Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Defiance, MO

Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Defiance, MO. Dogs are beloved pets and, to some, even considered members of our family or fellow staff members. Many of us have pet dogs in Defiance, MO and interacting with any dog can bring us a lot of joy. However, dogs are 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 compensated. There are Defiance 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 Defiance, MO. When it happens to you or a loved one, it is our job to help you recover fair compensation.

If your or someone you love has been harmed by a dog that bit, call Combs Waterkotte today at (314) 900-HELP. Our Defiance, MO dog bite injury lawyers represent each case fervently and with great care and dedication. 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 full extent of the losses you have experienced as a result of the attack, but for a chance to receive a fair settlement, you are going to need help from a skilled Defiance, MO dob bite injury lawyer. Our distinguished team of attorneys have the experience and resources to make sure you are made whole again and allowed to move forward from this experience. Review your Defiance, MO case with Combs Waterkotte today in a complementary consultation today. Start your recovery by contacting us now.

What compensation can I get with the help of a dog bite injury lawyer in Defiance, MO?

Every dog bite injury case in the Defiance, MO area is different and it is normal to experience anxiety and uncertainly about your case after a dog hurts you. The amount in damages you could recover in your Defiance, MO dog bite case ranges anywhere from $10,000 in bites that cause minor but demonstrable injuries to well over $100,000 for bites that cause severe, permanent damage and expensive medical care. However, to find out the possible settlement amount you can expect to receive for your Defiance, MO dog bite injuries, 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 Defiance, MO include:

The total sum you recover depends greatly on many variables, including whether you hire an experienced Defiance, MO lawyer. Remember that a dog bite injury lawyer in Defiance, 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 also takes into account our contingency-fee model, which means that your Combs Waterkotte Defiance, 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 Defiance, MO area work on your case at no out-of-pocket costs to you. You have nothing to lose by contacting our Defiance, 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 Defiance, 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.

While we wish we could promise an exact number, these averages do not guarantee anything in your particular case. Because your recovery depends on the unique circumstances and characteristics of your individual case, you need to speak to a dog bite injury lawyer in Defiance, MO. Turn to the Defiance, MO dog bite attorneys of Combs Waterkotte and ask us for a free review of your dog bite injury case now.

Factors That Influence the Value of a Dog Bite Case

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

• You have scarring or are disfigured as a result of the dog bite.
• 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.

When you hire Combs Waterkotte, your Defiance, MO dog bite injury lawyer will remain committed to investigating and proving the statements above that apply in your case. We dedicate our full resources to trracking down evidence, evaluating liability and building a strong case to make sure you get an excellent result in your Defiance, MO dog bite injury claim.

In addition to the circumstances of the accident and the severity of your injuries, the total recovery your Defiance, MO dog bite injury lawyer can secure for you will also depend on other factors, such as:

• Who is liable for the dog bite
• The 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 bills
• 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 personal injury claims like dog attacks are around three times higher for plaintiffs who hire a dog bite injury lawyer to represent them in their claim than for those in dog bite cases who attempt to reach a settlement on their own. Discover how Combs Waterkotte can help you collect a higher, more just settlement for your Defiance, MO dog bite injuries by reaching us at (314) 900-HELP today to ask an experienced Defiance, MO dog bite injury lawyer about your case.

Defiance, MO Dog Bite Injury Lawyer: Determining Liability

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 Defiance, 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. A knowledgeable dog bite injury lawyer in Defiance, MO with Combs Waterkotte knows Missouri law and has first-hand experience with a variety of situations related to liability in personal injury cases including dog bite injuries. 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 assigns legal accountability to a party — in this case, the dog owner — regardless of fault or intention. In application, it means that your Defiance, MO dog bite injury attorney does not necessarily have to demonstrate that the dog owner was negligent or that they intentionally allowed the dog to attack you. In your Missouri dog bite injury case, you only need to show that you were injured and that the owner’s dog bit you. In more certain terms, the Missouri statute lays out that the Defiance or Missouri dog bite owner is legally responsible for your injuries if:

• you were injured by a dog bite;
• you were on the property lawfully when you were bitten (in other words, you were not trespassing); and
• you did nothing to 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 Defiance, MO will work to get you an excellent recovery in your strict liability claim against the dog’s owner, and typically 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 through an action or omission, in their duty to keep you safe. Someone who allows a dog to run free through the neighborhood unsupervised or does not put their large, aggressive dog away 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. 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 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 Defiance, MO dog bite lawyer can show that the person is liable for your injuries because of the simple fact that they broke a law that was meant to keep you safe. For example, certain towns 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 looking after or responsible for the dog violated one of these rules and their dog bit you, you may have a case of negligence per se.

Who is responsible for my dog bite injury?

Because of the possibility of additional claims of negligence beyond the strict liability statute in Missouri, you may have a case against other defendants in addition to the owner of the dog. Depending on the circumstances of who was present, where the bite occurred, and what the parties in question did or did not do, your dog bite injury lawyer in Defiance, MO may identify additional responsible inidividuals in your Defiance, 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 covers, act right away and speak to a dog bite injury lawyer in Defiance, MO about your case as soon as possible. Combs Waterkotte has a dedicated team of talented Defiance, MO dog bite injury attorneys willing 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 Missouri law provides. The legal team at Combs Waterkotte will get you a just recovery. Call us now at (314) 900-HELP.

Our Defiance, MO attorneys have the skill and experience necessary to bring you 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 Defiance, Missouri: Hire a Lawyer Now

After facing the unexpected tragedy of a dog bite injury, a dog bite injury lawyer in Defiance, 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. You have a chance to be made whole again by speaking to an accomplished Defiance, 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 you or someone you love have been injured by a dog bite, 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.