Dog bite attacks are constantly in the news in the UK, usually the most reported dog bites stories are those amongst children. Children don’t realise the dangers of some animals, they just want to be around them and play with them. In some cases it’s not even that, some animal attacks on children are unprovoked.
A story in the Daily Mail is about a four-year-old girl who was attacked whilst visiting a neighbour’s house in Liverpool. The four-year-old suffered facial injuries after an illegal pit-bull type dog attacked her. Police later seized the dog and its owner was arrested and charged under section one of the Dangerous Dogs Act. Pit Bull Terriers and related dog breeds are illegal in the UK.
A dog bite attack will be a traumatic time for any family, especially if the attack involves a child. Children are seen as the innocent party as they don’t understand the danger of some situations.
If your child has been involved in a dog bite attack you should:
- Alert the police, they will then arrive at the scene and carry out the necessary precautions.
- Seek medical attention, depending on the seriousness of your child’s injuries, either phone for an ambulance or take them to a children’s hospital. Not only can such animal bites cause serious injury they can also carry disease. It may be that your child needs an injection to prevent the disease spreading.
- Take the name, address and contact details of the owner of the animal. If the animal is not with their owner at the time, contact the police immediately. They will try and get hold of the animal before it attacks any one else.
- Take note of the time and location of the incident.
- After the accident take any necessary photos of injuries your child has suffered, this will count as sufficient evidence if the owner is taken to court or if you wish to make a compensation claim.
Making a claim for injury compensation will probably be one of the last things on your mind after the accident, all you’ll be wanting is for your child to recover from the injuries and for the dog and its owner to be prosecuted. This is completely understandable.
As time goes by you may decide that you want to look into pursuing an injury compensation claim. That’s where the Injury Lawyers can help. We’re an independent law firm based in Chesterfield and deal with hundreds of compensation claims every day. If your child was under 18 at the time of the attack, they have up until three years after their 18th birthday to make a claim.
If you would like to make a claim for compensation on your child’s behalf then contact the Injury Lawyers today. We will offer you free legal advice, and tell you how we can help with your compensation claim. Thousands of pounds of compensation go unclaimed every year. Contact us to get your children the compensation they deserve.
