Posted by the Charleston Dog Bite Lawyers at Anderson & Schuster, Attorneys at Law, LLC. If you have been injured by a dog bite or other animal attack, you may have a claim against the pet owner. Call our dog bite attorneys to discuss your possible claims free of charge.
The South Carolina Department of Health recommends the following first-aid procedures after a dog bite:
- Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before tending to the dog bite wound. Wash hands afterwards, too.
- If bleeding, apply direct pressure to the wound with a clean, dry cloth until the bleeding stops. Keep the bite area raised up (elevated) to slow bleeding and keep swelling down.
- Once bleeding stops, wash the wound thoroughly with mild soap and running water for 3 to 5 minutes.
- Cover the dog bite with antibiotic ointment and a sterile bandage.
- Call your health care provider or DHEC health Clinic and follow the advice they give you.
- Over the next 24 to 48 hours, keep a close eye on the area surrounding the dog bite.
- If you see signs of an infection — skin redness, swelling, or pain — call your healthcare provider or have the dog bite wound examined at an emergency medical center.
- Your health care provider may prescribe antibiotics or give you a tetanus booster shot for the bite.
- Reporting: South Carolina dog bite law requires a treating physician to report a dog or other animal bite to the county health department by the end of the next working day. If a doctor did not treat the dog bite, it is the responsibility of a bitten adult or parent of a bitten minor to report the dog bite. Our Charleston dog bite lawyers also recommend taking photographs of the bite for documentation purposes.
If you or a loved one has suffered a dog bite, our Charleston Dog Attack Lawyers can help. We represent those injured in dog attacks in Charleston, North Charleston, Mount Pleasant, Summerville, Goose Creek, Hanahan and the surrounding areas. Give our attorneys a call today to discuss your dog bite case with you free of charge.
Source: DHEC, Report Dog Bite and Animal Attacks
