Have you been bitten by a dog?
You could make a dog bite compensation claim
Every year dogs attack 210,000 people in the UK including 4,000 postal workers (Defra April 2012). Whilst they make
loyal pets they can have the potential to become
aggressive. Anyone who has been bitten knows its
an extremely unpleasant experience for both the victim and their
family. Unfortunately you do not have an automatic right to compensation and these
claims are not easy to make, luckily at Simpson Millar LLP Solicitors we have a
proven track record of pursuing successful dog bite claims.
If you or your child have been bitten by a dog we can help you
make a dog bite claim for
personal injury compensation.
Recent case examples
We are currently acting for Mr Stone a postman who was attacked by a dog in February
2007 whilst delivering post. He was walking on a public pathway in Derbyshire when
he was attacked and bitten by an alsation dog causing Mr. Stone to suffer serious
injuries. Although the animal had a history of aggression it was been walked by
his owner off the lead and was not muzzled. The attack in this case was particularly
horrific as the animal went for Mr Stone's throat and head and he sustained quite
severe lacerations to his throat and his face together with inner thigh. Mr Stone
required 20 stitches and counselling after the attack.
A claim was intimated to the dog owner on the basis that he failed to keep the dog
restrained and controlled as he clearly knew that the dog had an aggressive temperament.
The dog owner has accepted fault for Mr Stone's injuries.
Dog bite compensation
What can I claim for?
- Damages for pain, suffering and loss of amenity this includes damages for the physical
injury, the scar, and any psychiatric injury
- Lost income
- Damage to property eg. Damaged clothing, damaged spectacles etc
- Damages for care and assistance provided by your friends and family
- Medication costs
- Prescription charges
- Travelling expenses
- Cost of having a skin graft or plastic surgery
- Other losses occurred as a direct result of the accident
Our Manchester office recently settled a dog bite claim for a post lady. This was a vicious
and unprovoked attack. The Claimant will recover £1,400 in compensation for her
losses. She suffered an injury to her shoulder, right leg and bruising. Liability
was denied throughout and the insurers only agreed to settle the claim after we
threatened to issue Court proceedings.
Making a dog bite compensation claim
If you think you might have a personal injury claim for compensation
arising from a dog bite which occurred in the last 3 years
then we can help. Our experienced,
professional solicitors, promise to deal with your dog bite claim as quickly as possible.
We understand the trauma a victim endures after being bitten
and on that basis, you will receive from us a sympathetic and
friendly response.
What you need to do:
- Report the incident to the Police. You may not be the first victim.
NB: Remember to get the crime/accident reference number
- Identify the owner and provide the address
- Obtain the contact details of all witnesses
- Obtain photographs of the injury/scarring as soon as possible
- Find out if the animal has attacked anyone else
- Keep a note and receipts of all your expenses such as:
- Travelling expenses to and from the hospital /GP
- Prescription charges
- Over the counter medication
- Loss of earnings
- Any other losses you may have incurred as a direct result of the dog bite
- Contact the local dog warden
- If the accident occurred whilst in the course of your employment
make sure you report the accident to your manager and complete
an accident on duty form
Our Cardiff office settled a dog bite claim for a postman who was attacked by a mastiff cross
type dog whilst delivering mail to a local business. The dog was chained and was
there as a guard dog. The claimant suffered horrendous injuries to his arm and leg
which required him to have a skin graft. He was off work for 4 months. The defendant
refused to accept responsibility for the attack. The dog bite comepnsation claim finally settled after
court proceedings were issued for £10,000 and the court ordered the dog owner and
the owner of the business to pay damages.
Our dog bite compensation team will then:
- contact the animal's owner and their insurers
- contact the police for the police report
- establish if the owner is being prosecuted
- contact the witnesses and investigate your claim
- decide if your claim is arguable and contact your employers to quantify your loss
of earnings claim and arrange your medical examination
- advise you on whether to issue Court Proceedings
- take the stress and strain away from you
If your claim is arguable then we will take your case on a
“no win no fee” basis
We recently settled a case for one of our clients in Leeds who suffered deep lacerations
to his index finger whilst pushing mail through a letterbox. The defendant questioned
whether the injury was caused by the letterbox or the animal. The case finally settled
for £1,500.
Our commitment
Our dog bite claims solicitors will:
- do our best to recover damages for you and progress your claim
as quickly as we can
- keep you informed of developments
- look after you and if we consider your claim is difficult to prove
then we will tell you so
- contact you within 24 hours of your call or your email. If we agree
to take your case you will receive written confirmation within 7 days
- act on a no win no fee basis
Liability
As a rule, if there is a history of aggressive behaviour or the
animal is dangerous then the owner is often
liable for failing to safeguard members of the public
and for failing to control the animal.
Most sensible dog owners will either have Pet insurance or
Home insurance to pay compensation. If so, the negligent owner's insurers
will pay the damages. If you were attacked in
a public space for example you could claim compensation
from the Criminal Injuries Compensation
Authority providing you satisfy certain conditions.
Legislation
UK law for compensation for personal injury arising
from a dog attack is governed under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991
or the Dogs Act 1871 (see: http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-pets/pets/dangerous/).
It is also possible to claim under the Occupiers Liability Act 1957/1984.
Make an no-obligation enquiry
Contact our dog bite compensation team now to discuss how we can help you by completing
our, no-obligation, online enquiry form
and we will call you back or you can call us directly on 0808 129 3320.
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