Summerville Dog Bite and Animal Attack Lawyer

If you have sustained an injury in an attack by someone else's pet in the Summerville, South Carolina area, you may have the right to seek damages under South Carolina law.

If you or your family have suffered the physical, emotional, and financial trauma of a pet attack, call George Sink, P.A. Injury Lawyers today. Our dog bite and animal attack lawyers in Summerville, SC, represent victims of dog maulings and other pet attacks in seeking compensation from those responsible for their injuries.

George Sink, P.A. Injury Lawyers’ Services

George Sink, P.A. Injury Lawyers is a South Carolina law firm with a focus on representing victims of life-disrupting personal injuries. From our offices around the state, including in Charleston, we have helped hundreds of victims of domestic animal attacks seek justice.

We cannot guarantee results in any case, but we can promise that our dog bite and animal attack attorneys in Summerville, SC, will deliver every client the level of consistent professionalism and determination that has enabled our firm to grow and succeed over the years.

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

Examination of South Carolina Dog Bite & Animal Attack Law

South Carolina laws and local ordinances contain extensive regulations aimed at protecting the public from pet attacks. For example, Summerville ordinances make it “a nuisance for dogs, at any time, to be at large within the corporate limits of the municipality, and it shall be unlawful for the owner of any dog to permit it to be at large within the municipality.”

Even with these regulations, pets attack people, especially children, every so often, which is why South Carolina law also gives victims of pet attacks rights to seek compensation for their injury.

South Carolina’s Laws of Dog Bites and Attacks

S.C. Code § 47-3-110 makes dog owners “strictly liable” to anyone their dog injures in a public place or on private property. This rule applies regardless of whether the owner acted negligently in handling the dog. There are only three exceptions:

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

Summerville dog owners may also face criminal prosecution under state laws and town ordinances if they fail to control and handle their dogs in the manner required.

Receiving Compensation in a Non-Dog Animal Attack

Attacks by pets other than dogs lead to legal liability under South Carolina law as well. The legal principle of “premises liability” makes a property owner legally liable for injuries sustained by visitors to his property in pet attacks, so long as they were not trespassing. An attorney who has represented personal injury victims can advise on whether a property owner has legal liability in a particular case.

Likewise, pet owners often have liability when their pets attack, regardless of where an attack occurs. South Carolina law imposes a duty on every citizen to take reasonable care in handling domestic animals so as not to cause reasonably foreseeable harm to others.

So, for example, the owner of a pet ferret who fails to warn curious children who want to pet it that ferrets often bite and scratch without warning may have liability for injuries the ferret inflicts.

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

When an animal injures a Summerville resident or visitor, the first priority should be to seek medical care. Pet-inflicted injuries that break the skin, especially, can lead to dangerous infections. It may also be necessary to quarantine an animal that has bitten a person, so victims should report the attack to local animal control authorities right away.

Pet attack victims may also benefit from seeking the counsel of a personal injury attorney to determine whether they have a right to compensation for their injuries. Pet attacks can leave victims, especially children, with long-lasting emotional and physical trauma. At our firm, we help Greater Charleston-area victims recover the damages they deserve by negotiating with insurance companies and, if necessary, by taking legal action in Dorchester, Berkeley, and Charleston County courts.

Has a Summerville-area pet attack caused you or a family member lasting pain and suffering? If so, then you may have rights to significant compensation under South Carolina law. Contact George Sink, P.A. Injury Lawyers by phone or online to schedule a free case review with one of our dog bite and animal attack lawyers serving Summerville, SC. We can meet at the location most convenient for you, including at our Charleston office, at your home, or in the hospital if that’s most convenient for you.