Dog Bites and Attacks

A nice run, bike ride or walk around the block can turn into a debilitating, sometimes even tragic event, when a dog bites or attacks. However, there is something you can do to assist with unexpected medical bills, emotional trauma, and permanent scarring.

If you are a victim of a dog bite or attack, Trammell Law Firm can help you determine which legal options are right for you.

The “dog-bite” law in South Carolina is clear. It states:
Whenever any 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 property of the owner of the dog or other person having the dog in his care or keeping, the owner of the dog or other person having the dog in his care or keeping is liable for the damages suffered by the person bitten or otherwise attacked. For the purposes of this section, a person bitten or otherwise attacked is lawfully in a private place, including the property of the owner of the dog or other person having the dog in his care or keeping, when the person bitten or otherwise attacked is on the property in the performance of any duty imposed upon him by the laws of this State, by the ordinances of any political subdivision of this State, by the laws of the United States of America, including, but not limited to, postal regulations, or when the person bitten or otherwise attacked is on the property upon the invitation, express or implied, of the owner of the property or of any lawful tenant or resident of the property. If a person provokes a dog into attacking him then the owner of the dog is not liable. (Section 47-3-110. Liability of owner or person having dog in his care or keeping.)

For more information on dog bite cases and questions, please see the links to articles we have written on the subject matter:

• Dogs Bite, Owners Pay: South Carolina Dog Bite Law
• South Carolina Dog Bite Law: Landlords and Common Areas