Greenwood Dog Bite & Animal Attack Lawyer

Dog bites can cause devastating injuries.

If the injury of a dog mauling or other pet attack disrupts your or a family member’s life, call George Sink, P.A. Injury Lawyers today. Our dog bite and animal attack lawyers in Greenwood, SC, help residents recover compensation for injuries inflicted by other people’s pets.

How We Can Help

George Sink, P.A. Injury Lawyers is a statewide personal injury law firm. We represent victims of domestic animal attacks, including dog bites and maulings. Still, our past results do not guarantee positive outcomes in future cases, because every pet attack matter we handle has its own unique set of facts.

We can, however, promise that our dog bite and animal attorneys in Greenwood, SC, will commit the same level of determination and professionalism to every representation. It’s through that consistency that our lawyers have been able to establish our track record of success.

Greenwood Dog Bite and Animal Attack Lawyer Near Me864-334-7200

Summary of South Carolina Dog Bite & Animal Attack Law

It may come as a surprise to some, but South Carolina laws contain extensive regulations governing pet ownership. Under Greenwood ordinances, for example, “no [dog] owner shall fail to exercise proper care and control of his dog or to permit such dog to disturb the peace and quiet of the neighborhood.”

These rules and others go a long way in shielding the public from animal attacks, but they can never eliminate the danger completely. Accordingly, South Carolina law also gives victims of pet attacks the right to sue for damages.

South Carolina Dog Bite Laws

S.C. Code § 47-3-110 imposes strict rules on dog owners. If a dog attacks a person in a public place or on private property in Greenwood, “the dog owner or person having the dog in the person’s care or keeping is liable for the damages suffered by the person bitten or otherwise attacked.” Only three exceptions to this rule can save the dog owner from liability:

• If the victim was trespassing on property at the time of the attack;
• If the victim “provoked or harassed the dog and that provocation was the proximate cause of the attack”; or
• If the dog that attacked was a police canine acting on the lawful command of a law enforcement handler.

Greenwood dog owners who fail to obey state and local dog laws may also face criminal sanctions.

Non-Dog Animal Attack Situations

When a non-canine pet (even one as unusual as a pet raccoon) attacks someone other than its owner, South Carolina also law gives the victim rights to recover damages. Under the legal doctrine of “premises liability,” for example, a property owner may have to pay damages to a visitor to his property who sustains an injury in a pet attack there. An animal attack injury attorney can help a victim determine if the property owner has liability.

Pet owners also may have legal liability for injuries their pets cause. Under “negligence” principles, every South Carolinian owes her fellow citizens a duty to take reasonable steps to prevent a pet from causing harm. So, if a housecat known to be dangerous escapes its kennel and attacks a child next door, the cat’s owner may have to pay damages for the child’s injuries.

Seeking Help for a Greenwood, South Carolina Dog Bite or Animal Attack

The first thing any victim of a pet attack should do after a dog bite is seek medical treatment. Victims should take bites, lacerations, or contusions caused by a domestic animal very seriously. These injuries pose a risk of dangerous infection. Greenwood’s ordinances also require anyone bitten by a pet to report the attack to local animal control authorities. If a family member lost their life to a dog bite or animal attack, you may be able to recover a payout following a wrongful death action.

After receiving medical care, Greenwood dog bite and pet attack victims can benefit from seeking advice from an animal attack liability attorney to learn about their potential rights to compensation. Domestic animal attacks can inflict physical and emotional trauma, especially when the victims are young children. We help Greenwood residents and families recover damages for their injuries through settlement negotiations and, if necessary, by taking legal action in Greenwood County courts.

When a domestic animal attacks a Greenwood resident, the determined pet attack liability lawyers at George Sink, P.A. Injury Lawyers may be able to help. Contact us by phone or online to schedule a free case review with a dog bite and animal attack lawyer serving Greenwood, SC, at our Anderson or Columbia office, at your home, or even in the hospital if that’s most convenient for you.