South Carolina Dog Bite Case

South Carolina’s Supreme Court has unanimously agreed to let a lower court decide if a landlord is liable for damages in a dog bite case.

The Supreme Court’s decision says landlords could be found liable for a dog bite in a common area.

The case involved a 2-year-old who had $17,000 in medical bills after being bitten by a dog kept on a chain in a common area of an apartment complex. The dog had been kept there for 10 years and the landlord knew the dog had previously attacked someone.

A circuit judge in Sumter had dismissed the case because South Carolina law generally shields landlords from liabilities that their tenants create.

The case now heads back to the circuit court.