Image

St. Charles County, MO

Verified Content

Posted by Emily Herr on

Dog Bite Injury Lawyer St. Charles County, MO

Dog Bite Injury Lawyer St. Charles County, MO. Dogs are beloved pets and, to some, even considered family members or honorary coworkers. A lot of us have pet dogs in St. Charles County, MO and we get a lot of joy from spending time with them. 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. Though we have a number of laws in St. Charles County 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 St. Charles County, MO. When you or someone you know becomes the victim of a dog bite, we hare here 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 St. Charles County, MO dog bite injury lawyers represent each case with compassion and fervor. 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 recover full compensation for the damages and losses you have experienced as a result of the attack, but in order to collect just compensation, you will likely need an experienced St. Charles County, 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. Review your St. Charles County, MO case with Combs Waterkotte today in a complementary consultation today. Start your recovery by reaching us now.

What compensation can I get with the help of a dog bite injury lawyer in St. Charles County, MO?

Every St. Charles County, MO dog bite injury claim is different and it is normal to have a number of questions running through your mind after being injured by a dog. The amount in damages you could recover in your St. Charles County, MO dog bite case ranges anywhere from $10,000 in bites that cause minor but evident injuries to more than $100,000 for bites that cause significant, permanent damage and expensive medical bills. However, to truly understand the possible settlement amount you can expect to receive in your St. Charles County, MO dog bite injuries, speak to a Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer in St. Charles County, 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 a dog bite injury case in St. Charles 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 recover is determined by a combination of many variables, including whether you hire an experienced St. Charles County, MO lawyer. Remember that a dog bite injury lawyer in St. Charles County, 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 our contingency-fee model, which means that Combs Waterkotte will not bill you for anything unless your St. Charles 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 St. Charles County, MO area work on your case at no out-of-pocket costs to you. You have nothing to lose by contacting our St. Charles County, MO dog bite injury lawyer team about your case to find out if we can help.

How much is my case worth if I hire a dog bite injury lawyer in St. Charles County, 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 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. Because your recovery depends on the unique circumstances and characteristics of your individual case, you need to speak to a dog bite injury lawyer in St. Charles County, MO. Count on the St. Charles County, 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:

  • 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 suffered psychological harm from the dog bite incident that required professional mental health treatment.

These are all facts of your case that your Combs Waterkotte St. Charles County, MO dog bite injury lawyer will work diligently to get to the bottom of and prove. We dedicate our full resources to trracking down evidence, evaluating liability and building an infallible case to get you an excellent result in your St. Charles County, MO dog bite injury claim.

In addition to the circumstances of the accident and the extent of your injuries, the total compensation your St. Charles County, MO dog bite injury lawyer can get you will also depend on other factors, such as:

  • What party or parties are liable for the dog bite
  • The insurance coverage policy limits
  • The total economic losses you have suffered as a result of the bite, including the cost of your medical bills
  • 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 around three times higher for plaintiffs who hire a dog bite injury lawyer to represent them in their claim than for those who try to settle their case without legal representation. Find out if Combs Waterkotte can help you collect a higher, more just settlement for your St. Charles County, MO dog bite injuries by calling us at (314) 900-HELP today to go over your case with a knowledgeable St. Charles County, MO dog bite injury lawyer.

St. Charles County, MO Dog Bite Injury Lawyer: Determining Liability

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 a dog bite injury lawyer in St. Charles 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.

Liability in a dog bite or any personal injury case has to do with who is at fault for your damages. A knowledgeable dog bite injury lawyer in St. Charles County, MO with Combs Waterkotte is well-acquainted with Missouri law and has first-hand experience with a variety of situations related to 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 damages you have experienced.

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 fault or intention. In application, it means that your St. Charles County, MO dog bite injury attorney does not need to show that the dog owner was negligent or that they intentionally allowed the dog to attack you. In your Missouri dog bite injury case, all you need to prove is that you were injured and that the owner’s dog bit you. In more certain terms, the Missouri statute lays out that the St. Charles County or Missouri dog bite owner is liable 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 not trespassing and a dog bit you unprovoked, your Combs Waterkotte dog bite injury lawyer in St. Charles County, MO will use our expertise to get you an excellent 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, 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 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 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 St. Charles County, MO dog bite lawyer proves that the person is liable for your injuries by default because they broke a law that was meant to keep you safe. For example, some 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 the property owner’s permission. If the person looking after or responsible for 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 damages?

Due to the potential for negligence claims outside of Missouri’s strict liability policy, you may have a case against other parties other than the owner of the dog. Depending on the circumstances of the parties that were present, where the bite happened, and how the parties behaved, your dog bite injury lawyer in St. Charles County, MO may identify additional responsible parties in your St. Charles County, MO dog bite case, such as:

  • Landlords
  • Stores
  • Employers
  • Government organizations
  • Dog walkers
  • Businesses 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 additional parties share the blame or that the owner has more blame than strict liability covers, act right away and speak to a dog bite injury lawyer in St. Charles County, MO about your case as soon as possible. Combs Waterkotte is equipped with a team of exceptional St. Charles 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 allowed to recover through all legal remedies available to you under Missouri law. Let Combs Waterkotte help you get the recovery you deserve. Call us now at (314) 900-HELP.

Our St. Charles County, 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 St. Charles County, Missouri: Talk to a Lawyer Today

After facing the unexpected tragedy of a dog bite injury, a dog bite injury lawyer in St. Charles County, MO with Combs Waterkotte can help you seek justice. A dog bite is usually a traumatic experience, and the physical and psychological injuries it leaves can affect your life in profound, unrelenting ways. You have a chance to be made whole again by consulting with an accomplished St. Charles 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 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.

View Service Areas