Dog Bite Lawyer Frank Hartman Fights for Full Compensation
Every year, approximately four million people are attacked and bitten by dogs. Nearly a quarter of them will need some type of medical treatment for their injuries.
South Carolina law allows you to receive compensation when a dog has bitten or injured you or a loved one. Even though the law is clear, the insurance companies may still try to avoid their obligation to fully pay you for your injuries.
North Charleston dog bite attorney Frank Hartman fights to make insurers keep their promise. The Hartman Law Firm, LLC will go to bat for you if someone else’s animal has injured you. Call us if you or a loved one was injured in a dog attack.
Injuries and Complications from Dog Bites
Dog bites can bruise and puncture the skin, and larger breeds of dogs can do much worse.
Among adults and children, the most obvious complication of a dog bite injury is scarring. You could be left with prominent scars in a visible part of your body that permanently change your appearance. Not only can this cause social embarrassment, but it can also affect other aspects of your life, like your career.
Infection is one of the most serious risks of a dog bite injury. Roughly 20% of dog bites become infected, and the risk of infection begins several hours after the dog has bitten you. Serious infections could result in sepsis or septic shock. You must get any infection treated immediately.
Depending on where the bite occurred, you may be left with a permanent loss of function in the area. For example, the dog may have bitten you on the arm, causing you permanent nerve damage. This injury may restrict your movement and ability to use your arm.
Each personal injury requires a careful treatment plan. We tell every potential dog bite client to stick to their doctor’s medical advice.
How Frank Can Help You
In many cases, the real fight comes down to whether you get enough compensation for your dog bite injuries. The insurance company will try to settle your case for far less than you deserve. Frank knows that even when liability may not be in question, you still need to fight.
To wage the most effective battle against the insurance company, contact an attorney right away to handle your case. As an experienced dog bite injury lawyer, Frank can do the following for your case:
- Help prove that the dog at issue was the one who attacked you
- Defend you from any wrongful allegations that you may have been responsible for being attacked
- Quantify the amount of damages that you have suffered
- File an insurance claim or a lawsuit against the dog’s owner on your behalf
- Negotiate a dog bite injury settlement with the insurance company
- Try your case in court if we cannot reach a settlement agreement together
Success Stories from Our Clients
Compensation for a Dog Bite Injury
Your compensation for a dog bite injury can be more substantial than you think. The dog’s owner has the legal requirement to pay for all the damages that their animal caused you. Dogs are covered under a homeowners insurance policy, and you are dealing with the dog owner’s insurance company.
The compensation can be substantial, especially when a child was the one injured by the dog.
Children must live with the effects of a vicious dog attack for the rest of their lives. They may suffer extreme emotional distress and post-traumatic stress disorder that can change the rest of their life.
You owe it to your child to fight for every dollar that they deserve, and the first thing that you can do is hire a dog bite lawyer to handle your case from start to finish. Let us focus on you so you can focus on recovery.
South Carolina Dog Bite Law
As a dog bite lawyer, Frank finds that South Carolina law is typically friendly to dog attack victims.
However, proving liability is only part of your case. You must fight for all the damages you deserve when the insurance company is trying to keep you from getting them.
Like many states, South Carolina uses the law of strict liability for dog bites. Strict liability does not mean that the dog’s owner is responsible in every single case. What it does mean is that, when a dog has bitten you, the burden shifts to the dog’s owner to give a reason why they do not owe you money.
Typically, the dog’s owner may claim that you provoke the dog, although that is a difficult defense for them to use. In practical terms, you would almost always receive compensation when a dog has bitten you.
The law says it also does not matter whether you are bitten by the dog. South Carolina law imposes strict liability for all injuries that you suffer from a dog attack. If a dog charges at you, and you are knocked over and hurt, the owner would be liable for any injuries you have suffered.
Contact Our North Charleston Dog Bite Lawyer Today
Frank knows what his clients go through when they get the runaround from the insurance company. He has been representing injured Charlestonians for years, and he takes the time to listen to each of their stories so he can effectively fight for them.
If a dog has injured you, call Frank to discuss your case and learn of the legal options you have to seek financial compensation. To schedule a free case review with our Charleston personal injury law firm, you can message us through our website or call 843.300.7600 today.
