Dog owners have a responsibility towards others to ensure that their pets do not attack or otherwise harm them. Sadly, many dog owners fail to take the steps and precautions needed to prevent dog bites and attacks. As a result, dog bites cause hundreds of thousands of serious injuries each year in the United States. A Columbia dog bite lawyer from Goings Law Firm, LLC can help you get compensation for your injuries.
At Goings Law Firm, LLC, our team understands the pain and suffering those in Columbia and throughout South Carolina who have been the victim of a dog bite or other dog attack victims go through. Fortunately, to ensure that the victims of dog bites and other attacks are not left to deal with the effects of their injuries by themselves, personal injury laws allow victims in these circumstances to seek compensation from the negligent owner for their undue suffering and losses.
South Carolina Dog Bite Law
Some states allow for a “one free bite” scenario. In those states, the dog owner or keeper is not liable for the dog’s attack if it was the first attack and the dog hadn’t otherwise shown any signs of aggressiveness. Fortunately, South Carolina dog bite and animal laws do not excuse a dog’s first bite or attack. South Carolina’s laws provide greater protection for dog bite victims. S. C. Section 47-3-110 provides “strict liability” against any dog owner or caretaker for injuries sustained by dog attacks. In other words, whether a dog attacks a person in a public or private place, such as the dog owner’s home or yard, the dog owner is liable for any injuries.
Also, a person who is caring for or keeping the dog, even if not the owner, can be liable for any injuries if the dog attacks a person. The only exception to this “strict liability” statute is if the victim provokes the dog into attacking. This defense is similar to contributory negligence in other types of cases. Another defense is that the victim is often unlawfully on the property or a trespasser. Contact a Columbia dog bite attorney to know more about South Carolina’s dog bite laws.
Consequences of Dog Bites
Dog bites can cause victims to suffer a range of different injuries and harm. Some of the most common dog bite injuries are outlined below.
Lacerations
A dog attack can have serious consequences. Not only will dog bite claim you have to deal with the possibility of contracting rabies, but you may end up hospitalized because of your injuries. Lacerations caused by dog bites can have serious consequences, including:
- Severe Bleeding
- Bacterial Infection
- Disfigurement
- Loss of Muscle Function
- Scarring
- Psychological Trauma
These dog bite laceration injuries can be expensive and may require surgery or extensive rehabilitation. As the victim of a serious dog bite victim or attack, you should not have to shoulder the burden of paying for these treatments.
Puncture Wounds
While dog bites may seem like minor injuries to anyone who hasn’t experienced one, there is a reason why a significant number of trips to the emergency room are attributed to being attacked by a dog. Whether the dog is large or the dog bite lawyer is small, the strength of a canine’s bite, combined with the transfer of bacteria from the dog’s mouth to an open wound, can result in severe wounds and infections for the victim of an attack. Unfortunately, puncture wounds from a dog’s teeth are a prime way for harmful bacteria to travel into the skin.
Nerve Damage
Depending on the severity and circumstances of your dog bite incident, there are various types of nerve damage you can suffer from, including:
- Neurapraxia: The least serious kind of nerve damage, which can cause a temporary loss of function.
- Axonotmesis: This occurs when a nerve is stretched, potentially causing paralysis. It is more serious than neurapraxia and may take a lot longer to heal.
- Neurotmesis: This occurs when there is permanent damage to the nerve.
Regardless of the severity of the animal attack, your nerve damage, or how long the recovery time is expected to be, you can still recover compensation for your injuries from the owner of the dog.
Psychological and Emotional Trauma
Although there can be very serious physical damage resulting from a dog bite, there can also be emotional or psychological damage. Even a dog bite claims even though you cannot see it, it can affect people very seriously. Some examples include:
- Anxiety: After being a victim of a dog attack, a person can experience anxiety thinking about the incident. Even just returning to the place where it happened can be very stress-inducing for victims. Anxiety causes symptoms like cold and clammy hands and feet, sleep problems, panic, fear, rapid heart rate, nausea, loss of appetite, or overeating.
- Nightmares: A victim may begin having vivid and terrifying dreams of the attack. Having to relive this while one sleeps can result in insomnia, loss of appetite, lower immune system, or depression.
- Fear of dogs: After a victim has been through a traumatic experience with a dog, they often develop a fear of dogs. In extreme cases, victims may be unable to be in the same room with a dog anymore. Since there are so many dogs everywhere, this can lead the victim to have anxiety when they see one.
- Agoraphobia: Because of the increased anxiety towards dogs, victims can also develop a fear of leaving their house. If a person is scared of seeing a dog, they may never want to leave their house. This can completely prevent a person from leading an everyday life.
The emotional effects of a dog bite can be extremely debilitating, especially for children whose brains are still developing.
These potential consequences of a dog bite attack cannot and should not be considered acceptable. The owners of these animals need to be held accountable when they fail to ensure the safety of others.
Speak with a Dog Bite Lawyer in Columbia, South Carolina
Many dog bites and attacks are preventable. Regrettably, the negligence of dog owners all too often allows innocent people to suffer extreme harm when a dog attacks. If you have been the victim of a dog bite or attack, call (803) 350-9230. A Columbia dog bite lawyer from Goings Law Firm, LLC strives to help victims of dog bites to get the justice, medical attention and financial compensation they deserve. We may be able to help you. Our team of lawyers can help you with our years of experience taking on dog bite claims.
