South Carolina Injury Lawyer Blog

Early this week your Charleston lawyers at Howell and Christmas, LLC (located at 250 Mathis Ferry Rd. in Mt. Pleasant) heard of a story involving a dangerous pit bull on Daniel Island. According to the Post and Courier, a couple driving along River Landing Drive when a dog appeared out of nowhere, bolting in front of their car. The couple, with best intentions in mind, stopped their vehicle and tried to approach the dog, thinking the animal may be a beloved pet of a family on the island. But, apparently, the dog, which looked to be a pit bull, did not appreciate the gesture and proceeded to launch a "vicious attack" on a nearby woman's dog. The woman who had gotten out of the car, again with best intentions, tried to intervene in the melee, but was bitten by the animal she originally tried to help. Fortunately, the dog bite did not result in any serious injuries, due in part because the woman was wearing a sweater at the time of the attack, preventing the bite from penetrating the skin of her bicep. Needless to say, this well- intentioned citizen is hoping she doesn't run into the loose dog again after being seriously frightened by this encounter.

Responding Charleston police officers later determined that this same pit bull was involved in another incident in which another dog was bitten. Animal control officers are still trying to find the dangerous pit, and believe the dog belongs to someone on Daniel Island, as the animal was reported to have a collar.

In an unrelated incident, last Saturday Goose Creek police officers shot two pit bulls after the animals allegedly attacked other dogs and charged at the officers. One of the dogs was killed in the shooting and the owner of the animals is charged with the counts of lack of restraint and two counts of nuisance animal. A court date for the 28-year-old owner is scheduled for November 17 and the court will decide then if the owner is allowed to regain possession of the surviving pit bull.

Continue reading "Charleston Animal Control Officers Looking For Dangerous Dog" »

In conjunction with health and animal organizations, the United States Postal Service is dedicating this week (May 15 to 21) to Dog Bite Prevention. 4.5 million people are attacked by dogs annually, with children, the elderly, and mail carriers being the groups most likely to be bitten, in that order.

Considering this, the Charleston dog bite attorneys want to share some the dog bite prevention tips the U.S. Postal Service has for those susceptible to dog bites and dog owners.

In 2010, more than 5,700 postal employees were attacked by dogs, with the most common scenario of dog bite happening when a customer opens their door to retrieve their mail directly from the carrier. To reduce the likelihood of such an incident, the Postal Service suggests securing pets in another room when retrieving your mail, or waiting until the carrier is off your property to collect your mail.

Also, if you are pet-sitting for a friend, neighbor, or family member, it is especially important to be vigilant in assuring the pet does not get loose and attack an unsuspecting victim. Because, as the experienced dog bite lawyers at Howell and Christmas, LLC know, in South Carolina dog bite cases, any person who has the dog in his/her care or keeping at the time of the attack may be found liable for damages.

Continue reading "North Charleston On the Job Injury Lawyers Recognize National Dog Bite Prevention Week" »

Not only do South Carolina personal injury lawyers know the danger an angry dog can pose to people, but also a North Charleston police officer. Last week, while in pursuit of a man who shoved him, the officer came into contact with a pit bull who was not pleased to see him. After following the suspect over a fence and into a yard, the pit bull attacked the officer forcing him to fire his weapon at the dangerous animal to prevent a potentially serious on the job injury.

The shot fired by the officer grazed the attacking animal's ear giving the officer the opportunity to get away safely with only minor scratches and not a serious dog bite. The dog is fine, but the attack by the dog caused the officer to lose sight of the suspect and subsequently officers were unable to locate the officer-shoving man.

The point of the post is not to focus on the dog as distractor in this incident, but rather the harm that some dogs can pose. While this particular animal was confined to its yard when the attack occurred, what if the animal was left unattended? Would it still display the same aggressive and threatening behavior?

Continue reading "North Charleston Police Officer Attacked By Dog, Forced to Use Force To Curb Attack" »