Dog Bite Injuries Attorney FAQs
The very first thing you should do after a dog bite is seek medical attention. Dog bites have a high rate of infection, which can cause serious complications. And, there may be damage to muscle tissue nerves, or tendons that isn’t visible to you. There is also the risk of infectious disease with a dog bite, including the possibility of rabies exposure. Depending on the timing of your last booster and the depth of your wound, you may also need a tetanus shot.
Depending on the circumstances of the bite, you may also have to report the injury. And, if the injury is serious, you should consult an experienced North Charleston dog bite attorney.
In South Carolina, dog bites must be reported to the Department of Public Health (DPH). If you seek medical care for the bite, your doctor will make this report. However, you are still encouraged to file your own report. If you do not seek medical attention or the victim of the dog bite was your pet, you can use this form to report it, call your regional DPH office, or contact your local animal control.
In South Carolina, a dog’s owner is responsible for bite injuries in most situations. That’s true even if the owner wasn’t negligent and had no reason to expect the dog might bite. Generally, the owner is responsible if the bite happened in a public place, or on private property as long as the victim was there legally. There are a few exceptions, though, such as if the dog bite victim was provoking the animal.
This liability also applies to someone other than the owner who has the dog in their care. Your personal injury lawyer can help identify all possible responsible parties.
Some states take a “one free pass” approach to dog bites, meaning that the owner won’t automatically be liable for an unexpected bite if the dog has never bitten before. However, South Carolina does not. An animal’s owner is responsible for ensuring that it doesn’t injure anyone, and is liable (with few exceptions) for damages if it does.
Typically, a dog owner is responsible for bites that occur on someone else’s property as long as the person bitten was on the property legally. So, for example, a dog owner would typically be liable if their dog bit a social guest in their home, a repair person, or even a delivery person walking onto the porch unexpectedly.
The same would be true if the dog’s owner brought the dog to someone else’s home and the dog bit somebody, or if the dog got loose from the back yard and bit a child who was visiting a neighbor.
However, a dog’s owner typically will not be strictly liable for a bite that occurs when someone is unlawfully on the property.
The compensation available in a dog bite case or any type of injury case will depend on the actual damages suffered. Some common examples include the costs of medical treatment, lost income during treatment and recovery, lost future earnings if the injury is permanent, and compensation for pain and suffering and loss of quality of life. In a dog bite case, the last category often includes scarring.
Since South Carolina law makes a dog’s owner strictly liable for bites, simple negligence on your part won’t overcome that liability. The owner can typically avoid strict liability only if you provoked the dog or were on the premises illegally.
In negligence cases, like car accident cases, an injured person who was partly responsible can only collect part of their damages, but that is not true in a strict liability case.
Yes, South Carolina homeowners’ insurance typically covers dog bite liability. In fact, a homeowners’ insurance policy may cover liability for a dog bite even if the bite occurs away from the home. However, some insurance carriers exclude coverage for certain dog breeds believed to be more dangerous, such as Pit Bulls, Rottweilers and German Shepherds. Renters’ insurance may also cover dog bite liability.
Your North Charleston dog bite attorney can verify insurance coverage and the amount of coverage available.
It is generally a bad idea to talk to the insurance company after a dog bite injury or any other type of injury where someone else is at fault. While you may be able to resolve a small claim on your own, it’s best to consult a dog bite lawyer before speaking with an insurance company if you are seriously injured or don’t yet know the extent of your injuries.
Insurance companies profit by minimizing the amount of money they have to pay out to injury victims and others with claims, or even avoiding payment altogether. While they may sound helpful and concerned, their job is to cut down the amount of compensation you receive. That means you can’t rely on information they provide. An experienced North Charleston dog bite attorney will know and be prepared for the tactics insurance companies use, and can handle those interactions for you.
The South Carolina statute of limitations generally allows three years to file a lawsuit for a dog bite injury. It’s best not to delay talking to a dog bite lawyer, though. The sooner you speak with an injury attorney, the better prepared you will be to protect your claim. Getting an early start also gives your attorney the best opportunity to gather evidence and speak to witnesses while physical evidence is available and witness memories are fresh.