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Winchester, MO

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Posted by Emily Herr on March 23, 2022

Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Winchester, MO

Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Winchester, MO. We love our pet dogs and may even go so far as to call them members of our family or fellow staff members. A lot of us have dogs at home in Winchester, MO and interacting with any dog can bring us a lot of joy. However, dogs are 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 compensated. There are Winchester 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 Winchester, 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 Winchester, MO dog bite injury lawyers handle 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 damages and losses you have suffered because of your injuries, but for a chance to receive just compensation, you will likely need an experienced Winchester, MO dog bite injury lawyer fighting by your side. Our distinguished team of attorneys have the experience and resources to get you full compensation that will restore you after been harmed. Discuss your Winchester, MO case with Combs Waterkotte today in a complementary consultation today. Start by contacting us now.

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

Every dog bite injury case in the Winchester, MO area is different and you are likely to have a number of questions running through your mind after a dog hurts you. The amount in damages you could recover in your Winchester, MO dog bite case ranges anywhere from $10,000 in bites that cause minor but evident injuries to well over $100,000 for bites that result in more serious, lasting damage and expensive medical care. However, to find out the possible settlement amount you can recover for your Winchester, MO dog bite claim, 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.

Damages you can recover in a dog bite injury case in Winchester, MO include:

  • Medical expenses
    • 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 many variables, including whether you hire an experienced Winchester, MO lawyer. Remember that a dog bite injury lawyer in Winchester, 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 our contingency-fee model, which means that your Combs Waterkotte Winchester, 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 Winchester, MO area provide quality legal support at no out-of-pocket costs to you. You have nothing to lose by contacting our Winchester, MO dog bite injury lawyer team to discuss your case and learn how we can help.

How much is my case worth if I hire a dog bite injury lawyer in Winchester, 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 settle for closer to $100,000 and permanent disabilities caused by dog bites can result in settlements of over $200,000.

Unfortunately, these numbers are not guarantees 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 talk to a dog bite injury lawyer in Winchester, MO about your case. Trust the Winchester, MO dog bite attorneys of Combs Waterkotte and contact us to review 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:

  • The dog bite leaves visible scarring or disfigurement.
  • The dog bite has made you permanently disabled.
  • Your dog bite injuries necessitated emergency medical attention.
  • 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.

These are all facts of your case that your Combs Waterkotte Winchester, MO dog bite injury lawyer will investigate and prove without question. We dedicate our full resources to collecting evidence, determining liability and building an infallible case to get you an excellent outcome in your Winchester, MO dog bite injury claim.

In addition to the circumstances of the accident and the extent of your injuries, the total sum your Winchester, MO dog bite injury lawyer can get 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 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

On 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 those in dog bite cases who try to reach a settlement without legal representation. Find out if Combs Waterkotte can help you collect a higher, more just settlement for your Winchester, MO dog bite injuries by calling us at (314) 900-HELP today to go over your case with a knowledgeable Winchester, MO dog bite injury lawyer.

Winchester, MO Dog Bite Injury Lawyer: Determining Who Is Liable

To settle your case at a sum that can help you move forward in life after the losses you have suffered following a dog bite incident, you will need a dog bite injury lawyer in Winchester, MO you can trust to help you 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 damages. With a Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer in Winchester, MO, you have a professional who knows Missouri law and has first-hand experience with a variety of situations regarding liability in personal injury cases including dog bite injuries. We help you hold the right people accountable and make sure they pay for the damages you have suffered.

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. That means that your Winchester, MO dog bite injury attorney does not need to show that the owner of the dog that bit you was negligent or had the dog attack you on purpose. 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 Winchester or Missouri dog bite owner is liable 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 Winchester, MO will use our expertise 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 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 in their actions or failure to act, in their duty to keep you safe. Someone who lets their dog roam the neighborhood freely or fails to crate their anxious dog when strangers or children visit 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 proving that the defendant did not act with care as a reasonable person would, your Winchester, 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 protect you. For example, certain cities 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 the property owner’s permission. If the person in possession of the dog broke 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 injuries?

Because of the potential for negligence claims beyond the strict liability statute in Missouri, it is possible that you have other cases against other defendants other than the owner of the dog. Depending on the circumstances of who was present, where the bite happened, and what the parties in question did or did not do, your dog bite injury lawyer in Winchester, MO may identify additional responsible inidividuals in your Winchester, 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 a loved one were bitten by a dog and you suspect 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 Winchester, MO about your case as soon as possible. Combs Waterkotte is equipped with a team of exceptional Winchester, MO dog bite injury attorneys willing 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 allowed to recover 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 Winchester, MO attorneys can help you seek 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 Winchester, 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 Winchester, MO with Combs Waterkotte will work hard to bring you justice. A dog bite can be quite traumatic, often leaving you with lasting physical and mental scars that can affect your life in profound, unrelenting ways. You have a chance to receive the recovery you deserve by speaking to an accomplished Winchester, MO dog bite injury lawyer today.

    As your dog bite injury lawyer, we make it our mission to secure just compensation for you 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 discover how we can help you with your case.

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