Depending on the facts of your case, a dog bite injury may allow you to pursue several categories of damages. South Carolina dog bite statute, S.C. Code § 47-3-110, makes the dog owner or person having the dog in their care or keeping liable for “the damages suffered.” It does not create a separate list of dog bite damages, so damages are generally evaluated under ordinary South Carolina personal injury principles.
Those principles can include economic damages, such as medical bills and lost income, and non-economic damages, such as pain and suffering, emotional distress, and scarring. If you are asking, “What am I entitled to recover for a dog bite injury?”, the honest answer is that it depends on:
- How serious and lasting the injuries are.
- The evidence.
- Fault and any defenses.
- The insurance coverage available.
There is no fixed formula and no guaranteed amount. A South Carolina dog bite lawyer at Shelly Leeke Law Firm can evaluate which categories may apply to you.
What Am I Entitled to Recover After a South Carolina Dog Bite Case?
If you are wondering “What am I entitled to recover?”, South Carolina personal injury damages generally fall into two groups:
- Economic damages are financial losses you can document, such as bills, receipts, and pay records.
- Non-economic damages are real but harder-to-measure losses, such as pain, fear, and the effect of permanent scars.
Not every category applies to every case, and each must be supported by evidence. Each category is explained below.
Medical Expenses
Medical expenses are often the starting point of a SC dog bite claim. They may include:
- Emergency and urgent care.
- Wound cleaning and stitches.
- Antibiotics for infection.
- Rabies post-exposure treatment, if it was needed.
- Follow-up visits and physical therapy.
- Hospital stays.
Future medical expenses may also be considered when your doctors expect you will need more care, such as additional surgeries or ongoing therapy. Future costs generally need to be supported by medical evidence, such as a treating physician’s opinion, rather than estimates.
Lost Wages and Loss of Earning Capacity
If your injuries kept you from working, you may be able to seek the wages you lost while recovering, including missed shifts, used leave, and time off for appointments. In more serious cases, such as nerve damage to a hand or an injury that prevents a return to the same kind of work, a claim may also include loss of earning capacity. That is a longer-term reduction in your ability to earn income, and it typically requires both medical and employment evidence.
Scarring and Disfigurement
Scarring is one of the most common and significant consequences of a dog bite. Bites often land on the hands, arms, legs, and, especially with children, the face and neck. These scars can be permanent, visible, and emotionally difficult to live with.
Under general South Carolina personal injury principles, permanent scarring or disfigurement may be considered as part of non-economic damages. What matters can include:
- The scar’s size and location.
- Whether it is on a visible area.
- Whether it is expected to fade or remain.
- How it affects daily life and self-image.
Scars can change for months after an injury. Evaluating this category often means waiting until your doctors can describe the long-term outcome.
Costs of reconstructive or cosmetic surgery, laser treatment, or scar revision are a separate economic item, part of medical expenses. Photos of the injury at each stage of healing can be important evidence for both.
Pain and Suffering
Pain and suffering refers to the physical pain of the injury and its effect on your daily life. That can include:
- Pain during healing.
- Difficulty sleeping.
- Limits on activities you used to enjoy.
- Ongoing discomfort.
There is no set calculation. It is evaluated from the facts, your medical records, and how the injury has affected you.
Emotional Distress and Psychological Harm
Some people experience fear, anxiety, nightmares, or other trauma-related symptoms after a dog attack. Children in particular may develop a lasting fear of dogs. Where these effects are real and documented, for example through counseling or treatment records, they may be part of a claim.
Not every person experiences these effects, and they are generally stronger claims when supported by records from a qualified professional. Counseling costs themselves are medical expenses.
Other Possible Costs
Depending on the facts, related out-of-pocket losses caused directly by the attack may also be considered. Examples include damaged clothing, glasses, or a phone, and travel to medical appointments. These are usually smaller parts of a claim, but keep receipts.
What Could Reduce or Affect What I Can Recover?
The categories above describe what may be available. Several factors can reduce or eliminate recovery:
- Comparative negligence: South Carolina follows a modified comparative negligence rule (Nelson v. Concrete Supply Co., 1991). You can only recover damages if your share of fault is 50% or less. Being more than 50% at fault completely bars you from receiving compensation. If you are 50% or less at fault, your payout is reduced by your percentage of fault. How this applies alongside the dog bite statute depends on the facts.
- Statutory defenses: Under § 47-3-110, the owner is not liable if the person provoked the dog. The statute also covers only people in a public place or lawfully on private property. Our FAQ on who your case is against after a dog bite explains these rules.
- Evidence gaps: Compensation claims require solid proof. If medical bills, lost wages, or photos of your injuries are missing or undocumented, proving the true value of those damages becomes difficult, which can significantly reduce your final settlement or award.
What Determines How Much a Dog Bite Claim Is Worth?
There is no formula, chart, or “average” that fits your case. Value generally depends on:
- How severe and permanent the injuries are.
- The quality of your medical records and photographs.
- Whether liability or fault is disputed.
- The insurance coverage available, and whether there is any.
Claims also take time to value properly, because scarring and other long-term effects may not be clear right away. See how long a dog bite case takes to resolve.
How Can a South Carolina Dog Bite Attorney Help Me Understand What I Can Recover?
A South Carolina dog bite lawyer can:
- Evaluate your injuries and the evidence.
- Identify every category that may apply.
- Document scarring and psychological effects properly.
- Respond to fault or provocation arguments.
- Pursue available insurance coverage.
Shelly Leeke Law Firm works on a contingency basis, meaning no fee unless the firm recovers for you. No lawyer can guarantee a result or an amount.
Get Help with Your Dog Bite Claim at Shelly Leeke Law Firm
If you are wondering what am I entitled to recover after a dog bite in South Carolina, let our experienced legal team review the facts of your case. We can evaluate your medical bills, document long-term scarring, and pursue every available source of insurance coverage for you and your family.
Call us at (843) 604-3273 or request a free consultation with Shelly Leeke Law Firm today.
