Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Holts Summit, MO
Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Holts Summit, MO. Dogs are beloved pets and, to some, even considered family members or honorary coworkers. Many of us have dogs at home in Holts Summit, MO and interacting with any dog can bring us a lot of joy. However, dogs are 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 given a recovery. Though we have a number of laws in Holts Summit and Missouri and recommendations responsible pet owners can follow to prevent dogs from attacking humans, but dog bites and dog bite injuries still occur in Holts Summit, MO. When you or someone you know becomes the victim of a dog bite, it is our job to help you recover fair compensation.
If your or someone you love has been injured in a dog bite incident, call Combs Waterkotte today at (314) 900-HELP. Our Holts Summit, 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. Missouri law provides a path for you to collect a complete financial recovery for the damages and losses you have suffered because of the attack, but for a chance to receive a fair settlement, you are going to need help from a skilled Holts Summit, 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 Holts Summit, MO case with Combs Waterkotte today in a complementary consultation today. Start your recovery by reaching us now.
What compensation can my Holts Summit, MO dog bite injury lawyer help me receive?
Every Holts Summit, MO dog bite injury claim is unique and it is normal to experience anxiety and uncertainly about your case after being injured by a dog. The value of a dog bite claim in Holts Summit, MO could be anywhere from $10,000 in bites that cause minor but demonstrable injuries to easily over $100,000 for bites that result in significant, permanent damage and expensive medical care. Remember, though, that to truly understand what kind of settlement you can recover for your Holts Summit, MO dog bite claim, 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 how extensive and debilitating your injuries and other damages are.
Damages you can recover in your Holts Summit, 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 total sum you recover depends greatly on many variables, including whether or not you hire a lawyer in Holts Summit, MO. It is important to note that a Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer in Holts Summit, 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 includes the contingency-fee-basis on which we operate, which means that Combs Waterkotte will not bill you for anything unless your Holts Summit, 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 Holts Summit, MO area provide quality legal support at no out-of-pocket costs to you. There is no reason not to speak to our Holts Summit, 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 Holts Summit, 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 dog bites that result in permanent disability can settle for 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, you need to speak to a dog bite injury lawyer in Holts Summit, MO. Trust the Holts Summit, MO dog bite attorneys of Combs Waterkotte and ask us for a free review of your dog bite injury case now.
Factors That Affect 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 suffered psychological harm from the dog bite incident that required professional mental health treatment.
When you hire Combs Waterkotte, your Holts Summit, 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 case to get you the best possible outcome in your Holts Summit, MO dog bite injury claim.
Beyond the situation surrounding the accident and the severity of your injuries, the total compensation your Holts Summit, 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 liable party’s 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 calculates your non-economic damages
- How effectively your dog bite injury lawyer negotiates and how resistant the defendant is
On average, settlements in dog bite attacks and other personal injury cases are threefold for victims who hire a dog bite injury lawyer for representation than for plaintiffs 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 in your Holts Summit, MO dog bite case by calling us at (314) 900-HELP today to go over your case with a knowledgeable Holts Summit, MO dog bite injury lawyer.
Holts Summit, MO Dog Bite Injury Lawyer: Determining Who Is Liable
To successfully collect a complete settlement that can help you move forward in life after being harmed in a dog bite incident, you will need to work with your Holts Summit, MO dog bite injury lawyer to determine who is legally responsible for the damages you have suffered and, thus, who to hold accountable for your suffering.
Liability in a dog bite or any personal injury case has to do with who is responsible for your damages. With a Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer in Holts Summit, MO, you have a professional who knows Missouri law and has first-hand experience with a variety of situations related to 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 experienced.
In Missouri, Revised Statute Section 273.036 makes our state one that practices strict liability in dog bite injury cases. Strict liabillity assigns legal accountability to a party — in this case, the dog owner — irrespective of their intention or whether there was fault. In application, it means that your Holts Summit, MO dog bite injury attorney does not necessarily have 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, you only need to show that you were injured and that the owner’s dog bit you. Specifically, the Missouri statute lays out that the Holts Summit 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 the property lawfully when you were bitten (in other words, you were not trespassing); and
- you did not provoke the dog to attack.
If you were not trespassing and a dog bit you unprovoked, your Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer in Holts Summit, MO will use our expertise to 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 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 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. 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 Holts Summit, 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 keep you safe. For example, some 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 looking after or responsible for 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 injury?
Due to the potential for negligence claims beyond Missouri’s strict liability policy, you may have a case against other parties other than 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 Holts Summit, MO may build a case against other defendants in your Holts Summit, 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 a loved one were bitten by a dog but you believe 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 Holts Summit, MO about your case as soon as possible. Combs Waterkotte has a dedicated team of talented Holts Summit, MO dog bite injury attorneys ready 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 legal remedies available to you under Missouri law. The legal team at Combs Waterkotte will get you the recovery you deserve. Call us now at (314) 900-HELP.
Our Holts Summit, MO attorneys can help you seek justice in any type of personal injury or criminal case. Some of our practice area specialties include:
- 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
- Criminal Lawyer
Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Holts Summit, Missouri: Talk to a Lawyer Today
After facing the unexpected tragedy of a dog bite injury, a dog bite injury lawyer in Holts Summit, 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 affect your life in profound, unrelenting ways. You have a chance to receive the recovery you deserve by speaking to an accomplished Holts Summit, 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 as soon as possible at (314) 900-HELP or reach us online to discover how we can help you with your case.