Kansas City Dog Bite Lawyer
Dogs: Our best friends, until they are not. In the U.S., more than 4.5 million people are bitten by dogs each year, and roughly one in five of those bites require medical attention. While most dog bites are not serious, some can cause serious injury or even death. In fact, an average of 15-20 people in the U.S. die each year from dog bites.
Dog bites are dangerous for a number of reasons, but separate from the danger, the experience of a dog bite injury is traumatizing and can have widespread emotional impacts for years to come. This is especially true when a strange dog carries out the attack, but fortunately, there is legal recourse for victims of dog attacks where the animal’s owner’s negligence or recklessness contributed to the attack.
If a dog in Kansas City has bitten you or a loved one, it is important to know your legal rights before taking the fight to the insurance company. Missouri law requires dog owners to take reasonable steps to control their pets and prevent them from harming others. If a dog owner fails to do this and someone is hurt as a result, the owner may be held liable for the victim’s injuries. Contact us right away to request a free case evaluation, and read more below to get a better idea of how a dog bite case works.
Contact The McCallister Law Firm To Request a Free Consultation Today
At The McCallister Law Firm, our Kansas City dog bite lawyers have more than 30 years of experience fighting for the rights of injury victims. We understand the physical, emotional, and financial toll that a dog bite can take on a family, and we will work tirelessly to help you recover the compensation you need to move forward.
To schedule a free case evaluation and free initial consultation with one of our Kansas City dog bite attorneys, call us at 816-492-2963 or contact us online. During your consultation, we will review your case and help you understand your legal options.
Source: https://www.livescience.com/16193-dogs-bite-statistics-infographic.html
How Our Dog Bite Lawyers Can Help You
A Kansas City dog bite lawyer at The McCallister Law Firm can help you understand your legal options and pursue the compensation you deserve. Our attorneys have experience handling a wide range of personal injury cases, including those involving dog bites, and we will fight to get you the best possible result in your case.
Compensation for Injuries from a Dog Bite Incident in Kansas City
If you are injured in a dog attack, you may be able to recover compensation for a wide range of impacts, known as damages, for your Kansas City dog bite claim.
Economic Damages
Economic damages are those that have a specific monetary value, such as medical bills, lost wages, and property damage. In dog bite claims, these damages are relatively easy to calculate because they have a quantifiable monetary value, but it is important to pay close attention to detail, as each dollar overlooked in this calculation process may equate to a loss of between $1.50-$5 in terms of non-economic damages, for reasons that will be made clear in the next section.
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages can be far more significant because they do not have a specific dollar amount attached to them, yet are universal things human beings share in common, like the loss of enjoyment of life, a lifetime of pain, the loss of the love and companionship of a loved one, and others. Examples of non-economic damages include pain and suffering, emotional scarring, the impact of facial injuries, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life.
While these damages may not have a specific monetary value, they can still be significant, but trying to put a price on something as abstract as “emotional distress” can feel nearly impossible. Especially for someone who is trying to recover from serious dog bite injuries — especially someone who isn’t familiar with personal injury law, to begin with.That is why you need an expert trial lawyer to get you the full measure of justice you deserve.
The Statute of Limitations for a Dog Bite Injury in Missouri
The statute of limitations is the deadline for filing a personal injury lawsuit. In Missouri, the statute of limitations for most personal injury cases, including dog bite cases, is five years from the date of the injury.
This may seem like a long time, but it is important to understand that personal injury lawyers investigating and building a personal injury case can take time to build strong dog bite claims. If you wait too long to file a lawsuit after a dog bite resulted in injuries, you may be barred from recovering any compensation for your injuries.
If you have been injured in a dog attack, it is important to speak with a dog bite attorney as soon as possible to ensure that your legal rights are protected.
Frequently Asked Questions About Dog Bites
The following are just a few of the many questions our clients have asked us about dog bites. If you have additional questions, or if you would like to discuss your case with one of our experienced attorneys, please contact us today.
What should I do if I am attacked by a dog?
The first and most important thing to do is to get to safety. Once you are out of harm’s way, you should seek medical attention for your injuries and call animal control. If the dog’s owner is present, be sure to get their contact information, as well as the contact information of any witnesses to the attack. Animal control or police can complete an incident report, which you must initiate as soon as possible.
If the owner is not present, try to get a description of the dog, if possible. Once you have gathered this information, you should contact an experienced attorney who can help you understand your legal options.
Are dog owners held liable for their dangerous dogs’ actions in the Kansas City metropolitan area?
After a dog bite, it can be difficult to make sense of how to proceed, including whether or not to press charges against the dog owner, whether or not to work with a dog bite lawyer, and how to best treat your dog bite injuries. Fortunately, there is little question about a dog owner’s obligation to a dog bite victim under Missouri dog bite laws.
After a Kansas City dog bite, the dog owner is under strict liability, meaning that they are entirely responsible for the action’s of their animal and the damages caused by the dog bite, whether or not there was a history of these aggressive actions. Simply put: the dog owner owed the victim a duty of care to protect them from an animal bite, whether or not their pet is known as a dangerous dog.
What if the dog owner does not have insurance?
Even if the dog’s owner does not have insurance, you may still be able to recover compensation for your injuries. In Missouri, dog owners are “strictly liable” for any damages caused by their dog, regardless of whether or not the dog has a history of aggression.
This means that even if the dog has never shown signs of aggression before, the owner can still be held responsible for any damages caused by the dog. If the dog’s owner does not have insurance, you may be able to recover compensation through their personal assets.
What is the statute of limitations for filing a dog bite lawsuit in Missouri?
The statute of limitations for most personal injuries, including dog bite cases, is five years from the date of the injury. In the days after the dog bite occurred, this may seem like ample time, but when you partner with an attorney, they will typically use all of this time to work on settling your case out of court.
How much can I sue for a dog bite?
The amount of compensation you may be entitled to will depend on a number of factors, including the severity of your injuries, the extent of your medical care, and the impact the attack has had on your life as the injured party. In Missouri, dog bite victims are entitled to recover both economic and non-economic damages through a personal injury claim if someone else’s dog injures them.
Economic damages include medical bills, lost wages, and property damage. Non-economic damages include pain and suffering damages, emotional trauma and distress, and loss of enjoyment of life. In some cases, punitive damages may also be available, but it is impossible to determine a dollar figure for any of these damages without completing an in-depth investigation of the situation.
Is there a “one-bite rule” in Kansas City?
Many people are familiar with something known as a “one-bite rule” that blocks an injured party from seeking fair compensation through personal injury claims unless the dog’s owner knew that the animal was dangerous or had previously attacked someone, but under Missouri’s revised statutes, a dog owner breached their duty of care to dog bite victims as soon as their dog decides to attack.
As such, dog bite victims can file dog bite claims and hold a dog owner liable for an attack if they have suffered any sort of dog bite injury. Working with a dog bite attorney is one of the best ways for the person bitten to navigate Kansas City general negligence law and strict liability theory while remaining focused on treating their symptoms and getting their lives back on track.
Contact The McCallister Law Firm Right Away
Contact our law office to request a free case evaluation today with a Kansas City dog bite attorney who can help you make sense of your situation. Dog bite laws are complicated, and the process is further confused as the insurance company works to pay as little as possible for dog bite claims while also avoiding further legal issues stemming from Kansas City dog bites.
During your free consultation, you can discuss your potential dog bite case with one of the experienced Kansas City personal injury lawyers at our firm, learn about how a Kansas City dog bite attorney can help, and make more sense of your situation.