Claim compensation for a dog bite attack
Dog bite injury claims can be complex to pursue, and difficult to win - so give yourself the best chance at the compensation you deserve with The Injury Lawyers expert help.
One of the more disturbing statistics on the increase in the UK is the rising figure of dog bites against humans - and in particular on young children. Dog bite attacks can be disturbing both in the injuries received and also the psychological effects that come after a dog bite attack. Many are left with both the physical and emotional scars for the rest of their life, and it simply isn't fair.
As a firm of expert personal injury lawyers, we represent victims for uncommon cases like dog bite claims because we are niche law firm - which simply means we only pursue personal injury cases. We have won many dog bite compensation claims for both adults and children and have succeeded in securing thousands of pounds in compensation for injuries to the face and limbs.
What to do - Important dog bite claim advice
Report the incident to the police as soon as possible and make sure you have medical attention straight away. Reporting the matter to the police is important as they may need to prosecute the owners - especially where an illegal or dangerous dog is being kept.
Whether you can win a dog bite claim or not will commonly come down to these significantly important factors:
- Why the dog attacked - because provocation may be a factor
- How you were able to come in to contact with the dog, and whether the owners had taken reasonable steps to prevent a dog bite
- Whether the dog is considered dangerous within meaning of the Dangerous Dogs Act
These can all make a huge difference to whether you can succeed with your claim or not. At the end of the day, a dog is an animal, and even the tamest of creatures can strike if they suddenly feel threatened.
There is another really important detail about whether you can succeed with a claim as well - the insurance, or the financial position, of the owners of the dog you are wanting to claim against.
If the dog has animal insurance then you may be able to make the claim directly through the insurers which gives you a good chance of obtaining an award for a dog bite injury if the claim is successful. If there is no insurance for the dog, then if it happened on the owner's property, you may be able to bring the claim against any home insurance they have.
If the owners of the dog don't have any animal or home insurance, this is where it can get tricky. When you make a claim for personal injury because of a dog bite, you are seeking compensation for your injuries and losses. On top of that you need to recover your legal fees for us. If they don't have any insurance then we can only obtain an award from them if the owners have the means financially to pay the compensation and our fees.
If they do have the means to pay, perhaps because they are home owners, business owners, or generally quite wealthy, then you may be able to proceed to a successful conclusion. But if the owners don't have the means to pay your compensation and our legal fees then you can find it very hard to settle the claim. You could by all means take the case to court and you could be awarded a judgement in your favour - which is basically an Order from the Court saying you are owed compensation. But if the owners cannot satisfy that judgement, i.e. pay you the money owed, you may have an uphill battle in getting any compensation for what has happened.
Help for dog bite compensation claims
A dog bite injury claim can be no different to any other general claim for personal injury compensation - but you do need an expert injury law firm to represent you given the potential hurdles you could face that are outlined above.
If you or any of your children, or someone you know, have suffered a dog bite attack then you may be eligible to claim compensation against the offending dog owner. The Injury Lawyers can help you win compensation for your injuries from a dog bite claim.
What to do next!
Fill out the Callback form on this page or call us on 0800 634 7575 to receive professional legal advice. All our dog bite claims are run under our genuine No Win, No Fee policy which means you don't have to pay a penny whether you win or lose your dog bite compensation claim.
Need one of our expert claims team to call you back about a possible dog bite compensation claim? Then please enter your name, telephone/mobile number you would like us to call you back on, and when you would like us to contact you in the form below.
