Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Pagedale, MO
Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Pagedale, MO. Dogs are beloved pets and, to some, even considered family members or honorary coworkers. Many of us have dogs at home in Pagedale, MO and we get a lot of joy from spending time with them. However, dogs are still animals and do not have the ability to verbally communicate to us how they feel or what they are thinking. 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 given a recovery. Though we have a number of laws in Pagedale and Missouri and recommendations responsible pet owners can follow to prevent dogs from attacking humans, but dog bites and dog bite injuries still take place in Pagedale, MO. When it happens to you or a loved one, it is our job to ensure that you get a fair recovery.
If your or your family member has been injured in a dog bite incident, call Combs Waterkotte today at (314) 900-HELP. Our Pagedale, 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 recover full compensation for the full extent of the losses you have experienced as a result of your injuries, but for a chance to receive a fair settlement, you are going to need help from a skilled Pagedale, MO dob bite injury lawyer. Our distinguished team of attorneys have the skills and resources to get you full compensation that will restore you after been harmed. Review your Pagedale, MO case with Combs Waterkotte for free today. Begin by contacting us now.
What compensation can my Pagedale, MO dog bite injury lawyer help me receive?
Every Pagedale, MO dog bite injury claim is unique and it is normal to have a number of questions running through your mind after a dog hurts you. The amount in damages you could recover in your Pagedale, MO dog bite case ranges anywhere from $10,000 in bites that cause minor but evident injuries to well over $100,000 for bites that result in more serious, permanent damage and costly medical care. However, to truly understand what kind of settlement you can expect to receive in your Pagedale, MO dog bite claim, you must speak to a qualified St. Louis dog bite injury lawyer like the attorneys of Combs Waterkotte. Your compensation depends, in addition to other factors, on how extensive and debilitating your injuries and other damages are.
Damages you can recover in a dog bite injury case in Pagedale, MO include:
- Medical costs
- 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 is determined by a combination of a variety of factors, including whether or not you hire a lawyer in Pagedale, MO. Remember that a dog bite injury lawyer in Pagedale, 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 on your own. This includes our contingency-fee model, which means that your Combs Waterkotte Pagedale, 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 Pagedale, MO area provide quality legal support at no out-of-pocket costs to you. You have nothing to lose by contacting our Pagedale, MO dog bite injury lawyer team about your case to find out if we can help.
How much can I get for my case with a dog bite injury lawyer in Pagedale, 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 could bring 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 Pagedale, MO. Count on the Pagedale, MO dog bite attorneys of Combs Waterkotte and ask us to review your dog bite injury case now.
Factors That Influence Your Settlement in a Dog Bite Case
The following factors determine the value of your case:
- The dog bite leaves visible scarring or disfigurement.
- Your injuries have caused permanent disability.
- You need emergency medical care due to your dog bite injuries.
- 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.
These are all facts of your case that your Combs Waterkotte Pagedale, MO dog bite injury lawyer will work diligently to get to the bottom of and prove. We put the full weight of our resources behind collecting evidence, evaluating liability and building a strong argument to get you the best possible result in your Pagedale, MO dog bite injury claim.
In addition to the situation surrounding the accident and the extent of your injuries, the total recovery your Pagedale, 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 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 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 plaintiffs who hire a dog bite injury lawyer for representation than for plaintiffs who attempt to reach a settlement on their own. Find out if Combs Waterkotte can help you collect a higher, more just settlement in your Pagedale, MO dog bite case by calling us at (314) 900-HELP today to go over your case with a knowledgeable Pagedale, MO dog bite injury lawyer.
Pagedale, MO Dog Bite Injury Lawyer: Determining Liability
In order to settle your case at a sum that makes you whole after being harmed in a dog bite incident, you will need to work with your Pagedale, MO dog bite injury lawyer to 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 has to do with who is at fault for your losses. A knowledgeable dog bite injury lawyer in Pagedale, MO with Combs Waterkotte is well-acquainted with Missouri law and has seen many different 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 losses you have experienced.
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. In application, it means that your Pagedale, 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. In your Missouri dog bite injury case, all you need to prove is 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 Pagedale 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 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 Pagedale, MO will work to get you an excellent 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 will cover the cost of 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 through an action or omission, in upholding their duty of care to you. Someone who lets their dog roam the neighborhood freely or does not put their large, aggressive dog away when they are expecting visitors to their home could be seen as negligent and your Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer will diligently hold them accountable in a negligence claim. 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 Pagedale, 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, some 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 the property owner’s permission. If the person in possession of 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 injuries?
Due to the possibility of additional claims of negligence outside of Missouri’s strict liability policy, you may have a case against other defendants other than the owner of the dog. Depending on the circumstances of who was involved, where the bite happened, and how the parties behaved, your dog bite injury lawyer in Pagedale, MO may identify additional responsible inidividuals in your Pagedale, 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 accounts for, act right away and speak to a dog bite injury lawyer in Pagedale, MO about your case as soon as possible. Combs Waterkotte has a team of exceptional Pagedale, 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 made whole through all legal remedies available to you under Missouri law. The legal team at Combs Waterkotte will get you a just recovery. Call us now at (314) 900-HELP.
Our Pagedale, 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 Pagedale, Missouri: Talk to a Lawyer Now
After facing the unexpected tragedy of a dog bite injury, a dog bite injury lawyer in Pagedale, MO with Combs Waterkotte can help you seek justice. A dog bite is usually a traumatic experience, often leaving you with lasting physical and mental scars that can affect your life in profound, unrelenting ways. You have a chance to receive the recovery you deserve by consulting with an accomplished Pagedale, MO dog bite injury lawyer today.
As your dog bite injury lawyer, we make it our mission to secure just compensation for you 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 learn how we can help you with your case.