Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Washington County, MO
Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Washington County, MO. We love our pet dogs and may even go so far as to call them family members or honorary coworkers. Many of us have pet dogs in Washington County, MO and interacting with any dog can bring us a lot of joy. However, dogs are still animals and cannot communicate with us verbally. 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. There are Washington County 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 Washington County, MO. When it happens to you or a loved one, it is our job to help you recover fair compensation.
If your or your family member has been harmed by a dog that bit, contact Combs Waterkotte today at (314) 900-HELP. Our Washington County, MO dog bite injury lawyers represent each case with compassion and fervor. You did nothing to deserve to be injured and it would be unjust to leave you to deal with 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 because of your injuries, but in order to collect a fair settlement, you are going to need help from a skilled Washington County, 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 Washington County, MO case with Combs Waterkotte today in a complementary consultation today. Begin your recovery by reaching us now.
What compensation can my Washington County, MO dog bite injury lawyer help me receive?
Each Washington County, MO dog bite injury claim 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 Washington County, MO dog bite case ranges anywhere from $10,000 for minor but evident injuries to easily over $100,000 for bites that result in more serious, lasting damage and expensive medical care. Remember, though, that to find out the possible settlement amount you can recover for your Washington County, MO dog bite claim, speak to a Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer in Washington County, MO about your case. 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 Washington County, 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 Washington County, MO lawyer. Remember that a dog bite injury lawyer in Washington County, MO like a member of the Combs Waterkotte team will only agree to represent you if they can add value to your case and help you recover more than you could by yourself. This also takes into account the contingency-fee-basis on which we operate, which means that Combs Waterkotte will not bill you for anything unless your Washington County, MO dog bite injury lawyer wins 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 Washington County, MO area provide quality legal support at no out-of-pocket costs to you. You have nothing to lose by contacting our Washington County, 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 Washington County, MO?
The average dog bite injury settlement is 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.
While we wish we could promise an exact number, these averages do not guarantee anything 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 Washington County, MO about your case. Trust the Washington County, MO dog bite attorneys of Combs Waterkotte and ask us to review 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.
- Your dog bite injuries necessitated emergency medical attention.
- 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 Washington County, MO dog bite injury lawyer will work diligently to get to the bottom of and prove. We dedicate our full resources to obtaining evidence, examining liability and building an infallible argument to get you an excellent result in your Washington County, MO dog bite injury claim.
In addition to the situation surrounding the accident and the extent of your injuries, the total compensation your Washington County, MO dog bite injury lawyer can secure for you is also related to 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 expenses
- How your dog bite injury lawyer calculates the value of 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 threefold for victims who hire a dog bite injury lawyer to represent them in their claim than for plaintiffs in dog bite cases who attempt to settle their case without legal representation. Discover how Combs Waterkotte can help you collect a higher, more just settlement for your Washington County, MO dog bite injuries by calling us at (314) 900-HELP today to go over your case with a knowledgeable Washington County, MO dog bite injury lawyer.
Washington County, MO Dog Bite Injury Lawyer: Who Is Liable
To get a complete settlement that makes you whole after being harmed in a dog bite incident, you will need a dog bite injury lawyer in Washington County, MO you can trust to help you 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 describes who is at fault for your losses. A knowledgeable dog bite injury lawyer in Washington County, MO with Combs Waterkotte knows Missouri law and has seen many different situations regarding 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 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 — regardless of their intention or whether there was fault. In application, it means that your Washington County, MO dog bite injury attorney does not necessarily have to demonstrate that the owner of the dog that bit you was negligent or that they intentionally allowed the dog to attack you. To win your Missouri dog bite injury case, you only need to show 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 Washington County 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 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 Washington County, MO can 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 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 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 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 Washington County, MO dog bite lawyer proves that the defendant is liable for your injuries by default because they broke a law that was meant to protect you. 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 the property owner’s permission. If the person in possession of the dog broke 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?
Due to the possibility of additional claims of negligence 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 the parties that were involved, where the bite occurred, and how the parties behaved, your dog bite injury lawyer in Washington County, MO may build a case against other defendants in your Washington County, 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 were bitten by a dog but you believe 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 Washington County, MO about your case as soon as possible. Combs Waterkotte is equipped with a team of exceptional Washington County, MO dog bite injury attorneys ready to fight for your recovery and make the right parties pay. You did nothing to deserve being attacked by a dog, and you should be made whole through all avenues of compensation available to you under Missouri law. Let Combs Waterkotte help you get the recovery you deserve. Call us now at (314) 900-HELP.
Our Washington County, MO attorneys can help you seek justice in any type of personal injury or criminal case. Some of our practice area specialties include:
- Gun Crime Lawyer
- Child Abuse & Neglect Lawyer
- Homicide Lawyer
- Assault Lawyer
- Rape Defense Lawyer
- Sex Offense Lawyers
- DWI Attorney
- Crime Defense Lawyers
- Domestic Violence Defense Attorneys
- Child Pornography Defense Lawyer
Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Washington County, Missouri: Talk to a Lawyer Now
When you or a loved one are suddenly thrown off course by way of an unexpected dog bite injury, a dog bite injury lawyer in Washington County, MO with Combs Waterkotte can help you seek justice. A dog bite can be quite traumatic, and the physical and psychological injuries it leaves can have a significant impact on your life. Give yourself a chance to receive the recovery you deserve by consulting with an accomplished Washington County, 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.