Animal attacks – they do happen! We luckily live in a country with a minimum of angry animals that could do us some damage. But the claims for canine injuries are common when it comes to animal attacks. And an injured victim has the right to claim for compensation they are legally entitled to for their suffering. But there can be significant difficulties in claiming for damages for dog attacks.
You may have noticed that in the last few months or so, dog attacks have been an issue in the press – with some breeds actively condemned for their potentially dangerous behaviour. So in light of this, the government have been debating on whether compulsory insurance is required to cover dog owners for such eventualities in the same way we motorists required to insurer our cars. But according to sources from the BBC, the government have ruled against the compulsory insurance just a week after suggesting the idea (source).
Although I wont be getting in to the politics of the issue, it was a rather quick ‘U-Turn’ after the idea was proposed… Not that I wish to sway anyone’s political thoughts so close to a general election!
According to the report, Environment Secretary Hilary Benn has advised that the proposal will not turn in to policy because minsters ruled against the idea of penalising responsible owners. The report further states that illegal breeds such as the pit-bull terrier would not be covered since they are already illegal to own – therefore responsible pet owners would be unfairly penalised in baring the brunt of the costs.
Its important to note that reportedly more than 100 people a week are admitted to hospital in dog attack related incidents. Quite a staggering figure; one that suggests such an insurance requirement would be useful…
The main issue is of course insurance – if a person doesn’t have insurance for their pet covering third party incidents, then a claim is difficult to bring against the pet owner. If they have an insurance policy, then the victim can of course claim from it. There are notably some house insurance policies that cover it as well, and if the pet owner has assets, then it does make the process of claiming compensation from them personally easier.
There are of course exceptions to the straight forward claim against the pet owner. If a person is inured by a premises guard dog where no warning signs are present, or no preventative measures in place to prevent the dog from attacking (e.g. a lead!), then its possible to claim against the company responsible for the dog. This of course doesn’t always apply – if you are trespassing on signposted private property with warnings for example. But without proper warnings or preventative measures, its certainly possible to claim!
So what should you do!? Speak to an independent specialist personal injury solicitor of course! Specialist personal injury solicitors will give you the best advice on whether you have a claim, and will give you the highest quality representation for the claim to be successful!
