Mount Pleasant Dog Bite and Animal Attack Lawyer

If you were bitten or attacked by a dog, you might be eligible for compensation.

If you or a family member has suffered an injury from a dog bite or animal attack on someone else’s property, call George Sink, P.A. Injury Lawyers today. Our dog bite and animal attack lawyers in Mount Pleasant are ready to help you file a claim or lawsuit.

We help Greater Charleston-area residents and visitors who have fallen victim to an animal attack receive the compensation they deserve for enduring serious and life-threatening injuries.

How We Operate

At our firm, the vast majority of the animal attack-related matters we handle involve dog bites, but we have also represented clients injured by many other types of household animals. Of course, our past successes in dog bite and animal attack matters does not guarantee future results.

We can, however, promise that our personal injury lawyers will work tirelessly to seek the compensation each one of our clients deserves after the trauma and pain of being bitten, mauled, or tackled by an unruly animal.

Mount Pleasant Dog Bite and Animal Attack Lawyer Near Me(888) 612-7001

Examining South Carolina Dog Bite and Animal Attack Law

Few South Carolinians realize it, but our state and towns (including Mount Pleasant) have extensive legislation that governs how pet owners must protect the public from domesticated animal attacks.

The Mount Pleasant dog bite and animal attack attorneys at George Sink, P.A. Injury Lawyers have a deep understanding of how these laws work, particularly when it comes to pursuing legal action after an animal hurts one of our clients.

Dog Bites: Holding Owners Liable for a Common Injury

South Carolina’s statute on dog bites (S.C. Code § 47-3-110) does not mince words. When a dog attacks someone in a public place or on private property, “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.”

There are only three exceptions to this rule:

1. If the attack happened on private property where the victim was trespassing,
2. If the victim “provoked or harassed the dog and that provocation was the proximate cause of the attack,” or
3. If the attacking animal was a police canine acting at the lawful command of a law enforcement official. In addition to having liability to the victim, dog owners and those caring for dogs may also face criminal liability for failing to protect the public.

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

Under South Carolina law, victims of any kind of animal attack other than by a dog can rely on the state’s well-established rules of “premises liability” and negligence to seek compensation for their injuries.

Simply put, property owners have a responsibility to keep visitors safe to varying degrees, depending on the circumstances of how the visitor came to be on the property. An animal attack attorney can help you determine how these rules apply to your case.

South Carolina law also imposes a general duty on South Carolinians not to act in ways that will harm others – in other words, not to be “negligent.” That duty extends to pet owners by requiring them to take reasonable measures to keep others safe from a pet that might bite or attack, even when the pet is not on the owner’s property.

For example, the owner of a pet ferret may have legal liability if she fails to warn others that ferrets have the tendency to bite unprovoked, and the ferret injures someone. Our dog bite and animal attack attorneys in Mount Pleasant can investigate the circumstances of your case to determine liability.

Seeking Legal Support From a Dog Bite and Animal Attack Lawyer

In the immediate aftermath of a dog bite or animal attack, victims should seek medical attention right away and report the bite to local Animal Control authorities. Animal bites and lacerations carry a serious risk of infection and if not addressed immediately could turn life-threatening.

If a family member lost their life to a dog bite or animal attack, you may be eligible to receive compensation through a wrongful death claim.

After seeking medical care, victims of Mount Pleasant-area animal attacks can seek the help of an animal attack attorney at George Sink, P.A. Injury Lawyers to learn about their rights. Some attacks leave victims with lasting disfiguring injuries that give them the right to receive compensation.

Even attacks that do not leave scars but may inflict other forms of emotional trauma, especially when the attack puts a victim at risk of disease, give victims the right to recover damages for their physical and emotional suffering. A personal injury attorney can help victims figure out who owned the animal that attacked them and advise victims on how to seek compensation in or out of Charleston County courts.

If you or a loved one has sustained injuries due to a bite or attack, contact the dog bite and animal attack lawyers in Mount Pleasant at George Sink, P.A. Injury Lawyers by phone or online today to schedule a free case review with one of our team members. We have an office in North Charleston but can also meet with you at home in the hospital if that’s more convenient.