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Handling Dog Bite Claims in South Carolina

Posted on by productionnye

According to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AMVA), nearly one in five people bitten by dogs require medical attention. While some states have what is commonly referred to as a “one bite rule” that allows dog owners to escape liability when a canine has no previous instances of causing injury, South Carolina is among the many states that impose statutory strict liability on dog owners for dog attacks.

Did you or your loved suffer serious injuries because of a dog bite in South Carolina? Make sure that you contact the Nye Law Group before speaking to a dog owner’s insurance company. Our South Carolina personal injury lawyers can fight to get you all of the compensation you are entitled to as soon as you call 855-636-9277.

South Carolina Dog Bite Laws

Dog Bite LawyerUnder South Carolina Code § 47-3-110, a dog owner or any person having a dog in his or her care or keeping is liable for the damages suffered by a person bitten or otherwise attacked by the dog in a public place or lawful private place. This liability does not apply if a dog bite victim provoked or harassed the animal or the dog was working in a law enforcement capacity that satisfied state requirements.

Dog owners can often be immediately apologetic following most dog attacks, but victims should not assume that this means they will not be accused of having provoked the animals. For this reason, it is critical for dog bite victims to retain legal counsel as soon as possible.

Types of Damages for South Carolina Dog Bites

The immediate aftermath of a dog bite can be extremely confusing and stressful for many victims. It is not uncommon for a person who has been bitten by a dog to personally know the dog owner.

As a result, many victims feel terribly uneasy about seeking compensation from people who are considered to be friends or possibly even family members. In truth, most dog bites are typically covered by a dog owner’s homeowner insurance policy.

Depending on the severity of the injuries involved, victims may be entitled to:

  • Disfigurement
  • Medical bills
  • Lost income
  • Pain and suffering

Because these claims often need to be filed with insurance companies, victims should be especially cautious in discussing the incidents with insurers. You should avoid speaking to an insurance company representatives following a dog bite until you have legal representation.

Find a Dog Bite Attorney in Georgia

If you or your loved one sustained severe injuries as the result of a dog attack in Georgia, it is in your best interest to quickly retain legal counsel. The Nye Law Group has offices in Savannah and Hinesville, and we represent residents and visitors throughout the Peach State.

Our experienced Georgia personal injury lawyers will fight to get you all of the compensation you need and deserve. You can have our firm provide a complete evaluation of your case as soon as you call 855-636-9277 or contact us online today.

Overview of Georgia Distracted Driving Laws

Posted on by productionnye

As technological advances have allowed for people to do more things on their cellular phones and created several new forms of mobile entertainment, motorists all over the country have been increasingly susceptible to various distractions that can take their eyes off the road. When a driver is distracted for any reason, the distraction has the potential to result in a traffic accident that can cause severe injuries.

Georgia prohibits certain kinds of cell phone use by certain drivers. Any person who suffered catastrophic injuries or whose loved one was killed by a distracted driver should immediately contact the Nye Law Group for help holding the negligent party accountable and obtaining maximum compensation.

Georgia Distracted Driving Laws

Distracted DrivingAs the Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety website notes, state law prohibits texting while driving for all motorists and all cell phone use for school bus drivers and drivers under 18 years of age. Violators are usually subject to fines (which can be doubled when the driver is involved in an accident) and possible points being added to their driving records.

State law does provide some exceptions to the texting and cell phone bans. For example, immunity is afforded to people who use a cell phone to:

  • Report a traffic accident;
  • Report a medical emergency;
  • Report a serious road hazard;
  • Report a situation in which his or her personal safety is in jeopardy; or
  • Report the perpetration of a criminal offense.

Certain parties, such as law enforcement officers and public utility workers, are also exempt from state cell phone bans.

What You Should Do After a Distracted Driving Accident in Georgia

When a person is involved in a car crash he or she believes was caused by a distracted driver, the first important step is to seek medical attention. Even when an individual believes that he or she was not hurt, it is still wise to get a medical professional’s opinion just to be sure that there were no injuries sustained which might not be displaying immediate symptoms. Additionally, you will want to make sure there is no delay between the accident and medical treatment as insurance companies routinely used any lapses as evidence that injuries are not as serious as claimed.

Another important step following a distracted driving accident is to take as many pictures of the crash scene as possible. If a victim is unable to do this because of medical care, he or she should have a friend or family member do this for him or her before the scene is cleaned up and evidence has disappeared.

