Who is Responsible for Dog Bite Injuries if the Owner is Not There?
If you have been bitten by a dog in Greenville, South Carolina and are suffering from severe dog bite injuries, you should contact an experienced lawyer at Fulton & Barr today to review your case and determine whether or not you are eligible for compensation.
If you have suffered a dog bite injury in Greenville, South Carolina, you may be eligible to seek compensation for your injury. If the owner of the dog who bit you has dog bite liability, you will need to speak to a qualified lawyer who can help you get the claim you deserve while ensuring that the owner pays for any damages. This is why it is important to contact a qualified personal injury lawyer in Greenville, South Carolina who can review your case.
What Are South Carolina’s Dog Bite Laws?
Dog bite injuries can be painful, traumatizing, and sometimes even fatal. This is why you should seek help from a personal injury lawyer if you live in Greenville, South Carolina, as dog bite laws in South Carolina differ from most states.
Most states have a one bite policy, which means that a dog owner will not be held liable for damages if the dog has not exhibited aggressive behavior in the past. This law generally rules in favor of dog owners and not victims.
South Carolina law, however, does not carry the one bite policy. This means that if a person in Greenville, South Carolina suffers dog bite injuries, the dog’s owner will be held liable regardless of the dog’s prior behavior.
Suffering from dog bite injuries? Let Fulton & Barr help you seek fair compensation.
South Carolina dog bite statute carries a “strict liability” law surrounding dog bite injuries. This law holds the owner or the person caring for the dog accountable for the bite. If this happens, the victim has every legal right to sue the dog’s owner and hold them liable for injuries and damages incurred from the dog bite injuries. If the bite occurred on an owner’s property and this homeowner has dog bite liability on their home insurance, their insurance will cover your damages. If the claim exceeds the amount that the insurance covers, the owner is responsible to pay for any amount left over.
There are instances in which a victim in Greenville, South Carolina may be held responsible for a dog bite. These instances include when a person is trespassing or when the victim has provoked the dog.
What is Dog Bite Liability?
Most homeowner’s or renter’s insurance covers dog bite expenses in the event that a person’s dog attacks or injures another person on the property. This dog bite liability covers damages a victim may seek from their dog bite injuries. The owner of the dog is held liable for any amounts exceeding the limits of the dog bite liability insurance claim.
What if the Owner Wasn’t There at the Time of the Attack?
In Greenville, South Carolina, the owner of a dog who has bitten a victim is held legally responsible regardless of the dog’s past. This includes dog bites which occur on another person’s property or if the dog owner isn’t present. South Carolina’s dog bite statute states that a victim can legally seek compensation and hold the owner responsible under the following circumstances:
- The injuries resulted from a bite or other form of attack by a dog
- The attack occurred in a public place or a place where the victim was lawfully allowed
- The victim did not provoke the dog
The only situations in which a victim is held responsible for the dog bite is when they have provoked a dog or when they are trespassing on private property.
Contact a Dog Bite Lawyer in Greenville, South Carolina Today to Discuss Your Dog Bite Injuries
If you have been bitten by a dog in Greenville, South Carolina, contact a lawyer at Fulton & Barr today to discuss your options. Whether the owner of the dog has dog bite liability or not, you are entitled to compensation for both economic and non-economic damages after being bitten or attacked by a dog.
Speak to our qualified lawyers today to discuss your options and get the compensation you are legally entitled to for your dog bite injuries. In the event that your dog bite injury is covered by dog bite liability on the homeowner’s or renter’s insurance, our lawyers will handle the claim and make the process a smooth and easy one for you.