Dog Bites

Dog bite injuries are both traumatizing and expensive, costing Americans more than $1 billion in monetary losses annually, say news sources. Fortunately, there are things that you can do to help prevent a dog bite or attack.

While out and about carry a can of bear pepper spray, which is twice as strong and shoots further than regular pepper spray, to help ward off an attack from a loose dog. Twenty percent of reported dog attacks were from dogs that were either chained or broke free from a chain. If you do see a loose dog roaming around, contact local animal control.

If it’s not possible to avoid the attack, it’s good to be prepared ahead of time by making sure you have medical insurance. About 800,000 dog attack injuries require medical attention annually, and dog bites are the fifth highest cause of emergency room visits by children.

As a Charleston personal injury lawyer, I know how important it is for an injured person to be able to seek and receive compensation after suffering the trauma of a dog attack. Seeking the advice of a Charleston personal injury attorney in the case of a dog bite is an important first step in getting that compensation.

A 5-year-old Sumter girl is recovering at home after an attack Saturday by a pitbull at a relatives house required the girl to receive 170 stitches to her face, report media sources.

The girl was traveling to her grandmother’s house with her aunt when she and the aunt stopped at a relative’s house. According to the girl’s father, a 16-year-old boy at the home asked the child if she wanted to see puppies that were at the home.

The girl reports that the mother dog sniffed her then bit her without provocation. Following the attack, the girl was rushed to the hospital where she required 170 stitches to repair her face; plastic surgery may be necessary. The girl will also require a series of rabies shots.

The owner of the dog is facing 19 charges of not having vaccinations for the 17 dogs at the residence.

As a Sumter personal injury lawyer, personal safety is something that I am very conscious of, and I am well aware of how severe the injuries from a dog bite or attack can be. I wish the little girl a full and rapid recover from her injuries. Because of my experience as a Sumter personal injury attorney, I am very aware of the split-second difference between everything seeming fine and a sudden animal attack. I urge pet owners to make sure their pets are properly secured and supervised.

Dog bites can cause serious injuries or even death to individuals, so it’s important to know all the warning signs of a dog bite. The friendliest dogs can be involved in a dog bite accident, so I suggests always keeping a watchful eye on your animal, especially if young children are around.

As a Florence personal injury lawyer, it always saddens me to hear about dog bite accidents. I came across this news article that gives information about the warning signs of a possible dog bite attack that I think every dog owner should read:

· A first sign of trouble may be a “gut” feeling: Anything about your dog’s behavior that makes you feel uncomfortable indicates a need for intervention. Don’t ignore the first signs of trouble.

· Observe your dog: Dogs displaying non-social, “stand-offish” may bite if forced to interact. Dogs that forcefully jump up or against you, attempt to mount, or are “mouthy” are showing their intentions are confrontational. Dogs that stiffen momentarily in response to eye contact or touch, or when you are close to their food/toy/another person, do not welcome your interference and may bite if their signals are ignored. Specifically watch for body language like direct and hard eye contact from your dog, the base of tail elevated above the level of the dog’s back, and hackles up. A warning growl should never be ignored. These are signs that additional training is warranted.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a dog bite attack, contact a personal injury lawyer in Florence.

Two children and mother escaped injuries from a dog attack that turned from them and onto their English bulldog in Pickens County on Sunday, according to news reports.

The dog attack occurred Sunday evening when a mother and her two children were preparing to grill food on their patio when two pit bulls appeared in their back yard. The dogs started after the two-year-old girl but the mom was able to rescue her and place her on top of a car out of the dogs’ reach. The dogs then reportedly went for the woman, but her 7-year-old English bulldog jumped in front of her and started to fight off the pit bulls, according to news reports.

The dogs continued to fight, entering the family’s home, then the woman grabbed a knife and stabbed the attacking pit bulls, killing one and injuring another.

Officers are looking for the owner of the pit bulls, who will be “charged under county ordinance for animals running at large and for allowing them to create a nuisance,” according to news reports. He will also be charged if the dogs don’t have their rabies inoculations. Fines and punishment could total $900, or 30 days in jail for each offense.

The family bulldog is being treated for injuries, and the family is taking donations for vet bills. The surviving pit bull is at the Spartanburg Humane Society, under animal control custody.

As a North Charleston dog bite attorney, I’m saddened to hear about this tragic dog bit attack. I’m glad the mother and children were able to escape injuries. My condolences are with this family as they deal with this incident.

If you or a loved one has been involved in a dog bite attack, contact a personal injury lawyer in North Charleston.

The owner of a pit bull who allegedly attacked various dogs is last week is asking for a jury trial for her case, according to news reports.

The 21-year-old woman owns a pit bull that reportedly attacked three dogs in West Ashley. One dog owner said the pit bull charged from the woods and attacked two of his dogs outside his home. Another owner said the pit bull attacker her Dalmatian, which survived the attack.

“The pit bull was finally captured in Providence Commons. The dog is being held at the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals,” according to news reports.

The pit bull’s owner was cited with vicious animal, animal at large and non-vaccination, according to news reports. Some of the dogs died in the attacks.

As an Orangeburg personal injury lawyer, I’m glad to hear that no humans were injured in these tragic attacks. It will now be up to the court or jury to decide if the pit bull is really responsible for the attacks. I urge dog owners to always watch their dogs to ensure attacks like this don’t happen.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a dog bite attack, contact a personal injury lawyer in Orangeburg.

A 17-month-old boy was seriously injured in a dog bite attack Saturday in Port Royal, S.C., according to news reports.

