Dog Bite Accident Lawyer in Beaufort, South Carolina

The American Veterinary Medical Association reports that over 4.5 million people across the U.S. get bitten by dogs annually, with over 800,000 dog bite victims seeking medical attention for their injuries. When you’ve suffered physical or emotional trauma due to a dog bite or attack, you may seek financial compensation for your injuries. Contact Stewart Law Offices Beaufort personal injury lawyers for a free consultation to learn how we can help you seek fair compensation.

How a Beaufort Dog Bite Lawyer Can Help After an Attack

After getting injured by someone else’s dog, relying on experienced legal counsel can provide you the time and space to focus on your physical and emotional recovery. A dog bite attorney in Beaufort, SC from Stewart Law Offices can help you recover from injuries and losses suffered from a dog attack by:

Offering a free initial consultation, including meeting with you at home or in the hospital if more convenient for you
Promptly investigating the dog bite incident to secure available evidence to support your claim and determine how we can help you seek compensation
Documenting your injuries and calculating your ongoing and future losses
Identifying potentially liable parties and sources of compensation, such as insurance coverage
Keeping you updated on the progress of your claim so you know what to expect at each stage of your case
Vigorously pursuing the full compensation you need for your recovery

Our firm has a proven track record of recovering the compensation our clients need to put their lives back together after a traumatic dog attack. Some of our notable results in dog bite cases include:*

$232,000 recovered for a dog bite victim
$200,000 recovered for a client who suffered a broken leg after someone’s dog attacked them and knocked them down

For over 25 years, our law firm has worked tirelessly to recover millions of dollars for injured clients. We treat every client who walks through our doors with the compassion and respect they need during a difficult time. Our legal team has the knowledge, experience, and resources to handle the most challenging cases through trial and verdict. We fight hard to maximize your financial recovery. Our dog bite attorneys strive to take the stress of the legal process off your shoulders, including by accepting cases on a contingency fee basis. We charge no fees unless we recover compensation for you.*

South Carolina Dog Bite Laws

South Carolina law typically imposes strict liability for injuries caused by a dog bite or attack. A dog owner can be held liable for injuries inflicted by their dog upon another person when that person was in public or lawfully in a private place (including the dog owner’s property), and the injured person did not provoke the dog into biting or attacking.

Strict liability means an injured dog attack victim does not need to prove that the dog’s owner knew about their dog’s aggressive or vicious tendencies (such as through prior incidents of the dog attacking or biting people or animals) or that the dog owner’s negligent handling of their animal facilitated the attack.

Dog owners may have several potential defenses to a dog bite claim, such as:

Provocation – South Carolina’s dog bite laws only impose liability if an injured victim did not provoke the dog into attacking. Provocation may take the form of teasing, harassing, chasing, or abusing a dog.
Trespassing – The law only imposes liability for dog bite injuries when an injured victim was in public or lawfully on private property. A dog owner may not be legally responsible for physical injuries their dog inflicts on someone trespassing on the owner’s property. However, certain workers, such as mail carriers or meter readers, have lawful authority to enter private property and can pursue a dog bite injury claim if someone’s dog attacks them.

Even when these defenses apply, seeking compensation for your injuries may still be possible if you can show the dog owner was negligent. An experienced dog bite lawyer can review your case and explain your legal options.

Owners of dangerous dogs in South Carolina may face additional consequences if an incident occurs. Authorities may deem a dog “dangerous” when it threatens or attacks someone. After their animal receives a dangerous dog designation, an owner must confine their dog to their property and may only take the dog off the property while securely restrained. An owner of a dangerous dog who fails to follow the safety rules may face criminal prosecution if their dog injures another person or animal.

Who Can Be Held Responsible for a Dog Bite?

In most cases, a dog bite case is against the dog owner. However, other parties may also bear responsibility for your dog bite injury in certain circumstances. For example, a dog walker or sitter who negligently failed to control a dog on a leash may also be responsible for injuries you suffer from a bite or attack.

People who get bitten by a dog owned by a family member, friend, or neighbor may be hesitant to pursue compensation from someone they have a close relationship with, as they may be worried that asserting a dog bite claim could jeopardize that relationship. Fortunately, compensation for many personal injury cases arising from dog bites or attacks comes from the dog owner’s insurance coverage as a homeowner or renter, as many insurance policies provide coverage for liability arising from dog bites or attacks.

Compensation Dog Bite Victims Can Recover

When you’ve sustained serious injuries in a dog bite or attack, you may have the right to pursue compensation for ongoing and future financial or personal losses you incur due to your injuries. Recoverable damages available in a dog bite case may include economic and non-economic damages to compensate you for:

Medical treatment and rehabilitation expenses
Costs of long-term care or support services if you sustain severe prolonged or permanent disabilities
Lost income for the time you take off work during your recovery
Lost future earning capacity if you become permanently disabled
Pain and suffering
Reduced quality of life caused by physical disabilities or permanent, visible scarring, and disfigurement

Our experienced dog bite lawyers can review your personal injury claim to determine the damages you may be entitled to.

Contact Our Beaufort Dog Bite Attorney for Help Today

After someone else’s dog bites or attacks you, get the legal representation you need to demand financial relief for your medical bills and lost wages. Contact Stewart Law Offices today for a free, no-obligation consultation with an experienced dog bite attorney to discuss your options for pursuing compensation and justice from the dog owner.