Need a Dog Bite Injury Lawyer in St. Louis?
Dog bites are not only immediately painful, but they create a high risk of infection that can leave the victim struggling with long-term implications. After a St. Louis dog attack, victims naturally wonder what options they have for seeking compensation for medical treatment and other expenses they have incurred because of the attack.
At The Bruning Law Firm, we can help answer your questions. If you suffered injuries in a dog attack, a St. Louis dog bite lawyer can help you understand your right to compensation and aid in the pursuit of those funds. Contact The Bruning Law Firm today for your free consultation.
Bruning Law Firm: St. Louis Dog Bite Attorneys Who Can Help
At The Bruning Law Firm, we are experienced in a wide range of St. Louis claims, from birth injury claims to defective smoke detector claims. Our experienced team of attorneys has many years of combined legal experience to help victims of many kinds of traumas recover the compensation they deserve.
With its experience and knowledge, The Bruning Law Firm can provide valuable services in your St. Louis dog bite claim, including:
Investigation of a dog’s history
While you may deserve compensation regardless of how many times a dog has bitten in the past, knowing the dog’s history can establish the negligence of an owner. By investigating a dog’s history we can determine whether an owner has taken adequate steps to ensure their dog is safe to be around others. If there were signs a dog posed a danger and didn’t take any steps to address it, they should be held accountable for compensating you for your injuries. Indeed, keeping a “dangerous dog” may result in criminal sanctions, in addition to civil liability. It’s important to know all the facts of your dog bit case to ensure you are fairly compensated and to ensure careless owners are held accountable.
We can help you determine the compensation you deserve.
Do you know how much compensation you deserve for a dog bite? If the insurance company that covers the liable party, usually a property insurance company, issues a settlement offer, do you know whether you should take it? At The Bruning Law Firm, we see a wide range of cases, from minor to severe, and we know the types of impacts and expenses a dog bite victim can claim. We thus can readily determine how much your dog bite case is worth.
We’ll fight on your behalf.
Dealing with the aftermath of a dog attack can be trauma enough, especially if you have found yourself with severe injuries. In many cases, victims may develop a phobia of dogs to go along with it. At The Bruning Firm, we can fight on your behalf as you focus on your health recovery. Don’t go it alone—get an experienced dog bite attorney on your side. Get Bruning Law Firm on your side.
How Much Compensation Do You Deserve In a St. Louis Dog Bite?
In St. Louis, dog owners are held strictly liable for any damage their dogs cause to property or persons—regardless of any precautions they may or may not have taken, or whether they had any signs beforehand that their dogs could be dangerous, such as having a history of being vicious around people. Simply put—your dog breaks it, you pay for it. Dog owners whose dogs bite or cause other damage can be fined up to $1,000, and they may be subject to a lawsuit for damages by a victim.
This means that if you suffer injuries in a St. Louis dog attack, where the dog has an owner, you can sue the owner for damages. Because owners are held strictly liable for their dog’s damages, the trickier part is often determining what expenses and impacts they may be held liable for. Typically, liability extends to compensation in a few key areas.
Medical expenses you sustain as the result of a dog attack.
Dog attacks can result in serious injuries, especially if the dog attacks near the head or face. You may spend a considerable amount of time recovering from those injuries and need numerous medical services, from immediate emergency medical attention after the attack to the cost of plastic surgery if the dog caused disfiguring injuries. You can recover compensation for all such expenses, though you must keep clear medical records to show the dog attack caused them.
Property damage you sustained in the dog attack.
A dog attack can result in considerable property damage, depending on the circumstances. You may drop any device you have on your person, such as a smartphone or music player, as you attempt to get away from the dog. A dangerous dog may break onto your property and cause all kinds of damage to your property on its way to attacking you. Even if you are lucky and avoid physical injury, you should be compensated for any property damage a dog causes. Though, that will not stop a defendant or their insurer from trying to find ways to pin the blame for the damage on you. Make sure, after a dog attack, to run through the accident in your mind and record for yourself how it occurred, so that you can establish how the dog caused damage to your property.
Wages you lost, if the dog attack prevented you from returning to work.
Injuries from a dog attack can make it difficult, if not impossible, to return to your usual job. Many people with severe injuries from a dog attack need to spend time recovering before they can go back to work, especially if their work is more physically oriented. If you can’t go back to work because of your injuries, you will necessarily lose wages. You can demand compensation for these lost wages in your dog bite claim.
Pain and suffering resulting from the accident.
In addition to the tangible expenses you have immediately after the dog bite, you may be forced to endure considerable pain and suffering in your recovery. A dog bite can result in ongoing traumas: direct physical pain and limitations, in addition to the emotional trauma often associated with an attack from a vicious dog. While these don’t have a price tag with them, they are impacts that debilitate your life, and you have the right to seek compensation for them.
