skip to Main Content

DOG BITE AND DOG ASSAULT ATTORNEYS IN SOUTH CAROLINA

Dogs bite, that is just a fact of life. But dog attacks are not a childhood rite of passage.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 4.5 million Americans of all ages are bitten by dogs.  Of those 4.5 million bite victims, approximately 885,000 of those will need medical assistance – at least half of those being kids.  In a single recent year, over 27,000 individuals got reconstructive surgery due to being attacked by a dog.

Pet owners have a duty for his or her animals when somebody is attacked by them and for the damage they cause. The Jeffcoat Firm personal injury lawyers can help you recover damages for additional medical bills and additional lost funds related to a severe bite, attack, or mauling in South Carolina.

INJURIES AND OTHER LOSSES IN DOG ATTACKS

South Carolina’s dog bite legislation is clear-cut: If you were injured or otherwise attacked by a dog while you are in a public space or legitimately in a place that is private, the owner of the dog or person handling the dog is responsible for deficits and the harms to you. 

The legislation doesn’t count if your dog is an experienced law-enforcement dog or if the person who was injured had first harassed or induced your dog.

Otherwise, damages may be obtained by a dog bite victim from a dog owner for deficits like:

  • Health-related expenses
  • Property-damage (torn clothes, damaged watch, jewelry, glasses, etc.)
  • Restitution for lost wages
  • Pain and suffering

It’s not unimportant to consider seeking damages for a dog bite injury. Frequent injuries that happen in dog attacks as reported by the CDC include:

  • Puncture wounds
  • Lacerations and abrasions (wounds and scrapes)
  • Avulsion (ripping)
  • Dislocations
  • Breaks
  • Amputations
  • Mashing (brain and cranial injuries)

The CDC also states that traumas happen mostly to the head or throat, hands or arm, and leg or feet. Hospital care, surgery and bodily rehab treatment may be required for serious harms.

Additionally, the jolt of a canine attack and the ensuing harms may possibly trigger emotional injury, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Some dog bite victims require counseling in the aftermath of a mauling.

Children and the elderly are risk the most which is a troubling part of dog attacks.  Often times this is due to their inability to escape the situation or adequately defend themselves.  The overall head and neck injury rate was greatest for kids five to nine years of age.

RESTITUTION FOR A DOG BITE CLAIM

What a lot of people don’t understand is the dog owner’s homeowners’ insurance policy will be the ones paying the actual restitution to the victim. According to the Insurance Information Institute, more than 1/3 of all homeowners insurance policy money paid out annually for dog attacks.

Regardless of whether the dog owner is a relative, friend or neighbor, you should still continue to seek restitution through their homeowner’s insurance policy.

In the instance where a victim is someone hired to do work on the property, such as a postal employee or a sanitation worker, they can actually be eligible for restitution under a worker’s compensation claim in addition to the homeowner’s insurance policy, should they be bitten by the homeowner’s dog.

The attorneys at The Jeffcoat Firm may completely investigate your dog bite suit to determine your losses and further decide what restitution you deserve for your injuries. From there they can assist you with recover the aforementioned restitution from the dog owner’s insurance company or workers’ compensation.

CONTACT OUR SOUTH CAROLINA DOG BITE LAWYERS

Our skilled South Carolina personal injury attorneys can help you return to the life you enjoyed before the incident, in the event you or a loved one was harmed as the result of a dog bite, attack, or mauling. We can help you obtain compensation for medical bills and other losses, including your pain and suffering.

Call The Jeffcoat Firm now or use our online contact form for a free review of your case today.

Contact Us Today!

FREE CASE EVALUATION:

It's free to speak with us about your case, and if you hire us, we don't get paid unless we win.

[wpforms id="172" title="false" description="false"]

Awards & Associations

Our Locations

The Jeffcoat Firm Injury & Accident Lawyers

1333 Main St #510,
Columbia, SC 29201

(803) 373-1668

The Jeffcoat Firm Injury & Accident Lawyers

5465 Sunset Blvd Suite B,
Lexington, SC 29072

(803) 373-1302

The Jeffcoat Firm Injury & Accident Lawyers

161 Elliott St SE Suite B,
Orangeburg, SC 29115

(803) 373-7593

The Jeffcoat Firm Injury & Accident Lawyers

749-2 University Village Dr,
Blythewood, SC 29016

(803) 592-6553

! NOTICE ! No Legal Advice Intended. This website includes general information about legal issues and developments in the law. Such materials are for informational purposes only and may not reflect the most current legal developments. These informational materials are not intended, and must not be taken, as legal advice on any particular set of facts or circumstances. You need to contact a lawyer licensed in your jurisdiction for advice on specific legal issues or problems.

Files are primarily handled in our main office in Columbia.

Back To Top
Loading...