Dog Bite Lawyer Information in Greenville, SC

Dog bites and attacks can cause serious wounds, infection risk, and lasting injury. South Carolina has a specific statute on civil liability for many of these incidents. The statute has exceptions. This page quotes the official rule in general terms; it is not a prediction about any particular dog or owner.

South Carolina’s dog-attack statute

S.C. Code Ann. § 47-3-110(A) provides that if a person is bitten or otherwise attacked by a dog while the person is in a public place or is lawfully in a private place, including the property of the dog owner or the person having the dog in that person’s care or keeping, the dog owner or the person having the dog in their care or keeping is liable for the damages suffered by the person bitten or otherwise attacked.

The same subsection explains when a person is “lawfully” in a private place, including when the person is on the property in the performance of a duty imposed by law (the statute mentions postal regulations as an example) or is on the property upon the invitation, express or implied, of the property owner or a lawful tenant or resident.

Section 47-3-110(B) says the section does not apply if, at the time of the bite or attack, the person who was attacked provoked or harassed the dog and that provocation was the proximate cause of the attack, or if the dog was working in a law-enforcement capacity and other listed conditions about training, policy, and use of force are met, including that the attack or bite does not occur on a third-party bystander.

Reporting and medical care

Bite wounds should be evaluated by a medical professional. Local animal-care and public-health rules can also matter, including rabies questions. Greenville County Animal Care is listed, with its official address and phone number, on the resources page. This website does not take animal-control reports.

Time limits

Under S.C. Code Ann. § 15-3-530(5), many actions for injury to the person must be commenced within three years. S.C. Code Ann. § 15-3-535 provides that, except for actions under § 15-3-545, those actions must be commenced within three years after the person knew, or by the exercise of reasonable diligence should have known, that they had a cause of action. Other rules can apply, including different periods for medical malpractice, wrongful death, and workers’ compensation. Only a licensed attorney who reviews your facts can assess a deadline that applies to you. Sending a form on this website does not extend or satisfy a filing deadline.