Clemson Dog Bite and Animal Attack Lawyer

If a dog or other household pet caused your injury, you may have a right to recover compensation.

If someone’s pet injures you or a family member in Clemson, South Carolina, call George Sink, P.A. Injury Lawyers today. Our personal injury attorneys represent victims of pet attacks by helping them recover compensation from those legally responsible for the pet’s actions. Call today for a free consultation with a dog bite and animal attack lawyer in Clemson.

How George Sink, P.A. Injury Lawyers Works for You

Dog bites constitute the most common type of injuries that our clients suffer. Although, we have also represented plenty of folks with injuries caused by other pets. Since every pet attack has its own unique set of circumstances, our attorneys can never promise our client that we will recover compensation for them. However, we can and do commit our resources to the fearless pursuit of justice for every client we represent.

Clemson Dog Bite and Animal Attack Lawyer Near Me888-612-7001

South Carolina Pet Owners’ Legal Duties

In South Carolina, state laws and town ordinances impose legal duties on pet owners to take steps to keep others safe from unruly pets. In Clemson for example, any dog that howls or barks “to such an extent as to interfere materially with or affect the health, comfort or peace and quiet of the people” is deemed a “nuisance” that could subject its owner to criminal liability.

Additionally, all dogs must remain on a leash when away from their owners’ property. Even when pet owners follow these rules, dog bites and other pet attacks still happen, and when they do, South Carolina law authorizes victims to pursue compensation for their injuries. If you were injured, you can do so with a Clemson, SC, dog bite and animal attack attorney.

Dog Bites and Liable Owners

Dog bites – the most common pet-related injury – receive special treatment under S.C. Code § 47-3-110, which states that when a dog bites someone other than its owner, the “dog owner or person having [a] dog in the person’s care or keeping” is liable for “the damages suffered by [a] person bitten or otherwise attacked” by the dog.

Three exceptions exist to this rule:

• The attack happens while the victim is a trespasser on the owner’s property.
• The victim provokes or harasses the dog and that provocation was the proximate cause of the attack.
• The attacking dog is a police canine acting on the lawful command of its handler.

As noted above, Clemson dog owners may also face criminal prosecution for failing to control their pets in some cases.

Non-Dog Animal Attacks: A “Premises Liability” and Owner “Negligence” Issue

When a pet other than a dog attacks someone, its owner and others may be liable to the victim under the South Carolina legal doctrines of “premises liability” and owner negligence.

When a domesticated animal attacks a visitor on someone else’s property, the property owner may owe damages to the visitor depending on the visitor’s legal status on the property. Consult an animal attack attorney to determine if the owner of the property where you were injured owes damages for the attack.

Pet owners also have legal liability to their pets’ victims regardless of where the attack occurs. In South Carolina, every citizen should not act in a way that would reasonably be expected to result in harm to another person, especially when it comes to controlling a pet. For example, the owner of a pet iguana that escapes from its cage may have liability to someone that the lizard bites at the property next door.

Speak With a Dog Bite and Animal Attack Lawyer Serving Clemson Today

The first and most critical step to take after a dog bite or other animal attack is to seek medical care among other actions. It is especially important to treat a bite or scratch that breaks the skin since there is a high risk for infection. It may also be necessary to alert appropriate animal control authorities who have an obligation under Clemson town ordinances to quarantine animals that bite in order to mitigate the risk of rabies.

After receiving medical care, victims of pet attacks can seek the advice of a dog bite and animal attack lawyer serving Clemson, SC, to learn about their potential right to compensation. At George Sink, P.A. Injury Lawyers, we have the know-how and resources to investigate and litigate pet attack injuries in and out of Pickens and Anderson County courts.

Do not wait to seek legal advice for a pet attack injury. Our attorneys may be able to help you recover substantial compensation if you act quickly. Call our firm today to schedule a free case review. A personal injury lawyer would be glad to meet with you at your home, the hospital, or at one of our offices around South Carolina (including Greenville).