Dog and Animal Attacks
If you or your family member or friend has been the victim of a
dog bite or other vicious animal attack, and you need the help of an
experienced and respected personal injury lawyer,
contact the Joe
Griffith Law Firm, LLC for a free consultation. Each attorney at Joe
Griffith Law Firm is dedicated to providing outstanding legal
service to our clients and will fight to obtain all of the
compensation due our clients under the law. Client satisfaction is
our number one goal.
South Carolina law strongly protects the innocent victims of dog
bites or dangerous animal attacks. These injuries are often
extremely traumatic and disfiguring, resulting in serious
psychological and physical injury. These types of injuries often
occur with children as the victims.
The State of South Carolina’s liability statute, Code Section
47-3-110, provides that whenever a person is bitten or otherwise
attacked by a dog while the person is in a public place or is
lawfully in a private place, including the dog owner’s property or
the property of a person having the dog in his care or keeping, the
owner or keeper is liable for damages suffered by the person bitten
or otherwise attacked.
In addition to recovering under the liability statute, South
Carolina dog bite victims can also file suit under the common law.
To recover damages under the common law, a plaintiff must prove that
the dog’s owner or keeper had control and possession of the dog at
the time of the injury. Once control and possession are established,
the owner or keeper owes a duty of care against foreseeable harm.
The dog population in the United States is estimated at 60 million.
While most dogs are loving and social companions, as many as 5
million people nationwide are attacked or bitten by dogs each year.
As many as 800,000 victims of dog-related attacks require medical
care for the injuries, and between 10 to 20 attacks per year prove
fatal. Over half of those attacked are children and one in 10
injured is a sleeping infant. The American Humane Association
reports that dog bites are the leading public health threat for
children, with more dog bites reported than cases of measles, mumps
and whooping cough combined.
South Carolina has enacted a Dangerous Animal Statute, Code Sections
47-3-710 to 47-10-760. Under South Carolina law, a “dangerous
animal” includes:
- A dog that the owner knows, or reasonably should know, has a
propensity, tendency, or disposition to attack unprovoked, cause
injury, or otherwise endanger the safety of human beings or
domestic animals.
- A dog that makes an unprovoked attack that causes bodily
injury to a human being and the attack occurs off the owner’s
premises. “Bodily injury” means broken bones, lacerations,
punctures of the skin, or any physical injury resulting in
death.
- A dog that commits unprovoked acts off the owner’s premises
that cause a person to reasonably believe that the animal will
attack and cause bodily injury to a human being.
- A dog that is owned or kept for fighting, or one which is
trained for fighting.
- A "dangerous animal" does not include an animal that
attacks a person who is trespassing or who appears to be
trespassing.
Why do dogs attack?
Dogs attack humans for a variety of reasons including fear,
protection of territory or to show dominance. While a person who
provokes a dog may not be not eligible for compensation under the law,
children of a certain age may be determined to be incapable of
provocation. U.S. hospitals report that the most frequent target of
a dog attack is the face, and that other injuries include abrasions,
lacerations, crushing and puncture wounds, and fractured bones. Many
animal bite wounds become infected or result in disfiguring scars
which require reconstructive plastic surgery. The psychological
impact of a dog or vicious animal bite can be severe and
long-lasting, and may require treatment by a psychologist or
psychiatrist.
Some injuries caused by dogs are not bite-related. People can be
hurt when they are jumped on, chased or knocked to the ground by
aggressive animals, and concussions, bone fractures and soft tissue
injuries frequently result.
The attorneys of the Joe Griffith Law Firm, LLC can help you
understand your rights so that if you or a loved one is attacked by
a dog or other vicious animal, any insurance settlement offer should
provide you with the maximum compensation available. We will prepare a comprehensive, compelling case for your right to
receive compensation. We will investigate the facts, assess your
claim, determine which parties and insurance companies are to be
held responsible, organize all of the details of your case and
pursue it vigorously in settlement negotiations or at trial.
You can reach us at 843-CALL-JOE (843-225-5563), or contact us via
our online form.
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