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After the incident, a dog bite victim will go through many different emotions and situations. A dog bite can significantly alter someone's life if a medical professional does not see it. Also, a Clayton dog bite lawyer will need to be called to open up a dog bite lawsuit against the owner. It is best to call a professional for these cases because they can be tricky and time-consuming.
Common Dog Bite Injuries
Many injuries can be sustained during a dog bite. Some of them are down below:
Lacerations
Broken bones
Diseases
Rabies
Loss of eyesight
Dog bites are serious and can cause a lot of damage to someone, so getting checked out by a medical professional should be one of the first things the victim does after the attack.
Also, people are most worried about rabies, tetanus, and sepsis after being bitten by a dog.
This is because all three of them can have long-lasting damage to a person, or they could die. When it comes to rabies, scientists have said that there have only been 13 cases worldwide where someone was infected with rabies and lived, so making sure that the victim sees a medical professional right away should be the main priority.
What Kind of Compensation Is Available?
When it comes to compensation, St Louis MO dog bite lawyers will be able to write up how much money the victim needs after the dog attack. Dog bites can cause serious injury, so the compensation will vary in each case. However, there are two categories when it comes to payment:
Economic
Economic damages are damages that have a monetary value. This information is always easy to gather because everything already has a price tag. Some examples are:
Medical bills
Prescription medication
Therapy
Surgeries
Lost wages
All of the above have monetary value, so the dog bite lawyers will try to get the total payment amount.
Non-Economic
When it comes to non-economic damages, it can get trickier. MO dog bite lawyers will need to determine the monetary value of certain aspects of the victim's life that do not come with a price tag. Some examples are:
Pain and suffering
Mental health and anguish
Stress
Loss of enjoyment for life
All of the above factors do not have a monetary value, but the personal injury lawyer will begin to look at how much this would all cost if it were to have a price tag. This information is then added to the compensation part of the dog bite lawsuit.
Are There Any Factors That Affect a Dog Bite Case?
There are a few factors that will affect any dog bite case:
Whether the dog has left any visible scarring
Does the victim have any permanent disability due to the dog bite?
Has the dog bite injury led to a medical emergency?
If the victim has needed any surgery due to the dog bite
Whether the dog bite has had any impact on the victim's mental health
All of the above factors will affect a Clayton, MO, dog bite case. The right dog bite injury lawyer will find evidence that will confirm if any of the above is true because it can make a big difference in a personal injury case.
Also, it is not just the extent of the victim's injuries that will affect the case, but there are other factors that the dog bite lawyer will be looking into like:
Who is liable?
The insurance coverage policy
A total sum of the economic and non-economic damages caused by the dog bite
How persistent and effective the dog bite lawyer is at speaking with the defendant
Typically, people who have hired a dog bite injury lawyer are three times more successful in the Clayton, MO, dog bite claim. People will continue to go to Powell Law Firm because the team knows everything about dog bite laws in Missouri.
Dog Bite Liability
Liability is determined during dog bite cases because the victim will need to prove that they were not the cause. Meanwhile, the dog owner will try to say that them and their dog did not initiate the attack. In Missouri, a MO dog bite lawyer will know that there is strict liability and that it is assigned to the dog owner, regardless of their intention.
Having strict liability in Missouri also means that the dog bite injury lawyer does not need to prove negligence for the case. Instead, they do need to prove:
The victim did receive a dog bite injury
They were all on public property
The victim did not provoke the dog
The dog bite injury lawyer will know that the dog owner will be held accountable as long as the above can be proven in the dog bite injury case. However, other types of liability could also be added to dog bite cases:
Negligence: If the dog's owner was negligent, there could be a negligence claim. This could mean that the dog owner allowed the dog to run around the neighborhood without a leash on and unsupervised. Also, if an aggressive dog is not put away when strangers or children visit the owner and someone gets hurt, that could be considered negligent.
Negligence per se: The right personal injury lawyer will see if the dog owner was breaking the law during the dog attack. Certain cities and municipalities have different laws regarding dogs and leashes. If the owner did not have the dog on a leash when they should have, they have broken the law. Also, if the dog was on someone's property without their permission, they have broken the law there.
What Will Happen to the Dog?
After a Clayton, MO, dog bite, the animal control will be called, and the dog will be taken away to an animal shelter for 10 days. Over the 10 days, the dog will have to be checked for rabies or any other diseases that might have been passed onto the victim after the dog attack. If the dog has rabies, it will be put down because it will be considered hazardous to the public. However, if the dog does not have rabies, it will just be monitored for the remainder of the stay.
Also, a microchip will be implanted into the dog so that the authorities can identify it. Lastly, the dog will be neutered or spayed if the owner has not done so already. Once the 10 days are over, the dog will be released back to its owner, and they will then be charged a fee for the impoundment of their dog.
Under Missouri dog bite laws, the dog will be classified as a 'dangerous dog.' This means that the owner will now need to follow different protocols when it comes to their dog, which means they may need to be kept in a secure pen, an alarm may be inserted to warn visitors that the dog is dangerous, or the dog may need to be muzzled when out of its pen.
Is It Possible to Sue a Stray Dog?
The Missouri law has made it so that the owner is held liable if their dog bit someone. However, when there is a stray dog in the mix, it can become a bit more confusing and harder to prove liability. Three things should happen if the dog is a stray:
Dog bite attorneys should look to see if the dog has been previously reported. Cities need to make sure that all dangerous dogs on the street are accounted for and dealt with, so if this dog has already attacked someone else, and it has been reported, but the city has done nothing - the city could be held liable.
It needs to be checked if the victim was on private property. If the property owner knew that a dog was on the property but did not have it removed, they could be held liable for the attack. They had a duty of care that they did not uphold.
If the dog's owner can be found, they would be held liable for the attack, but they would be charged with a criminal offense if they abandoned the dog. Animal abandonment is a Class C misdemeanor in Missouri, so they would have a criminal case as well.
Call Powell Law Firm
Powell Law Firm has a team of lawyers that are experienced, knowledgeable, and passionate about helping victims of dog bites. They have worked many dog bite injury cases, so they know how they work. Also, they know how to negotiate with an insurance company, so the victim is more likely to receive the compensation they deserve.
Lastly, the law firm does offer a free consultation to potential clients, so people can decide whether working with Powell Law Firm is right for them. This will also allow the team to explain how they can help the victim during this stressful time.
Other Clayton Practice Areas
Conclusion
Dog bite lawsuits are stressful and can be very time-consuming. When someone is recovering from the physical and mental anguish of the attack, they should hire the right team to help them get through it. People call Powell Law Firm because the team is always ready to help the victims that walk through their door.
Any questions should be asked at (314) 470-1374.