Walterboro Dog Bite and Animal Attack Lawyer

Pet attacks can force victims to deal with years of physical and financial pain.

If someone’s pet in the Walterboro, South Carolina area inflicts a serious injury on you or your family member, call George Sink, P.A. Injury Lawyers today. Our dog bite and animal attack lawyers in Walterboro, SC, help victims of Walterboro-area pet attacks take legal action to recover compensation for their injuries.

What George Sink, P.A. Injury Lawyers Does

George Sink, P.A. Injury Lawyers is a personal injury law firm with offices throughout The Palmetto State, including one on East Washington Street in Walterboro. We represent South Carolinians who suffer unexpected injuries that disrupt their lives and livelihoods.

We routinely represent victims of pet attacks, including dog bites and maulings. Our past results serve as a testament to the skill and determination our lawyers bring to every one of our pet attack representations (although, of course, we cannot promise a successful outcome in any case, because each one is unique).

Walterboro Dog Bite and Animal Attack Lawyer Near Me843-306-0009

Learning About South Carolina Dog Bite & Animal Attack Law

South Carolina statutes and local laws aim to shield the public from unruly, dangerous pets. Walterboro’s animal control ordinance, for example, makes it “unlawful for any person to keep or cause to be kept within the City limits any vicious, ferocious or biting animal, or any animal known by nature to be of a savage or ferocious disposition, including dogs, unless such animal is confined and secured in such a manner as to render it incapable of escaping.”

Regulations like this one help reduce the risk of pet attacks, but they cannot eliminate them. That is why, when a dog or other pet attacks someone in Walterboro, state law authorizes the victim to take legal action for compensation.

South Carolina’s Dog Bite and Attack Laws

Because dog bites and maulings comprise the majority of pet attacks in South Carolina, S.C. Code § 47-3-110 imposes “strict 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 one of three exceptions applies:

• The attack happened to a victim who was trespassing on property;
• The victim “provoked or harassed the dog and that provocation was the proximate cause of the attack”; or
• A police dog committed the attack while acting on the lawful command of its handler.

Walterboro dog owners and anyone else having a dog in their care can also risk criminal prosecution by failing to obey state and local dog laws.

What to Know About Non-Dog Animal Attacks

Attacks by non-canine pets can also lead to legal liability under South Carolina law. If a domestic animal attacks a visitor to someone’s property, the legal doctrine of “premises liability” may create liability for the property owner, depending on the visitor’s legal “status” on the property. Attorneys representing pet attack victims can help victims determine whether a property owner has legal liability for their injuries.

Separately, pet owners can also owe damages for injuries their pets inflict. Like all South Carolinians, pet owners have a legal duty not to create conditions that can reasonably be expected to harm their fellow citizens. That includes the choices pet owners make when tending to their cats, dogs, and other domestic animals.

So, for example, the owner of a cat with a reputation for attacking children unprovoked may have liability for damages if the cat escapes and injures a neighbor’s child, especially if the owner could have taken reasonable steps to prevent the cat from getting out.

Seek Our Help for a Walterboro, South Carolina Dog Bite or Animal Attack

All pet attack victims should seek medical attention as soon as possible, especially if the attack leaves them with bites and other injuries that have broken the skin and pose a high risk of developing an infection. Victims should also report the attack to animal control officers who can decide whether to quarantine the pet.

Pet attack victims can protect their legal rights by speaking with a pet attack liability attorney as soon as possible. Dog bites and pet-inflicted injuries can cause long-term physical and emotional trauma, especially to children, yet there is only a limited time to take legal action. Our dog bite and animal attack lawyers serving Walterboro, SC, have the know-how to investigate pet attacks, conduct settlement negotiations, and (if necessary), file legal action on behalf of pet attack victims in Colleton County courts.

If a pet attack in the Walterboro, South Carolina, area leaves you or a family member in pain and suffering, you may have rights to sue for damages. If a loved one passed away, you can pursue a wrongful death claim and may be able to recover compensation. Don’t wait to find help.

Contact the professional, compassionate animal attack liability lawyers at George Sink, P.A. Injury Lawyers today by phone or online to schedule a free case review. One of our attorneys would be glad to meet with you in our Walterboro office, at your home, or in the hospital if that would be most convenient for you.