Who Bears Liability for a Dog Bite in St. Louis?
In St. Louis dog owners are strictly liable for the damages their dogs cause. If a dog bites, the owner bears liability for the expenses that may result from that attack.
However, under Missouri law, an injured party also may share liability for a St. Louis dog bite attack. For instance, while dog bite victims who are legally on someone’s private property are typically not at all liable for an attack, someone who is trespassing on the property might bear liability of their own. In the latter case, the victim contributed to the accident by their own unlawful behavior. Likewise, a dog bite victim who deliberately antagonized a dog in any way might not receive compensation for injuries received during the dog attack.
If you believe that you may bear liability for the attack based on your own actions at the time of the incident, you should consult a personal injury attorney to determine whether or not, or to what extent, you may share liability. Even if you are partially responsible, you might recover compensation.
Dog Bite Complications and Challenges
Dog bites can cause immense pain and damage. A typical dog bite injury involves puncture wounds that cause immense pain and bleeding. In some cases, it can be difficult to stitch those wounds, since the wounds usually go straight down, rather than tearing flesh in a way that doctors can easily repair.
Serious dog bite attacks can result in other severe injuries, which require victims to go through ongoing medical treatment.
Broken Bones
Big dogs have powerful jaws that can clamp around a victim’s limbs. If the dog bites down hard enough, it may cause broken bones, which are painful and take a long time to heal. A dog that bites more than once may even cause multiple broken bones, lengthening healing time. Victims with broken bones may have their leisure activities limited while they recover, or they may require assistance with basic self-care tasks. Broken bones can also, in some cases, prevent the injured victim from completing their usual job tasks, which can take away a vital source of income to pay for the hefty medical bills that often follow a dog bite.
Infection
A dog’s mouth contains bacteria. When the dog breaks through the skin during an attack, that bacteria can transfer into the victim’s body. From there, victims may develop serious infections, which can lead to redness, swelling, and increased pain. In extreme cases, infections following a dog bite can lead to high fevers, sepsis, or other diseases.
Rabies
Dog owners are required to vaccinate their dogs for rabies—but that doesn’t always happen. Rabies is a particularly dangerous injury dog bite victims may experience. A dog that bites while infected with the rabies virus can pass the virus on to the victim. If not treated promptly, rabies can even lead to death. Sometimes, a dog may be quarantined after a dog bite incident while animal control offers work to determine whether the animal has rabies. Victims may need to begin treatment with the assumption that the dog had rabies until animal control officers can confirm whether or not the dog has rabies.
Tetanus
By way of serious infections, dogs can also pass on tetanus, also known as lockjaw. The bacteria that causes tetanus may cause tight muscles, including locking the muscles of the jaw and neck, which can make it difficult or impossible for the person to open their mouth or to swallow. Tetanus may also cause painful muscle contractions. Without treatment, it may result in death. While a tetanus shot promptly after the attack can reduce the risk of serious illness, many people do not realize that they need to seek treatment, especially after a relatively minor dog bite. You should always get medical attention after a dog bite, even if it doesn’t seem serious. A medical professional is the best fit to evaluate your wounds and make sure you get any necessary treatments.
Scarring
Dogs often bite deep into the skin of the victim, leaving wounds far below the surface of the skin and into the victim’s flesh. This may result in severe, lifelong scarring. When a bite creates scars on the face or other visible areas of the body, it can cause considerable psychological trauma to the victim. Sometimes, victims can turn to plastic surgery to restore normal appearance. But plastic surgery is expensive, and may not completely restore the scarred area.
Death
In some cases, dog attacks can result in the victim’s death, especially when a child is a victim. Sometimes, dogs attack more than once. Other times, a bite in the wrong place can cause the victim to bleed out or contract a fatal infection. Children and older adults, in particular, may be especially vulnerable in a dog attack and more likely to die because of that attack, especially if they are alone.
Do You Need a St. Louis Dog Bite Lawyer?
Did you suffer serious injuries in a St. Louis dog bite attack? Contact The Bruning Law Firm today at (314) 735-8100 or online to learn more about your rights and the compensation you deserve.
Client Testimonial
"AJ and team were so delightful to work with. They were very responsive to all emails and phone calls. I always knew which step we were on in the process of getting my lawsuit settled. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the amount the settlement was for was twice that of the original coverage of the insurance company. I don’t know how they did it but I am very pleased with the service they provided. Hands down easiest process, and people to deal with. 100% recommend if you have a personal injury case to be worked. Hopefully I won’t need their services again, but if I do I won’t hesitate to call." - Amanda W.
Rating: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
February 2020
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