Finally, a victim will want to be sure to retain legal counsel as soon as possible. In many cases, an experienced personal injury attorney can subpoena a negligent driver’s phone records. When such records indicate a driver sent a message or was using his or her phone at the time of a crash, it can be used to prove his or her negligence.

Find a Distracted Driving Accident Lawyer in Georgia

If you suffered severe injuries or your loved one was killed as the result of a distracted driver in Georgia, it is in your best interest to quickly contact the Nye Law Group. Our firm has office locations in Hinesville and Savannah.

Our dedicated personal injury attorneys will fight to help you get all of the compensation you need and deserve. You can receive a complete evaluation of your case as soon as you call 855-636-9277 or contact us online today to take advantage of a free, no obligation consultation.

Understanding Georgia Slip And Fall Laws

Posted on by productionnye

The phrase “slip and fall” applies to several unfortunate accidents in which victims suffer catastrophic injuries because of what are usually dangerous property conditions. In many cases, the same victims in slip and fall accidents are likely to be accused of being at fault for their own injuries.

The Nye Law Group represents people injured in slip and fall accidents in communities throughout the greater Savannah area. Our firm can fight to get you all of the compensation you are entitled to. Call 855-636-9277 to take advantage of a free consultation that will let our attorneys review your case.

Georgia Slip and Fall Laws

slip and fall accidentGeorgia Code § 51-3-1 establishes that a property owner is liable to invitees for injuries caused by his or her failure to maintain a safe premises. Under Georgia Code § 51-3-2, a property owner is liable to a licensee only for willful or wanton injury.

Invitees refers to any person on a premises by express or implied invitation. The customers at most businesses in Georgia are invitees.

When a person is injured in a slip and fall accident in Georgia, state law only provides two years for him or her to commence legal action. If he or she files a lawsuit after the statute of limitations has expired, the court will not hear his or her case.

In most slip and fall cases, the victim will attempt to reach a settlement with the property owner’s insurance company. If the insurer is not willing to provide a satisfactory amount, the victim can file a lawsuit.

Georgia operates under a modified comparative fault system of negligence, meaning that a person can recover damages so long as he or she was less than 50 percent at fault. A jury award can be reduced by a plaintiff’s percentage of fault, meaning that a person who is found to have been 25 percent at fault for his or her injuries would receive $75,000 of a  $100,000 jury award.

What You Should Do After a Slip and Fall Accident in Georgia

If you or a loved one suffered injuries in a slip and fall accident, you will want to make sure a report is filed with the manager on duty. Be sure to take pictures of whatever hazard caused the accident.

Even when you don’t think you were hurt, you should still seek medical attention. Some injuries involve delayed symptoms, and insurance companies also use any delays in treatment to argue that injuries were not severe.

Find a Slip and Fall Accident Lawyer in Georgia

Did you sustain severe injuries or was your loved one killed in a slip and fall accident in Georgia? You will want to contact the Nye Law Group as soon as possible. Our firm has office locations in Hinesville and Savannah.

Our skilled personal injury lawyers can conduct an independent investigation and work to make sure the negligent party is held accountable. You can have our attorneys provide a complete evaluation of your case when you call 855-636-9277 or contact us online to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation.

How Contributory Negligence Affects You Car Accident in North Carolina

Posted on by productionnye

In most states in the nation, the negligence of an accident victim might diminish the damages he or she can be awarded from another negligent party, but North Carolina is one of the few states in the country that adheres to the standard of contributory negligence. In short, contributory negligence is a defense that can be raised by a defendant in which the plaintiff will be barred from recovery if he or she was even the slightest bit at fault for his or her injuries.

Contributory negligence also makes it critical for victims to avoid speaking about their accidents to any insurance companies until they have legal representation. If you were injured or your loved one was killed in a motor vehicle crash in North Carolina, you should contact the Nye Law Group as soon as possible. Our skilled personal injury lawyers can handle phone calls from insurers on your behalf.

North Carolina Contributory Negligence Law

Car Crash LawyerThe North Carolina Supreme Court held in Newton v. New Hanover County Board of Education, 342 N.C. 554, 564 (1996) that a plaintiff is contributorily negligent when he or she fails to exercise the degree of care an “ordinarily prudent person” would in order to avoid injury. An important distinction that applies to many car collision cases, however, concerns whether a victim’s negligence contributed to the cause of the crash.

For example, a driver who was speeding could still possibly recover damages from another driver if the other driver was at fault for causing the collision. Children under 7 years of age are also presumed to be legally incapable of contributory negligence.