The bull mastiff attack occurred when the 17-month old was playing in the backyard of his aunt’s house on Pennyroyal Lane in Shadow Moss. The baby was near the fence when the neighbor’s dog attacked him.

“The dog came through the fence here and grabbed hold of his pant leg and pulled him under the fence, not completely under but pulled him by the pant leg,” the aunt said to news reports. “My sister and her friend were sitting back over on the wicker furniture. My sister jumped up, ran over here, grabbed my nephew; hit the fence for the dog to let go.”

The baby suffered bite cuts on his legs.

The bull mastiff is being quarantined for 10 days and the neighbor was charged with the dangerous attack on humans, which carries up to three years in prison and $5,000 in penalties.

As a North Charleston personal injury lawyer, I’m saddened to hear about this dog bit attack on this baby. I’m glad the child was saved before any life-threatening injuries occurred.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a dog bite attack, contact a personal injury lawyer in North Charleston.

A child was killed by a dog that was a gift to her family from her grandfather, according to news reports.

The 9-year-old girl from McCormick died Saturday around 6:30 p.m. while at her grandfather’s home. She was outside alone with the 98-pound Japanese Akita when it attacked, biting the girl in the neck, according to news reports.  She died at the hospital shortly after the dog bite attack.

Earlier that day, she had walked the dog, which was gifted to her and her siblings three weeks ago by her grandfather.

The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control picked up the dog Monday to euthanize it and check for rabies, according to news reports.

As a South Carolina personal injury lawyer, it saddens me to hear about this young girl’s death. It’s important to remember that dogs have a natural attack mode against those who may threaten them or aren’t familiar to them.  Owners of large dogs that could hurt someone should always post warning signs and prevent accidental dog attacks by never leaving them alone with a child. My condolences go out to the victims’ friends and families during this difficult time.

If you have been seriously injured by a dog bite, contact a Charleston dog bite injury attorney.

A five-year-old girl was killed and her grandmother severely injured after two pit-bulls attacked them in North Carolina.

The dog bite attack occurred around 11 a.m. Wednesday in Union County North Carolina when the young girl was trying to get into a fenced-in yard near her home. The pit-bulls who were known to wander the neighborhood attacked her. The grandmother tried to get the dogs off her granddaughter, but was attacked in the process.

The five-year-old and her grandmother were transported to Carolinas Medical Center-Union in Monroe, where the girl died a short time later. As of Wednesday afternoon, the grandmother is in stable condition, according to news reports.

Police said they warned the dog owner late last month about restraining his dogs. He will likely be charged with violating the leash law, as well as some more charges.

The victim’s mother and others in the neighborhood said the dogs had always been friendly up until Wednesday’s attack, according to news reports. The tragic incident is still being investigated.

As a South Carolina personal injury lawyer, it saddens me to hear about this young girl’s death and her grandmother’s injuries. It’s important to remember that dogs have a natural attack mode against those who may threaten them or aren’t familiar to them.  Owners of large dogs that could hurt someone should always post warning signs and prevent accidental dog attacks by never leaving them alone with a child. My condolences go out to the victims’ friends and families during this difficult time.

If you have been seriously injured by a dog bite, contact a Charleston dog bite injury attorney.

A 10-year-old girl was seriously injured in when a pit-bull attacked her in Batesburg-Leesville on Thursday, according to news reports.

The dog attack occurred around 11 a.m. outside a 27-year-old’s home at 179 Bethlehem Circle near Batesburg-Leesville, according to news reports. The child was outside the home where the woman’s three pit-bulls were running loose when the girl was attacked.

A Lexington county sheriff’s deputy shot and killed one of the three pit-bulls involved in the fight.

The unidentified girl was airlifted to Palmetto Health Richland Hospital with serious injuries. She was listed in stable conditions following surgery Thursday night, according to a statement from the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department.

The two surviving dogs were taken into custody by animal control officers. The pitt-bull owner will be cited for allowing her dogs to run free outside her home, which violated county law that requires pets to be restrained or confined when outside a residence, according to news reports. However, it is unlikely that she will be faced with further charges because the child who was attacked was not in the woman’s care and she had no reason to believe her dogs would attack.

As a North Charleston personal injury lawyer, it saddens me to hear about this young girl’s injuries, but it’s important to remember that dogs have a natural attack mode against those who may threaten them or aren’t familiar to them.  Owners of large dogs that could hurt someone should always post warning signs and prevent accidental dog attacks by never leaving them alone with a child. I hope the girl is able to quickly recover from her injuries.If you have been seriously injured by a dog bite, contact a dog bite injury attorney.

A six-year-old and his grandmother were sent to the hospital with serious injuries after a pit bull attack in Mint Hill.

Police are investigating the incident, which relatives say happened around 2:30 p.m. outside a home at 4514 Matthews-Mint Hill Road. The six-year-old was going back and forth between relatives’ and his grandmother’s house when a pit bull that is owned by a cousin attacked the child.

Relatives who were helping the boy reportedly called the grandmother who lives close by, and when she came over the pit bull also attacked her, according to news reports.

The child was taken to Carolinas Medical Center with serious injuries and is listed in critical condition after a surgery. The grandmother is listed in stable condition at the same location.

Police will investigate the dog bite incident to determine if the dog was properly licensed and if any charges will be filed. The dog’s fate is unclear.

As a Charleston dog bit attorney, I’m saddened to hear about the boy’s injuries, but it’s important to remember that dogs have a natural attack mode against those who may threaten them or aren’t familiar to them.  Owners of large dogs that could hurt someone should always post warning signs and prevent accidental dog attacks by never leaving them alone with a child.