South Carolina Attorneys Explain Your Rights When Attacked by a Dog or Animal in South Carolina

Legal advocates when you or your loved one is attacked

Dog bites are the most common form of domestic animal attack visitors to premises other than their own suffer. Cats, birds and other domestic pets can also bite, scratch, or claw causing severe physical harm. Many attacks happen while someone is visiting a friend or a neighbor. Some animal attacks happen when the animal wanders off the property or the owner is taking the pet for a walk. Animal attacks can be extremely dangerous because the animal may know no boundaries. The bite or attack can cause severe harm and a lifetime fear of animals.

The lawyers at McGowan, Hood, Felder & Phillips, LLC, have a long history of successfully representing the victims of animal attacks. A South Carolina dog and animal attack lawyer understands the current premises liability law that often holds the owner of the pet or the home liable for the attack. We have the experience to appreciate that while some states hold that animals need to have bitten somebody else beforehand, that is not the case in South Carolina. Dog owners can be held liable even if the dog never exhibited any violent tendencies before. We also explain to our clients that damages are usually paid by the animal owner’s homeowners insurance.

The grim statistics

Dogs are the leading cause of animal attacks across the U.S. Statistics from Dog Bite Research show dangerous dog attacks can be, especially attacks on children.

Dog bite attacks on adults and children

• Each years, about 4.7 million dog bites occur
• 800,000 of these yearly dog bites require medical attention

Dog bites and children

• Children under 12 years of age are involved in 50% of dog attacks
• Children under 15 years of age are treated in 82% of emergency room dog bite cases
• Children under 10 years of age suffer 70% of the dog-bite fatalities
• Children between 5 and 9 have a dramatically higher number of dog bites than other age groups.