 Elsberry, MO. When you or someone you know becomes the victim of a dog bite, we hare here to help you recover fair compensation.
If your or someone you love has been injured in a dog bite incident, contact Combs Waterkotte today at (314) 900-HELP. Our Elsberry, MO dog bite injury lawyers represent each case with compassion and fervor. 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 suffered as a result of the attack, but for a chance to collect just compensation, you are going to need help from a skilled Elsberry, MO dob bite injury lawyer. Our distinguished team of attorneys have the experience and resources to get you full compensation that will restore you after been harmed. Discuss your Elsberry, MO case with Combs Waterkotte today in a complementary consultation today. Start by reaching us now.
What compensation can my Elsberry, MO dog bite injury lawyer help me receive?
Every Elsberry, MO dog bite injury claim is unique and you are likely to experience anxiety and uncertainly about your case after being injured by a dog. The value of a dog bite claim in Elsberry, MO could be anywhere from $10,000 for minor but demonstrable injuries to easily over $100,000 for bites that result in severe, lasting damage and costly medical bills. However, to truly understand the possible settlement amount you can recover for your Elsberry, MO dog bite claim, speak to a Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer in Elsberry, 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 Elsberry, MO dog bite injury case 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 is determined by a combination of many factors, including whether or not you hire a lawyer in Elsberry, MO. It is important to note that a Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer in Elsberry, 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 by yourself. This includes the contingency-fee-basis on which we operate, which means that your Combs Waterkotte Elsberry, 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 Elsberry, MO area provide quality legal support at no out-of-pocket costs to you. You have nothing to lose by contacting our Elsberry, 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 Elsberry, 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 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 in your particular case. 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 Elsberry, MO about your case. Trust the Elsberry, MO dog bite attorneys of Combs Waterkotte and contact 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:
- The dog bite leaves visible scarring or disfigurement.
- The dog bite has made you permanently disabled.
- You need emergency medical care due to your dog bite injuries.
- You had to receive surgery or other significant medical treatments for your injuries.
- You required mental health treatment for the psychological injuries you suffered due to the dog bite.
When you hire Combs Waterkotte, your Elsberry, 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 obtaining evidence, evaluating liability and building an infallible argument to get you an excellent result in your Elsberry, MO dog bite injury claim.
In addition to the situation surrounding the accident and the extent of your injuries, the total recovery your Elsberry, 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 liable party’s insurance coverage policy limits
- The sum of the economic damages you have suffered as a result of the bite, including the total cost of all of your medical expenses
- How your dog bite injury lawyer assesses and calculates your non-economic damages
- The ability of your dog bite injury lawyer to negotiate a settlement for your case
On average, settlements in dog bite attacks and other personal injury cases are around three times higher for victims who hire a dog bite injury lawyer to represent them in their claim than for plaintiffs who try to reach a settlement without legal representation. Discover how Combs Waterkotte can help you collect a higher, more just settlement for your Elsberry, MO dog bite injuries by calling us at (314) 900-HELP today to go over your case with a knowledgeable Elsberry, MO dog bite injury lawyer.
Elsberry, 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 Elsberry, MO you can trust to help you 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 has to do with who is responsible for your losses. With a Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer in Elsberry, MO, you have a professional who is well-acquainted with Missouri law and has seen many different situations regarding liability in personal injury cases including dog bite injuries. We will make sure we hold the right people accountable and make sure they pay for the damages 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 — irrespective of their intention or whether there was fault. That means that your Elsberry, MO dog bite injury attorney does not need to show that the owner of the dog that bit you was negligent or that they intentionally allowed the dog to attack you. 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 Elsberry or Missouri dog bite owner is legally responsible for your injuries if:
- you were injured by 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 not 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 Elsberry, MO will use our expertise to get you an excellent settlement 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 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 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 will diligently 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 proving that the defendant did not act with care as a reasonable person would, your Elsberry, 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 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 ban dogs from being on others’ properties without permission from the property owner. If the person looking after or responsible for the dog broke 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 injury?
Due to the possibility of additional claims of negligence outside of Missouri’s strict liability policy, it is possible that you have other cases against other defendants other than the owner of the dog. Depending on considerations such as who was involved, where the bite happened, and what the parties in question did or did not do, your dog bite injury lawyer in Elsberry, MO may identify additional responsible inidividuals in your Elsberry, MO dog bite case, such as:
- 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 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 covers, take the first step toward your recovery and speak to a dog bite injury lawyer in Elsberry, MO about your case as soon as possible. Combs Waterkotte has a dedicated team of talented Elsberry, MO dog bite injury attorneys ready to fight for your recovery and hold the right parties accountable. You did not deserve to be attacked or harmed, and you should be made whole through all legal remedies available to you under Missouri law. Let Combs Waterkotte help you get a just recovery. Call us now at (314) 900-HELP.
Our Elsberry, 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 Elsberry, Missouri: Talk to a Lawyer Now
After facing the unexpected tragedy of a dog bite injury, a dog bite injury lawyer in Elsberry, MO with Combs Waterkotte can help you seek justice. A dog bite can be quite traumatic, often leaving you with lasting physical and mental scars that can have a significant impact on your life. Give yourself a chance to receive the recovery you deserve by consulting with an accomplished Elsberry, 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 discover how we can help you with your case.