Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Fulton, MO
Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Fulton, MO. We love our pet dogs and may even go so far as to call them family members or honorary coworkers. A lot of us have pet dogs in Fulton, 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 compensated. Though we have a number of laws in Fulton 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 Fulton, 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 your family member has been harmed by a dog that bit, call Combs Waterkotte today at (314) 900-HELP. Our Fulton, MO dog bite injury lawyers represent each case fervently and with great care and dedication. You did nothing to deserve to be injured and you should not have to deal with 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 the full value of your damages, you will likely need a reputable Fulton, MO dog bite injury lawyer standing by you. Our team of competitive attorneys have the experience and resources to get you full compensation that will restore you after been harmed. Discuss your Fulton, MO case with Combs Waterkotte today in a complementary consultation today. Start your recovery by reaching us now.
What compensation can my Fulton, MO dog bite injury lawyer help me receive?
Each dog bite injury case in the Fulton, MO area is unique and you are likely to experience anxiety and uncertainly about your case after a dog hurts you. The value of a dog bite claim in Fulton, MO could be anywhere from $10,000 in bites that cause minor but evident injuries to more than $100,000 for bites that cause severe, lasting damage and costly medical care. Remember, though, that to truly understand what kind of settlement you can recover for your Fulton, MO dog bite case, 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 the extent of the damages or losses you have experienced.
Types of damages available in a dog bite injury case in Fulton, 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 recover is determined by a combination of a variety of factors, including whether you hire an experienced Fulton, MO lawyer. Remember that a dog bite injury lawyer in Fulton, 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 the contingency-fee-basis on which we operate, which means that Combs Waterkotte will not bill you for anything unless your Fulton, 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 Fulton, MO area provide quality legal support at no out-of-pocket costs to you. You have nothing to lose by contacting our Fulton, 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 Fulton, 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 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. 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 Fulton, MO. Trust the Fulton, MO dog bite attorneys of Combs Waterkotte and contact us for a free review of your dog bite injury case today.
Factors That Affect the Value of a Dog Bite Case
The settlement you receive in your dog bite case depends on factors like:
- 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.
- You had to receive surgery or other significant medical treatments for your injuries.
- You required mental health treatment for the psychological injuries you suffered due to the dog bite.
These are all facts of your case that your Combs Waterkotte Fulton, MO dog bite injury lawyer will investigate and prove without question. We put the full weight of our resources behind collecting evidence, determining liability and building a strong case to get you an excellent result in your Fulton, MO dog bite injury claim.
Beyond the situation surrounding the accident and the extent of your injuries, the total compensation your Fulton, 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 liable party’s insurance coverage policy limits
- The sum of the economic damages you have suffered as a result of the bite, including the cost of your medical bills
- How your dog bite injury lawyer calculates the value of 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 threefold for plaintiffs who hire a dog bite injury lawyer for representation than for plaintiffs in dog bite cases who attempt to reach a settlement on their own. Find out if Combs Waterkotte can help you collect a higher, more just settlement for your Fulton, MO dog bite injuries by calling us at (314) 900-HELP today to ask an experienced Fulton, MO dog bite injury lawyer about your case.
Fulton, MO Dog Bite Injury Lawyer: Determining Liability
To receive 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 Fulton, MO dog bite injury lawyer to figure out who is legally responsible for the damages you have suffered and, thus, who to hold accountable for your suffering.
The idea of liability in a dog bite or any personal injury case has to do with who is responsible for your losses. With a Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer in Fulton, 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 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 is a legal policy that names a party accountable — in this case, the dog owner — regardless of their intention or whether there was fault. That means that your Fulton, MO dog bite injury attorney does not need to prove 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, 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 Fulton or Missouri dog bite owner is liable 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 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 Fulton, MO will work to 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 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 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. 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 comparing the defendant’s behavior to that of a reasonable person in the same situation, your Fulton, 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 cities and municipalities have laws that require owners to keep their dogs on leashes 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 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 the strict liability statute in Missouri, you may have a case against other parties 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 Fulton, MO may identify additional responsible inidividuals in your Fulton, 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 someone you love 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, take the first step toward your recovery and speak to a dog bite injury lawyer in Fulton, MO about your case as soon as possible. Combs Waterkotte has a dedicated team of talented Fulton, 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. Let Combs Waterkotte help you get a just recovery. Call us now at (314) 900-HELP.
Our Fulton, 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 Fulton, Missouri: Hire a Lawyer Now
After facing the unexpected tragedy of a dog bite injury, a dog bite injury lawyer in Fulton, MO with Combs Waterkotte can help you seek justice. A dog bite can be quite traumatic, often leaving you with lasting physical and mental scars that can have a significant impact on your life. You have a chance to be made whole again by consulting with an accomplished Fulton, 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 discover how we can help you with your case.