Hanahan Dog Bite and Animal Attack Lawyer

If a dog or other domesticated pet injures you, you may have a right to substantial compensation.

If you or your family has fallen victim to injuries caused by a domesticated animal, call George Sink, P.A. Injury Lawyers today. Our dog bite and animal attack lawyers serving Hanahan, South Carolina, represent Greater Charleston-area victims of dog bites and other animal attacks by pursuing legal action to recover damages for their injuries.

Our Determined Personal Injury Team

Every animal attack case that our lawyers handle presents a unique set of facts and circumstances. Dog bites comprise the most common type of injury we see, but other animals also pose dangers to Hanahan families.

Because every case is different, we can never promise a client will recover money. A dog bite and animal attack lawyer in Hanahan, SC, can promise, however, that our personal injury team will act with determination in order to obtain the best result possible for victims of a domesticated animal attack.

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

South Carolina/ Local Laws on Dog Bites and Animal Attacks

Under the laws of South Carolina and Hanahan town ordinances, Hanahan pet owners must take precautions to keep their neighbors safe from dog bites and other pet injuries.

For example, Hanahan dog owners must keep their dogs on leashes, ropes, or chains whenever the dogs venture off the owner’s property, and no Hanahan family may own more than three male or female cats and three male or female dogs over the age of four months.

Still, pets can injure people from time-to-time, especially children, which is why South Carolina law also gives victims the right to recover damages from those responsible for not preventing an attack.

Dog Bites in South Carolina: Liable Owners

South Carolina’s dog bite law, S.C. Code § 47-3-110, makes dog owners “strictly liable” to anyone their dog injures in a public place or on private property. Under this law, it doesn’t matter if the owner acted negligently in handling the dog – the owner must pay damages regardless. There are three exceptions to this legal standard:

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

In some cases, owners of dogs that attack may also face criminal liability under state laws and town ordinances.

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

Victims of attacks by animals other than dogs have rights under South Carolina’s legal principles of “premises liability” and negligence. “Premises liability” refers to the set of legal rules that states a property owner is liable for injuries any visitor to his property sustains while there.

Depending on the legal status of the visitor on the property, an owner may be liable for even the most unusual injuries. An attorney representing victims of animal attacks can help determine whether the owner of the property where the attack happened faces liability.

Pet owners also have a legal duty not to act in a negligent manner when it comes to handling their domesticated animals. When owners breach this duty by acting in a way that could reasonably be expected to result in their pets harming others, they may be liable for damages that their pets cause.

For example, the owner of a boa constrictor that escapes and eats neighborhood pets or injures children may have to pay for the damage the boa causes.

Seeking Help from a Hanahan, South Carolina Dog Bite or Animal Attack Lawyer

Whenever an animal injures a human, the first priority should be to seek immediate medical attention for the injury. Bites and scratches that break the skin pose an extreme risk of infection and it is necessary to attend to them right away. It is also important –and a legal requirement–to report any pet bite to animal control so the animal can be quarantined. If a loved one passed away due to a dog bite or animal attack, you may be able to recover damages through a wrongful death action.

Once victims have received appropriate medical attention after a dog bite or animal attack, they may also want to seek the advice of an attorney to determine whether they have a right to compensation. At George Sink, P.A. Injury Lawyers, we help victims pursue damages by negotiating with insurance companies or, if necessary, taking legal action in Berkeley County courts.

Has a Hanahan-area dog bite or pet attack injured you or a loved one? If so, then you may have the right to compensation under South Carolina law. Contact George Sink, P.A. Injury Lawyers by phone or online for a free consultation. A dog bite and animal attack lawyer serving Hanahan, SC, can meet at the location most convenient for you including our Charleston office, your home, or the hospital where you’re recovering.