Anderson Dog Bite and Animal Attack Lawyer

Pet owners can be held liable for negligence.

If someone’s pet in the Anderson, South Carolina, area attacks and injures you or a family member, call George Sink, P.A. Injury Lawyers today. Our dog bite and animal attack lawyers in Anderson, SC, help Upstate South Carolinians take legal action to recover damages for injuries caused by misbehaving pets.

Benefits of Working with George Sink, P.A. Injury Lawyers

George Sink, P.A. Injury Lawyers is a law firm that represents victims of unexpected, life-disrupting personal injuries. Pet attacks comprise a large focus of our law practice. In particular, dog bites have been causing more hospitalization and personal injury claims in recent years.

We are proud of our lawyers’ success, but we cannot guarantee similar results in the future, because every pet attack matter we handle is unique. Instead, we promise our dog bite and animal attack attorneys in Anderson, SC, will represent every pet attack client with the full measure of compassion and determination they deserve.

Anderson Dog Bite & Animal Attacks Lawyer Near Me864-729-4888

Important Information Regarding South Carolina Dog Bite & Animal Attack Law

Statutes and local laws in South Carolina protect Anderson residents from unruly pets. Under Anderson’s animal control ordinance, for example, it is “unlawful for the owner of any dog or cat to allow, intentionally or negligently, such dog or cat to run at large or unrestricted on any street or public place of the city at any time.”

While these regulations help keep the public safe from pet attacks, they are no guarantee of complete safety. Pet attacks still happen in Anderson, and when they do, South Carolina law allows victims to seek compensation in a legal action against the parties responsible.

Dog Bites and Attack Laws of South Carolina

Dog bites and maulings comprise a majority of the pet attacks that occur annually in South Carolina. For that reason, S.C. Code § 47-3-110 subjects every “dog owner or person having [a] dog in the person’s care or keeping” to strict liability for “the damages suffered by [a] person bitten or otherwise attacked” by the dog. Just three exceptions can excuse a dog owner or handler from this legal liability:

• When the attack happened while the victim was a trespasser on someone’s property;
• When the victim “provoked or harassed the dog and that provocation was the proximate cause of the attack”; or
• When a police dog committed the attack while acting on the lawful command of a law enforcement officer.

Dog owners and those who tend to dogs in Anderson may also face criminal sanctions if they fail to obey state and local dog regulations. Our Andreson, SC, dog bite and animal attack lawyers can investigate the circumstances of your case to determine liability.

Your Eligibility for Compensation in Non-Dog Animal Attacks in SC

Attacks by pets other than dogs can also result in legal liability in South Carolina. For example, if a domestic animal assaults a visitor to someone’s property in Anderson, the owner of the property may owe damages to the visitor so long as the visitor wasn’t trespassing at the time of the attack. An attorney familiar with the issues involved with representing domestic animal attack victims can help victims assess whether a property owner owes them damages.

Separately, Anderson pet owners may also have legal liability when their pets attack others, regardless of where the attack happened. Every South Carolinian has a legal duty not to subject fellow citizens to reasonably foreseeable harm caused by a pet. So, for example, the owner of an iguana who fails to keep the iguana in its terrarium or confined to a house may have liability for injuries the iguana causes if it escapes and bites someone.

Seeking Legal Advice for an Anderson, South Carolina Dog Bite or Animal Attack

Anyone injured in a pet attack should receive immediate medical attention, especially for bites and lacerations that break the skin, as they can lead to deadly infections if not treated right away. Under Anderson’s rabies control ordinance, victims must also allow an animal control officer to quarantine any dog or other pet that has bitten a person for up to three weeks.

Victims of an attack by someone else’s pet should also seek prompt legal advice from an animal attack liability lawyer. George Sink, P.A. Injury Lawyers’ team of litigators has the resources to seek compensation for pet attack victims through settlement negotiations and, if necessary, by taking legal action in Anderson County courts.

If a pet in Anderson, South Carolina attacks and injures you or a family member, you may have rights to seek compensation for your trauma under South Carolina law. Learn more by contacting us by phone or online to schedule a free case review. A dog bite and animal attack lawyer serving Anderson, SC, would be glad to meet with you at our office on North Main Street in Anderson, your home, or the hospital if that’s most convenient for you.