North Carolina General Statute § 20-135.2A.(d) further provides that evidence of failure to wear a seat belt cannot be used as evidence of contributory negligence. It is also important to keep in mind that contributory negligence defenses may not be allowed for defendants who the court finds to be grossly negligent—meaning that they have engaged in a form of will or wanton misconduct, such as driving under the influence (DUI) of drugs or alcohol.

Avoiding Contributory Negligence Traps in North Carolina

When you have been involved in a car accident in North Carolina, you should make sure to not discuss your crash with anyone until you have retained legal counsel. Be especially careful to avoid speaking to any representatives from insurance companies for the other drivers.

Agents for such insurers will frequently express concern and seem genuinely willing to take care of you, but they are often trying to get you to make incredibly damaging recorded statements that the insurance company will later use to reduce your payout. Any admission of fault in one of these conversations can be devastating.

You should also be mindful of what you say to other drivers following that accidents. Do not sing any kind of agreement presented to you until you can have it reviewed by an attorney.

Find a Car Accident Lawyer in North Carolina

Did you sustain serious injuries or was your loved one killed in a car crash in North Carolina? You will want to contact the Nye Law Group for an aggressive pursuit of justice.

Our experienced personal injury attorneys can provide an honest and thorough evaluation of your case when you call 855-636-9277 or contact us online to receive a free consultation.

Understanding Georgia Dog Bite Laws

Posted on by productionnye

Like many other states in the nation, Georgia uses the “one bite rule” (also referred to as the “first bite rule”) to determine civil liability for dog bites. Under this rule, the owner or other possessor of a dog can be held liable for damages caused by the animal if that person has reason to know that the animal has a propensity to cause harm because it had previously bitten another person.

It can be incredibly difficult for a person to prove that a dog owner had this knowledge. Any person who suffered serious injuries because of a dog bite in Georgia will want to contact the Nye Law Group before speaking to any dog owner or his or her insurance company.

Dog Bite Laws in Georgia

Dog Bite LawyerWhen Governor Nathan Deal signed House Bill 685—otherwise known the Responsible Dog Ownership Law—in 2012, it created Georgia Code § 4-8-21. That statute defines a “vicious dog” as a dog that inflicts serious injury on a person, and any vicious dog responsible for a second bite must be euthanized.

The same statute also defines a dangerous dog as any dog substantially puncturing a person’s skin by teeth without causing serious injury, aggressively attacks in a manner that causes the reasonable belief that the dog posed an imminent threat of serious injury even though no such injury occurred, or kills a pet animal while off the owner’s property.

Owners of dangerous dogs must apply annually for certificates of registration, build secure enclosures, and post warning signs at all entrances on their property. Such owners also need to maintain a minimum of $50,000 in liability insurance and microchip their dogs.

Damages for Dog Bites in Georgia

People bitten by dogs are often extremely confused about what to do after the attacks. In many cases, the dog owners are the friends or family members of victims. As a result, victims immediately fear the possible financial consequences for people close to them—as well as the possible ramifications for the animal involved.

In most cases, dog bites are covered by a dog owner’s homeowners insurance policy. Victims in such cases can be entitled to a number of different kinds of damages, including:

  • Medical expenses;
  • Lost wages;
  • Rehabilitation expenses;
  • Pain and suffering; and
  • Disfigurement.

Any person who has been bitten by a dog in Georgia should avoid speaking to the negligent party’s insurance company until he or she has legal representation. Agents for insurers may express concern and a willingness to help victims, but they usually are attempting to get victims to make damaging recorded statements that are later used to reduce payouts.

Find a Dog Bite Attorney in Georgia

Did you or your loved one sustain severe injuries because of a dog attack in Georgia? You will want to contact the Nye Law Group.

Our firm has office locations in Savannah and Hinesville, and our Georgia personal injury lawyers work tirelessly to help people obtain all of the compensation they need and deserve. Call 855-636-9277 or contact us online today to have us review your case and discuss all of your legal options during a free, no obligation consultation.

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402 West Trade Street,
Suite 112
Charlotte, NC

704-285-6319 get directions

1509 Abercorn Street, Savannah, GA 31401

912-200-5230 get directions
View all locations
CONTACT US

NO PRESSURE. SPEAK TO AN ATTORNEY. NO HIDDEN FEES.

* All Fields Required

Or Call 912-200-5230

CONTACT US NO PRESSURE. SPEAK TO AN ATTORNEY. NO HIDDEN FEES.

Call 912-200-5230