Greenville Dog Bite Lawyer

While everyone has the right to own and enjoy their dog, you also are not required to bear the physical costs when it bites and attacks you. Agitated animals often attack adults and small children, with over four million dog bite incidents occurring nationally each year.

South Carolina law makes dog owners liable when their animal bites someone, and that person may be entitled to significant financial compensation. Even if liability is not really in question, the amount of your compensation is. Contact us at Jordan Law Center to learn more from a Greenville dog bite lawyer about how you can get full compensation for injuries from a dog attack. Begin the legal process today.

South Carolina Dog Bite Laws

When it comes to liability for dog bites, South Carolina is not a state that makes you prove any type of negligence or fault for what happened. All you have to do is prove that the dog bite happened. This would create a presumption that the dog’s owner would be liable to pay you damages. The burden would then shift to the dog’s owner to prove a reason why they should not be liable (such as that you provoked the dog).

This dog bite law in South Carolina is known as strict liability, and it works in your favor when you have been bitten by a dog. There are very few ways that the dog’s owner can escape liability, although the insurance company may try to do so on their behalf.

Injuries and Complications from a Dog Bite Attack

The most obvious injuries are when a dog bite breaks and punctures your skin. Then, you may be dealing with scarring and disfigurement for the rest of your life. The risks are even worse for small children, who are bitten on their face and neck.

When dog bites break the skin, they can cause damage to your nerves. Some serious dog bites could even cause you to lose some use and function of a body part when there is serious nerve damage.

One of the major complications of a dog bite attack is when you develop an infection in your body and blood. Dog saliva is anything but clean and sanitary. There are over 400 different types of bacteria in a dog’s saliva. Dog bites can lead to staph and strep infections. Symptoms can even set in within a few hours after the dog bite.

What to Do if You Are Bitten By a Dog

The first, and most immediate, thing that you need to do is seek medical attention. You should be especially vigilant when the dog’s bite has punctured the skin, in light of the risks of infection.

Consider going to urgent care to get antibiotic ointment and other necessary short-term treatment.

Depending on the extent of the injury, you may also consider seeing a plastic surgeon. Severe dog bite injuries may require reconstructive surgery.

Then, you should also contact an experienced dog bite attorney. The insurance company may be trying to rush you into accepting a lowball settlement, or they may give you the runaround if you are trying to deal with them on your own.

A dog bite lawyer at our firm will stand up for your legal right to full compensation for all injuries that you have suffered. They would put pressure on the insurance company to make you a reasonable settlement offer to resolve your case. Otherwise, they could give you a credible threat of litigation if the insurance company does not pay.

Compensation in a Dog Bite Case

While it may not be tough to prove liability for a dog bite, getting adequate compensation is a different story. State Farm publishes an annual survey of dog bite compensation, and it shows that the average compensation for a dog bite claim has now surpassed $60,000.

Now, take the data that you have and disregard it. Know that your dog bite compensation depends on your unique injuries.

You (or your child) could have been injured far more seriously than the average person, and you could end up with much more compensation than this.

In a dog bite case, you have the ability to be compensated for the following:

• Medical costs
• Lost wages
• Pain and suffering
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Scarring and disfigurement
• Embarrassment and humiliation
• Emotional distress

Your claim depends on your situation and the type of settlement that you can negotiate with the insurance company.

After a Dog Attack, Jordan Law Center Can Help

The main reason why you need a lawyer in a dog bite case is to maximize your compensation.

First, the dog’s owner may try to defend themselves by blaming you. You need a lawyer to defend your own actions. Second, you need an attorney to help you deal with the insurance company.

There are always stories of how the insurance company manages to settle claims for pennies on the dollar for what they are really worth. This only happens when claimants do not have a lawyer.

The main things that we do in a dog bite case are:

• Study your situation to know how much your case is worth
• Deal with the insurance company or take your case to court to get you what you deserve

While your lawyer’s services are not free, an attorney more than justifies their cost by getting you more than you otherwise would have when you proceeded on your own.

Contact a Greenville Dog Bite Injury Lawyer Today

Jordan Law Center stands up to insurance companies on behalf of our injured clients because that is what you need to get a full settlement check. Insurance companies do not respond when asked alone. You need an experienced injury attorney who they know will hold them to account.

The first thing that you need to do is call a lawyer to prepare your case. You can send us a message through our website, or you can call us today at 864-808-1810 to schedule your free initial consultation with our dog bite attorneys.