Georgetown Dog Bite and Animal Attack Lawyer

You may be entitled to significant compensation after a dog bite or pet attack.

If a dog bite or other pet attack leaves you or a family member injured, call George Sink, P.A. Injury Lawyers today. Our dog bite and animal attack lawyers in Georgetown, SC, represent Lowcountry residents and visitors in seeking compensation for injuries caused by other people’s domestic animals.

What We Can Do for You

George Sink, P.A. Injury Lawyers hasn’t been around nearly as long as Georgetown, South Carolina, but we have represented numerous victims of pet attacks over the years, including many injured by dog bites and maulings. Of course, our lawyers cannot promise the same outcomes for future clients, because every pet attack matter is unique.

We can, however, promise our dog bite and animal attack attorneys in Georgetown, SC, to act as zealous, aggressive, compassionate advocates for our pet attack clients, and to seek the maximum compensation available under the law and circumstances.

Georgetown Dog Bite & Animal Attacks Lawyer Near Me(888) 612-7001

South Carolina Dog Bite & Animal Attack Law

South Carolina state and local laws protect the public from dog bites and other domestic animal attacks. According to Georgetown ordinances, for example, all dog owners must vaccinate their pup against rabies, obtain a permit to keep the animal, and restrain their dog in an enclosure or on a leash at all times when off of the owner’s property.

Even when Georgetown dwellers follow these rules, however, pet attacks still can happen. With that in mind, South Carolina law authorizes pet attack victims to take legal action to seek compensation for their injuries.

Dog Bite Laws in South Carolina

S.C. Code § 47-3-110 addresses dog bites and maulings as a special category of pet attack. When a dog attacks someone in a public place or on private property in The Palmetto State, “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,” unless:

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

Georgetown-area dog owners, particularly owners of dogs designated as “fierce, dangerous” animals under Georgetown’s ordinances, may also face criminal liability for an attack or for creating a condition that could lead to one.

South Carolina Non-Dog Animal Attacks: “Premises Liability” and Owner “Negligence”

Attacks by any other domestic animal (even a pet raccoon) may also lead to liability under South Carolina law. Under South Carolina’s legal doctrine of “premises liability,” for example, a property owner may owe damages to a visitor to his property who suffers an injury in a pet attack there, depending on the purpose of the visit. A personal injury attorney can help victims determine if the owner of a property has legal liability under these circumstances.

Separate from property owners, pet owners may also have legal liability to victims of pet attacks if the pet owners are negligent by failing to take steps to prevent a reasonably foreseeable assault by a pet. For example, if someone brings her pet ferret out in public and forgets to warn children who want to pet it that ferrets can attack and bite without warning, she may owe damages for any injuries the ferret inflicts.

Legal Support for a Georgetown, South Carolina Dog Bite or Animal Attack

If you have sustained an injury in an attack by a domestic animal, seek immediate medical attention. Bites or lacerations that break the skin pose a high risk of dangerous infection, and they can end up costing you more than you might think.

Under Georgetown’s animal control ordinance, victims must also immediately report the attack to animal control officials so they can quarantine the animal. If a loved one lost their life to a dog bite or animal attack, you may be eligible for compensation upon pursuing a wrongful death lawsuit.

At George Sink, P.A. Injury Lawyers, we also encourage pet attack victims to obtain legal advice about their potential rights to compensation for pet-caused injuries. The physical and emotional trauma of an animal attack can take years to fade, but victims often have a limited window of time in which to take legal action. We help victims take action to recover damages from insurance companies and other parties responsible for paying for pet attacks, even if that means filing suit in Georgetown County courts.

When a dog or other domestic animal attacks a Georgetown-area visitor or resident, the personal injury lawyers at our firm will help. Contact us by phone or through our online form to schedule a free case review with a dog bite and animal attack lawyer serving Georgetown, SC, at a location most convenient for you, including at your home or in the hospital.