Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Vandalia, MO

Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Vandalia, 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 Vandalia, MO and we get a lot of joy from spending time with them. 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 given a recovery. Though we have a number of laws in Vandalia 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 Vandalia, 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 Vandalia, MO dog bite injury lawyers represent each case fervently and with great care and dedication. You did not 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 collect a complete financial recovery for the damages and losses you have experienced as a result of your injuries, but in order to collect just compensation, you are going to need help from a skilled Vandalia, 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. Review your Vandalia, MO case with Combs Waterkotte for free today. Begin your recovery by reaching us now.

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

Every Vandalia, MO dog bite injury claim is different 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 Vandalia, MO dog bite case ranges 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. However, to find out what kind of settlement you can expect to receive in your Vandalia, MO dog bite case, speak to a Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer in Vandalia, MO about your case. 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 your Vandalia, MO dog bite injury case include:

The total sum you recover depends greatly on many variables, including whether or not you hire a lawyer in Vandalia, MO. Remember that a dog bite injury lawyer in Vandalia, 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 by yourself. This also takes into account the contingency-fee-basis on which we operate, which means that your Combs Waterkotte Vandalia, 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 Vandalia, MO area provide quality legal support at no out-of-pocket costs to you. There is no reason not to speak to our Vandalia, 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 Vandalia, 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 could bring closer to $100,000 and permanent disabilities caused by dog bites can settle for over $200,000.

Unfortunately, these numbers are not guarantees for your particular case outcome. 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 Vandalia, MO about your case. Count on the Vandalia, MO dog bite attorneys of Combs Waterkotte and contact us to review your dog bite injury case now.

Factors That Influence Your Settlement in a Dog Bite Case

Factors related to the dog bite that can affect the value of your claim include:

• The dog bite leaves visible scarring or disfigurement.
• 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 Vandalia, 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 trracking down evidence, determining liability and building an infallible case to make sure you get an excellent result in your Vandalia, MO dog bite injury claim.

Beyond the situation surrounding the accident and the severity of your injuries, the total recovery your Vandalia, 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 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 calculates your non-economic damages
• The ability of your dog bite injury lawyer to negotiate a settlement for your case

Average settlements in personal injury claims like dog attacks are around three times higher for victims who hire a dog bite injury lawyer to represent them in their claim than for those in dog bite cases who try to settle their case without legal representation. Discover how Combs Waterkotte can help you collect a higher, more just settlement in your Vandalia, MO dog bite case by reaching us at (314) 900-HELP today to ask an experienced Vandalia, MO dog bite injury lawyer about your case.

Vandalia, MO Dog Bite Injury Lawyer: Who Is Liable

In order to receive a complete settlement that makes you whole after being harmed in a dog bite incident, you will need to work with your Vandalia, 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 at fault for your damages. With a Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer in Vandalia, MO, you have a professional who is well-acquainted with Missouri law and has seen many different situations related to 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 damages 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 assigns legal accountability to a party — in this case, the dog owner — regardless of their intention or whether there was fault. In application, it means that your Vandalia, MO dog bite injury attorney does not need to demonstrate that the owner of the dog that bit you was negligent or had the dog attack you on purpose. 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 Vandalia 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 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 Vandalia, MO will work to get you a fair 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 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 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 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 refers to liability that is assigned automatically through the act of breaking a law. Rather than comparing the defendant’s behavior to that of a reasonable person in the same situation, your Vandalia, 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 permission from the property owner. If the person in possession of 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 injury?

Because of the potential for negligence claims outside of the strict liability statute in Missouri, it is possible that you have other cases against other parties other than the owner of the dog. Depending on the circumstances of who was involved, where the bite occurred, and what the parties in question did or did not do, your dog bite injury lawyer in Vandalia, MO may build a case against other inidividuals in your Vandalia, MO dog bite case, like:

• 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 and you suspect that additional parties share the 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 Vandalia, MO about your case as soon as possible. Combs Waterkotte has a team of exceptional Vandalia, MO dog bite injury attorneys ready 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 Vandalia, 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 Vandalia, Missouri: Talk to a Lawyer Now

After facing the unexpected tragedy of a dog bite injury, a dog bite injury lawyer in Vandalia, MO with Combs Waterkotte will work hard to bring you justice. A dog bite can be quite traumatic, and the physical and psychological injuries it leaves can affect your life in profound, unrelenting ways. Give yourself a chance to receive the recovery you deserve by consulting with an accomplished Vandalia, MO dog bite injury lawyer today.

As your dog bite injury lawyer, we are here to demand that you are justly compensated when a life-changing incident such as a dog attack causes you harm. After being bitten and injured by a dog, call Combs Waterkotte right away at (314) 900-HELP or reach us online to learn how we can help you with your case.