Injuries Caused By Animals
Last updated on November 30th, 2021 at 12:46 pm
What type of animal injury can I claim for?
Dog bites are the most common type of animal injury that lead to compensation claims. It’s estimated that over 200,000 people are bitten by dogs every year, and over 6,000 are admitted to hospital as a result.
However, dogs are not the only animals that can cause injury. Our animal injury specialists have dealt with compensation claims for a variety of accidents including horse attacks, horse throwing, bovine attacks, monkey bites and even marauding pot-bellied pigs.
Whatever sort of injury you’ve sustained, if it involved an animal we can help.
Who is most likely to suffer an animal injury?
When things ‘go wrong’ with animals, the consequences for a victim can be very serious both physically and psychologically.
Victims range from people making deliveries to private property, e.g. post, leaflets or takeaway food, to members of the public being attacked in the street or when walking their own dogs in public areas.
Is the owner or keeper responsible?
Sometimes the owner or keeper of an animal is responsible for its actions.
The Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 outlaws certain breeds of dog. Regrettably, however, some people are not deterred from keeping these animals. Often, when these types of dog aren’t exercised or cared for properly they try to escape, putting people, and other animals at risk.
Liability for the animal has to be established under The Animals Act 1971, and that’s difficult, so it needs the expertise of a lawyer who specialises in injuries caused by animals.
Successful claims relating to other animals usually depend upon whether the type of animal is normally seen as a dangerous one. If it isn’t, the case could still succeed if the damage the animal caused was serious and it reacted in a particular manner which was odd and which the owner/keeper should have known would put someone at risk.
Can I make a claim?
Injuries caused by animals should never be accepted, and victims should claim compensation where possible.
As detailed above, there are difficulties in claiming compensation, but using a lawyer with specialist knowledge and experience of dealing with animal injuries, such as those in our personal injury department, will give you the best chance of success.
What can I claim?
You may be able to claim:
- General damages: these cover physical pain and suffering, but can also include emotional pain such as depression which is a result of the injury.
- Special damages: these cover things such as loss of earnings and out of pocket expenses, including medical expenses.
The amount of compensation you’ll win will depend on the severity of your injuries and the extent of your losses.
How do I make a claim?
Contact our animal injury specialists now to discuss making a no win/no fee personal injury claim. We’ll guide you through the whole process and make sure that you receive the best compensation possible.
Read how our personal injury experts won:
- £7,000 in compensation after a court hearing, for a woman who was bitten by a dog
- £115,000 for a woman who was bitten by her friend’s dog
- £9,500 for a man bitten by a guard dog
- £100,000 for a man who had an accident on his motorbike in Matlock that involved a cow
