The most common type of injuries caused by an animal would undoubtedly be injuries caused as a result of being bitten by a dog.
There is no wonder that so many people have a genuine fear of animals, and in particular a genuine fear of dogs. Not all dogs are dangerous and it would be unfair to label them so. Certain breeds of dog are, however, labelled as more dangerous than others, but we have all come across a dog which is supposedly in the category of a potentially dangerous breed which is as soft as a brush.
Many people believe that a dog would not cause deliberate injury if he or she had a good home and a caring owner. We can never be too careful as dogs, and indeed other animals can be unpredictable and we are not able to fully understand them.
If you have been bitten by a dog you may be entitled to make a claim for compensation. It would have to be proved that the owner of the dog was in some way negligent either by failing to restrain the dog adequately or at all or by failing to warn someone who may come onto the property that there is a dog present which may attack. Failure to warn of a dog’s behaviour could be sufficient to establish negligence. People have so called “guard dogs” and they must warn people who come onto the property that the dog may attack.
There are obstacles in these types of claims as the course of action would depend upon whether the owner has pet insurance for the dog or any means of being able to meet a claim. If the attack happened on the premises of the owner then there may be a course of action through the home insurance. Where there is no insurance at all then it can be difficult to bring a claim as ultimately you would have to consider whether you could actually recover any money or compensation from the persons responsible. If the owner is wealthy or has assets you may be able to recover from the owner directly. We always have to consider in these types of claims who would actually pay out the compensation where the claim was successful.
In addition to claiming for the personal and psychological injury we can try and recover for other losses such as damaged or ripped clothing, loss of income say for example if you had to take time off work as a result of the attack, treatment costs such as if you need any physiotherapy or pain relief, care and assistance if you require help from family or friends or other persons while you are recovering etc. Any losses that you have suffered as a result of the accident may be recoverable, so make sure you keep any receipts or documentation to prove that a specific loss has been incurred.
With the obstacle of insurance, dog bite claims are not entirely straightforward. Here at The Injury Lawyers we deal solely with personal injury claims and we have dealt with many claims involving animals.
We offer free advice so do not hesitate to call us today on 0800 634 75 75 and we can advise you if we can assist with a potential claim.
