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Park Hills, MO

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Posted by Emily Herr on March 23, 2022

Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Park Hills, MO

Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Park Hills, MO. Dogs are beloved pets and, to some, even considered members of our family or fellow staff members. A lot of us have pet dogs in Park Hills, MO and interacting with any dog can bring us a lot of joy. 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 compensated. Though we have a number of laws in Park Hills 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 Park Hills, 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 injured in a dog bite incident, call Combs Waterkotte today at (314) 900-HELP. Our Park Hills, 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. 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 the full value of your damages, you are going to need help from a skilled Park Hills, MO dob bite injury lawyer. Our team of competitive attorneys have the skills and resources to get you full compensation that will restore you after been harmed. Discuss your Park Hills, MO case with Combs Waterkotte for free today. Start your recovery by contacting us now.

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

Every Park Hills, MO dog bite injury claim is different and you are likely to experience anxiety and uncertainly about your case after a dog hurts you. The amount in damages you could recover in your Park Hills, 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 result in significant, long-term damage and expensive medical care. Remember, though, that to truly understand the possible settlement amount you can recover in your Park Hills, MO dog bite case, speak to a Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer in Park Hills, MO about your case. 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 Park Hills, MO include:

  • Medical costs
    • Ambulance bill
    • Emergency room fees
    • Hospital stay costs
    • Doctors’ bills
    • Surgery
  • Costs of treatment
    • 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 depends greatly on many factors, including whether you hire an experienced Park Hills, MO lawyer. Remember that a dog bite injury lawyer in Park Hills, 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 Park Hills, 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 Park Hills, MO area provide quality legal support at no out-of-pocket costs to you. There is no reason not to speak to our Park Hills, 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 Park Hills, 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 cause permanent scarring and disfigurement could bring closer to $100,000 and dog bites that result in permanent disability can settle for over $200,000.

While we wish we could promise an exact number, these averages do not guarantee anything 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 Park Hills, MO. Count on the Park Hills, MO dog bite attorneys of Combs Waterkotte and ask us for a free review of your dog bite injury case today.

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.
  • The dog bite has made you permanently disabled.
  • 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 required mental health treatment for the psychological injuries you suffered due to the dog bite.

When you hire Combs Waterkotte, your Park Hills, 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 obtaining evidence, determining liability and building an infallible case to get you the best possible outcome in your Park Hills, MO dog bite injury claim.

In addition to the circumstances of the accident and the extent of your injuries, the total sum your Park Hills, 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 total economic losses 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 assesses and 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 to represent them in their claim than for plaintiffs who try to reach a settlement without legal representation. Discover how Combs Waterkotte can help you collect a higher, more just settlement in your Park Hills, MO dog bite case by calling us at (314) 900-HELP today to go over your case with a knowledgeable Park Hills, MO dog bite injury lawyer.

Park Hills, MO Dog Bite Injury Lawyer: Who Is Liable

In order to successfully collect a complete settlement that makes you whole after being harmed in a dog bite incident, you will need to work with your Park Hills, MO dog bite injury lawyer to 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 Park Hills, MO with Combs Waterkotte knows Missouri law and has first-hand experience with a variety of situations regarding liability in personal injury cases including dog bite injuries. 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 assigns legal accountability to a party — in this case, the dog owner — irrespective of fault or intention. In application, it means that your Park Hills, 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 Park Hills 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 not trespassing and a dog bit you unprovoked, your Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer in Park Hills, MO will use our expertise to get you an excellent settlement in your strict liability claim against the owner of the dog, and typically it is the dog owner’s homeowners or renters insurance that pays out the settlement for your damages. However, you may have claims against other parties under other types of liability standards, 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 lets their dog roam the neighborhood freely or does not put their large, aggressive dog away when strangers or children visit 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 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 Park Hills, 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 looking after or responsible for the dog broke 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 damages?

Due to the potential for negligence claims beyond Missouri’s strict liability policy, you may have a case against other parties in addition to the owner of the dog. Depending on considerations such as who was involved, where the bite happened, and what the parties in question did or did not do, your dog bite injury lawyer in Park Hills, MO may build a case against other parties in your Park Hills, 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 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 Park Hills, MO about your case as soon as possible. Combs Waterkotte has a team of exceptional Park Hills, MO dog bite injury attorneys ready to fight for your recovery and hold the right parties accountable. You did not deserve to be attacked or harmed, and you should be made whole through all avenues of compensation Missouri law provides. The legal team at Combs Waterkotte will get you a just recovery. Call us now at (314) 900-HELP.

Our Park Hills, 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 Park Hills, Missouri: Talk to a Lawyer Today

    After facing the unexpected tragedy of a dog bite injury, a dog bite injury lawyer in Park Hills, MO with Combs Waterkotte will work hard to bring you justice. A dog bite is usually a traumatic experience, and the physical and psychological injuries it leaves can have a significant impact on your life. You have a chance to receive the recovery you deserve by consulting with an accomplished Park Hills, 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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