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Fulton, MO

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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 members of our family or fellow staff members. Many of us have pet dogs in Fulton, MO and we get a lot of joy from spending time with them. 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 compensated. There are Fulton 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 occur 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 someone you love 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 not deserve to be injured and it would be unjust to leave you to deal with 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 collect just compensation, you will likely need a skilled Fulton, MO dog bite injury lawyer standing by you. 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 Fulton, MO case with Combs Waterkotte for free today. Begin by reaching us now.

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

Every dog bite injury case in the Fulton, MO area is unique and you are likely to have a number of questions running through your mind after being injured by a dog. The value of a dog bite claim in Fulton, MO could be anywhere from $10,000 for minor but evident injuries to more than $100,000 for bites that result in more serious, long-term damage and costly medical care. However, to truly understand the possible settlement amount you can expect to receive in your Fulton, MO dog bite claim, speak to a Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer in Fulton, MO about your case. Among other outside variables, the amount of compensation you can recovery depends on how extensive and debilitating your injuries and other damages are.

Types of damages available in your Fulton, MO dog bite injury case include:

  • Medical expenses
    • 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 Fulton, MO lawyer. It is important to note that a Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer in Fulton, MO 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 Combs Waterkotte will not bill you for anything unless your Fulton, 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 Fulton, MO area offer our dedicated representation at no out-of-pocket costs to you. There is no reason not to speak to our Fulton, MO dog bite injury lawyer team about your case to find out if we can help.

How much can I get for my case with a dog bite injury lawyer in Fulton, 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 leave disfiguring scars settle for 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, it is important that you talk to a dog bite injury lawyer in Fulton, MO about your case. Turn to the Fulton, MO dog bite attorneys of Combs Waterkotte and ask us to review your dog bite injury case today.

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.
  • Your injuries have caused permanent disability.
  • 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 Fulton, MO dog bite injury lawyer will work diligently to get to the bottom of and prove. We dedicate our full resources to collecting evidence, examining liability and building an infallible argument to make sure you get the best possible result in your Fulton, MO dog bite injury claim.

Beyond the situation surrounding the accident and the severity of your injuries, the total recovery 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 total cost of all of your medical expenses
  • 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 threefold for plaintiffs who hire a dog bite injury lawyer for representation than for those who attempt to reach a settlement on their own. Discover how Combs Waterkotte can help you collect a higher, more just settlement in your Fulton, MO dog bite case by calling us at (314) 900-HELP today to go over your case with a knowledgeable Fulton, MO dog bite injury lawyer.

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

To get a complete settlement that can help you move forward in life after the losses you have suffered following a dog bite incident, you will need to work with your Fulton, MO dog bite injury lawyer to determine 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 has to do with who is at fault for your losses. A knowledgeable dog bite injury lawyer in Fulton, 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 damages you have suffered.

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. In application, it means that your Fulton, 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. Specifically, the Missouri statute lays out that the Fulton 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 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 Fulton, 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 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 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 will diligently hold them accountable in a negligence claim. 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 Fulton, MO dog bite lawyer can show that the person 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 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, ask your attorney about a possible case of negligence per se.

Who is responsible for my dog bite injuries?

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 the circumstances of the parties that were involved, where the bite occurred, and what the parties in question did or did not do, your dog bite injury lawyer in Fulton, MO may build a case against other parties 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 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, act right away and speak to a dog bite injury lawyer in Fulton, MO about your case as soon as possible. Combs Waterkotte is equipped with a team of exceptional Fulton, MO dog bite injury attorneys ready 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 made whole through all avenues of compensation available to you under Missouri law. 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 Today

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, and the physical and psychological injuries it leaves can affect your life in profound, unrelenting ways. You have a chance to receive the recovery you deserve by consulting with an accomplished Fulton, 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 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.

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