Laurens Dog Bite and Animal Attack Lawyer

If a dog bite or other pet attack leaves you injured, you may have rights to compensation.

If someone’s pet in the Laurens, South Carolina, area leaves you or a family member injured, call George Sink, P.A. Injury Lawyers today. We help pet attack victims seek compensation for their injuries. Discuss the details of your case with a Laurens dog bite and animal attack attorney today.

George Sink, P.A. Injury Lawyers Fights for You

Despite our strong track record, our personal injury lawyers can never promise clients that we will recover compensation because every pet-inflicted injury is unique. However, a dog bite and animal attack lawyer in Laurens, SC, does promise to give every client the attention and compassion they deserve and fight for a result that serves their interests.

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

South Carolina Dog Bite & Pet Attack Law

Pet owners in Laurens and throughout South Carolina have legal obligations under state laws and local ordinances to keep others safe from unruly pets. Laurens County animal control ordinances, for example, bar local dog and cat owners from allowing “dangerous” pets to run free, even on their own properties.

These regulations help prevent pet attack injuries, but they don’t eliminate the danger altogether. Accordingly, when a dog mauling or other pet attack injures a Laurens resident, South Carolina law allows the victim to take legal action.

South Carolina Law on the Most Frequent Pet Injury

Dog bites are the most common pet-inflicted injury. To address their frequency, S.C. Code § 47-3-110 imposes “strict” legal liability on any “dog owner or person having [a] dog in the person’s care or keeping” for “the damages suffered by [a] person bitten or otherwise attacked” by the dog, unless:

• The attack happened while the victim was trespassing on the owner’s property;
• The victim “provoked or harassed the dog and that provocation was the proximate cause of the attack”; or
• A police dog carried out the attack on the lawful command of a law enforcement official.

Laurens dog owners and those tending to dogs may also risk criminal penalties if they fail to comply with state and local dog regulations.

Owners’ Legal Liability in Non-Canine Pet Attacks in South Carolina

Owners of non-canine pets also have legal liability for their pets’ aggression, although there are no specific statutes addressing them. Instead, courts can impose liability under South Carolina’s legal principles of “premises liability” and negligence.

“Premises liability” refers to the legal doctrine that can make the owner of property where a domestic animal attack occurs liable for damages to the victim. An attorney familiar with the issues involved in representing animal attack victims can help determine the liability of a property owner.

Setting aside the location of a pet attack, pet owners may also owe damages to their pets’ victims if they acted negligently. That is, if they failed to prevent their pet from causing harm. For example, the owner of a pet ferret may have to compensate the family of a child bitten by the ferret if the owner failed to warn the child that ferrets tend to attack unprovoked.

Taking Legal Action in Your Laurens, South Carolina Dog Bite or Animal Attack

If a pet attacks and injures you, seek immediate medical care. It may be critical to receive antibiotic treatment because of the risk of serious infection from a bite or laceration. Additionally, you may have an obligation to report the attack to an animal control official, in case the animal needs to be quarantined.

As a pet attack victim, you can also protect your rights by speaking with a dog bite and animal attack lawyer serving Laurens, SC. At George Sink, P.A. Injury Lawyers, we seek compensation for pet attack victims through negotiated settlements or, if necessary, by taking legal action in Laurens County courts.

We may be able to help you recover substantial compensation if you act quickly. Contact our lawyers today by phone or through our online form for your free consultation. We have offices around South Carolina but one of our lawyers would also be happy to meet with you at home or in the hospital if that’s more convenient.