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Osage County, MO

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Posted by Emily Herr on March 23, 2022

Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Osage County, MO

Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Osage County, MO. Dogs are beloved pets and, to some, even considered family members or honorary coworkers. A lot of us have pet dogs in Osage County, MO and we get a lot of joy from spending time with them. 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 compensated. There are Osage 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 happen in Osage 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 injured in a dog bite incident, contact Combs Waterkotte today at (314) 900-HELP. Our Osage County, MO dog bite injury lawyers represent each case with compassion and fervor. You did not deserve to be injured and you should not have to suffer the consequences on your own. Missouri law provides a path for you to collect a complete financial recovery for the full extent of the losses you have experienced as a result of your injuries, but in order to collect the full value of your damages, you are going to need help from a skilled Osage County, 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 Osage County, MO case with Combs Waterkotte for free today. Begin your recovery by reaching us now.

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

Each dog bite injury case in the Osage County, MO area is different 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 Osage County, MO could be anywhere from $10,000 for minor but demonstrable injuries to easily over $100,000 for bites that result in more serious, long-term damage and expensive medical care. However, to find out what kind of settlement you can expect to receive in your Osage County, MO dog bite case, you must speak to a qualified St. Louis dog bite injury lawyer like the attorneys of Combs Waterkotte. Among other details, the amount of compensation you can recovery depends on the extent of the damages or losses you have experienced.

Damages you can recover in a dog bite injury case in Osage County, MO 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 collect is determined by a combination of a variety of factors, including whether or not you hire a lawyer in Osage County, MO. It is important to note that a Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer in Osage County, 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 also takes into account the contingency-fee-basis on which we operate, which means that Combs Waterkotte will not bill you for anything unless your Osage County, MO dog bite injury lawyer wins 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 Osage County, MO area work on your case at no out-of-pocket costs to you. You have nothing to lose by contacting our Osage County, 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 Osage County, MO?

The average dog bite injury settlement is 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 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 Osage County, MO about your case. Count on the Osage County, MO dog bite attorneys of Combs Waterkotte and contact us to review your dog bite injury case today.

Factors That Affect Your Settlement in 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 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 Osage County, MO dog bite injury lawyer will investigate and prove without question. We put the full weight of our resources behind obtaining evidence, evaluating liability and building a strong case to make sure you get the best possible outcome in your Osage County, MO dog bite injury claim.

In addition to the situation surrounding the accident and the severity of your injuries, the total sum your Osage County, MO dog bite injury lawyer can secure for you is also related to other factors, such as:

  • Who is 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
  • 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 attempt to settle their case without legal representation. Find out if Combs Waterkotte can help you collect a higher, more just settlement for your Osage County, MO dog bite injuries by calling us at (314) 900-HELP today to go over your case with a knowledgeable Osage County, MO dog bite injury lawyer.

Osage County, MO Dog Bite Injury Lawyer: Determining Liability

In order to settle your case at a sum that can help you move forward in life after being harmed in a dog bite incident, you will need a dog bite injury lawyer in Osage 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.

Liability in a dog bite or any personal injury case describes who is at fault for your losses. With a Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer in Osage County, MO, you have a professional who 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 losses 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 is a legal policy that names a party accountable — in this case, the dog owner — regardless of fault or intention. That means that your Osage County, MO dog bite injury attorney does not need to prove that the dog owner was negligent or that they intentionally allowed the dog to attack you. In your Missouri dog bite injury case, all you need to prove is that you were injured and that the owner’s dog bit you. Specifically, the Missouri statute lays out that the Osage County or Missouri dog bite owner is liable 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 not trespassing and a dog bit you unprovoked, your Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer in Osage County, MO can get you an excellent 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 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 their duty to keep you safe. Someone who allows a dog to run free through the neighborhood unsupervised or fails to crate their anxious dog 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. 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 proving that the defendant did not act with care as a reasonable person would, your Osage County, MO dog bite lawyer can show that the defendant is liable for your injuries because of the simple fact that they broke a law that was meant to protect you. For example, certain towns 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 in possession of 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?

Because of the potential for negligence claims outside of Missouri’s strict liability policy, it is possible that you have other cases against other parties other than the owner of the dog. Depending on considerations such as the parties that were present, where the bite occurred, and what the parties in question did or did not do, your dog bite injury lawyer in Osage County, MO may identify additional responsible inidividuals in your Osage 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 but you believe 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 Osage County, MO about your case as soon as possible. Combs Waterkotte is equipped with a dedicated team of talented Osage County, 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 allowed to recover through all avenues of compensation available to you under Missouri law. Let Combs Waterkotte help you get a just recovery. Call us now at (314) 900-HELP.

Our Osage County, 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 Osage County, Missouri: Talk to a Lawyer Now

After facing the unexpected tragedy of a dog bite injury, a dog bite injury lawyer in Osage County, MO with Combs Waterkotte will work hard to bring you justice. A dog bite can be quite traumatic, 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 Osage County, 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 send us a message to discover how we can help you with your case.

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