What to Do After a Dog Bite in Mount Pleasant
Medical care comes first. Someone close to you can handle the rest.
- Get safe, then get care. Put distance between you and the dog first. Deep wounds, heavy bleeding, bites to the face or hands and possible rabies exposure need urgent care, so call 911 or go to the ER. Stay with the wound checks, plastic surgery consults and any rabies shots.
- Identify the owner. Get the owner's name, address and phone number, and ask whether the dog's shots are current and for proof.
- Report the bite. Contact animal control or the right public health office, give them what you know about the dog and owner, ask about rabies records and any observation steps, and keep a copy of the report.
- Take photos. Photograph the wound right away and every few days as it heals, plus torn clothing, the spot it happened and the dog if that's safe.
- Find witnesses. Neighbors, walkers or delivery drivers who saw it can be hard to locate later.
- Keep everything. Medical bills, prescription receipts, messages with the owner, and damaged clothing or glasses in a bag.
- Wait before signing. Many people talk with a lawyer first.
Where Dog Bites Happen Around Mount Pleasant
Bites can happen on a neighborhood sidewalk off Long Point Road, at a shared dock, on a beach walk at Isle of Palms, at a rental house or on a delivery route. Note exactly where you were and why you were there.
South Carolina's Dog Bite Law
A dog's owner, or the person caring for it, is generally liable when the dog bites or attacks someone who is in a public place or lawfully on private property, including the owner's own property. A first bite counts; there's generally no need to prove an earlier one or that the owner saw it coming.1
There are exceptions. One is when the injured person provoked the dog and that caused the attack. Where you were and why can also matter, since the law covers people in public or lawfully on private property.1
The law reaches attacks, not just bites. Being tackled by an attacking dog may count even with no bite; a bouncy dog that bumps into you by accident might not.1 Other claims may still exist. For an older walker, getting knocked to the pavement can mean a broken hip or a head injury.
Want someone to look at your situation?
Talk with our team about what happened and ask the questions on your mind.
Your Deadline
Most injury claims in South Carolina must be filed within three years.2 That means filing in court, and an insurance claim doesn't pause it.3 When the dog belongs to or is kept by a public agency, the claim follows its own clock, which may be shorter.4
When a Child Is Bitten
- Take pictures of the bite on the first day and then every few days until it closes and scars.
- Track follow-up visits and any scar treatment.
- Watch for nightmares, trouble at school or new fear of the neighbor's dog, and write it down.
A child may get more time to file in South Carolina, but that time is limited and has exceptions.5 Ask a lawyer about the dates early.
For the statewide picture, see our South Carolina dog bite page. For serious, lasting injuries, see Mount Pleasant catastrophic injury claims.
Talk With Us
A bite can leave a scar on the face or hands and a long-lasting fear of dogs. We take the scars and the fear seriously, and we begin with your account. When it's a neighbor's or a friend's dog, we take that relationship into account.
We take cases across South Carolina, including Mount Pleasant and the islands. Our office is on King Street in downtown Charleston.
Even if someone else told you no, we'd like to hear about it. Tell us the street or the beach, the owner and the injuries.
South Carolina Law on This
- Under South Carolina law, a dog's owner or keeper is generally liable, even without proof they knew the dog was dangerous, when it bites or attacks someone in a public place or lawfully on private property, unless the person provoked or harassed the dog into the attack.1
- Most personal injury claims in South Carolina must be filed within three years.2
- South Carolina's statute of limitations generally sets the deadline for filing a lawsuit in court. Simply opening a claim with an insurance company or negotiating with an insurance adjuster does not stop the statute of limitations from running.3
- Claims against a South Carolina state or local government agency have their own filing deadline, which can be shorter, and there could be caps on damages under the South Carolina Tort Claims Act, depending on the facts of the case.4
- Under South Carolina law, children may have more time than adults to file personal injury claims. However, that additional time is limited, and certain exceptions may apply.5
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is responsible when a dog bites someone?
Generally the owner, or whoever was keeping the dog, if it bit or attacked someone in a public place or someone lawfully on private property. There's an exception when the injured person provoked the dog into the attack. Whether the law applies depends on where it happened and who had the dog.1
A dog on a neighborhood walking path knocked me down but didn't bite. Is that covered?
It may be. The law reaches attacks as well as bites, so you may be covered even without broken skin.1 Whether a dog jumping on you counts depends on what happened, and other claims may be available too.
A dog at an Isle of Palms rental bit my child. What do we do first?
Get medical care and keep the records, photos and whatever you know about the dog and its owner. South Carolina may give an injured child extra time to file, but special rules and exceptions apply.5 Don't count on that extra time; get advice early.
The dog belongs to a friend. What then?
That's an understandable worry. Whether a homeowner's or renter's policy might apply is something to look at with a lawyer first. A phone call is just a conversation.
Do I have to come to Charleston to get started?
No. The first conversation can happen by phone. Our office is on King Street in downtown Charleston if you'd like to meet later.
Sources
This page is general information about South Carolina law, not legal advice for your situation. Every case depends on its own facts.
