Goose Creek Dog Bite and Animal Attack Lawyer

If a dog, cat, or other domestic animal injures you, you may have a right to recover compensation.

If you or your family have had your life turned upside down by the injury of a pet attack, call George Sink, P.A. Injury Lawyers today. Our dog bite and animal attack lawyers in Goose Creek, SC, represent victims of dog maulings and other animal attacks in seeking compensation for their injuries.

How We Can Help You

George Sink, P.A. Injury Lawyers is a South Carolina law firm that exclusively represents victims of unexpected, life-disrupting personal injuries. From our offices around the state, including in Charleston, we have represented numerous domestic animal attack victims.

Because every pet attack is different, however, our lawyers cannot guarantee results. Instead, a dog bite and animal attack attorney in Goose Creek, SC, promises to bring the same level of professionalism, compassion, to every representation – a consistency that has served our clients well in the past.

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

A Rundown of South Carolina Dog Bite & Animal Attack Law

Under South Carolina law, local pet owners must take steps to keep their neighbors safe from pet attacks. For example, Goose Creek residents may not keep more than six dogs or cats and must keep all pets on a leash or otherwise restrained in public places.

Even with these restrictions in place, pets injure people, especially children, from time-to-time. Accordingly, South Carolina law also gives victims of pet attacks the right to recover damages for their injuries.

Dog Owners are Strictly Liable to Anyone Their Dog Injures

S.C. Code § 47-3-110 makes dog owners “strictly liable” to anyone their dog injures in a public place or on private property, regardless of whether the owner acted negligently in handling the dog. This rule of “strict liability” for dog attacks applies unless:

• The victim sustained the injury while trespassing on someone’s property;
• The victim “provoked or harassed the dog and that provocation was the proximate cause of the attack”; or
• The dog that attacked was a police canine acting on the lawful command of its police handler.

In some cases, Goose Creek dog owners may also face criminal liability under state laws and town ordinances for failing to tend to their dogs in the manner required.

You May Be Eligible for Non-Dog Attack Damages

Victims of attacks by pets other than dogs have rights to compensation also. Under South Carolina’s legal principle of “premises liability,” a property owner may be liable for injuries visitors to his property sustain in pet attacks there, depending on the legal status of the visitors on the property.

An attorney familiar with the issues that arise in representing victims of animal attacks can help determine whether the owner of the property where the attack happened faces liability in a particular case.

Pet owners also have liability when their pets attack because everyone in South Carolina owes fellow citizens a legal duty not to act in a negligent manner in handling domestic animals. So, for example, the owner of a boa constrictor who fails to secure the snake in an appropriate container may have legal liability for injuries the boa causes if it escapes.

Legal Reassurance for a Goose Creek, South Carolina Dog Bite or Animal Attack

Whenever an animal injures a Goose Creek resident, the first priority should be seeking medical care. Bites and scratches that break the skin, in particular, may cause dangerous infection if not treated immediately, and they could end up costing you more than you think. Goose Creek ordinances also require any animal that has bitten a person to be quarantined for ten days, so victims should also report attacks to animal control authorities right away.

After receiving medical care, victims may also want to seek the advice of a personal injury attorney to determine whether they have a right to compensation for their injury. Pet attacks can inflict long-lasting emotional and physical pain, especially on children. At George Sink, P.A. Injury Lawyers, we help those victims recover compensation by negotiating with insurance companies and, if necessary, by taking legal action in Berkeley County courts.

Has a Goose Creek-area pet attack injured you or a family member? If so, then you may have rights to substantial compensation under South Carolina law if you act soon. Contact our compassionate, professional team by phone or online to schedule a free case review. A dog bite and animal attack lawyer serving Goose Creek, SC, can meet at the location most convenient for you, including our Charleston office, your home, or in the hospital where you’re recovering.