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What Are My Rights if I'm Attacked by an Animal in SC?

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In 2016, when a two-year-old boy was killed by an alligator in a lagoon at a Walt Disney World property in Orlando, Florida, the entire country took notice. And while the attack was tragic and thousands of parents may have thought twice about vacationing in Florida after that, the event was actually very rare.

Among adults and children in the United States, very few are attacked by alligators, bears, and mountain lions. According to Dr. Joseph Forrester, a surgeon at Stanford University, who is one of the authors of a study that took a close look at which creatures were responsible for fatal attacks on people, and the results were unexpected.

"The most common animal-related fatalities are from large mammals, like cattle or horses, but when you're looking at attacks from wild animals only, the most common cause of death are due to venomous animals, like wasps or bees," said Dr. Forrester.

Between 1999 and 2014, over 900 people in the United States died from hornets, bees, or wasps, reported the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Meanwhile, 486 people died from dog attacks and 1,163 people died from attacks by other mammals, such as cows or horses. About 4.5 million dog bites occur each year,” CNN reported.

Animal Attacks in Columbia, SC

In South Carolina and throughout the nation, by far the majority of animal attacks involve dogs, especially dogs who were neglected, abused, or not properly socialized by their humans. Liability for dog attacks is covered under Section 47-3-110 of the South Carolina Code of Laws.

Under Sec. 43-3-110(A) it states that if a person is bitten or attacked by a dog while he or she is in public or lawfully in a private place, including the dog owner’s property, the dog owner or the person caring for the dog is liable for the damages suffered by the person who was bitten or attacked by the dog.

South Carolina has a “strict liability” law for dog bites and attacks, which means dog owners are responsible for the injuries their dogs cause, regardless if they had no way of knowing that their pet would bite.

To file a dog bite claim in South Carolina, contact the Law Office of James R. Snell, Jr. to schedule a consultation.

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