Animal accidents – dog bites, cattle kicks, falls from horse...get compensation

Every day, people are attacked, hurt and injured by dogs and other animals. For many, this proves to be a very painful and traumatic experience, often resulting in physical and emotional scarring that lasts for life. Unfortunately, in some cases, the injuries can be fatal.

Ralli solicitors have handled many of these types of cases. Martin Coyne was asked to comment about a fatality involving an American Pit Bull terrier on Granada TV during the early part of 2007

What many people fail to realise is that they may be entitled to compensation for their injuries and recover what they rightfully deserve. Most claims are caused by dog bites and other domestic animals, however, in some cases, claims can also be made against owners of horses or cattle.

Dogs

Ralli has had some influence in the creation of UK legislation. During the passage of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 through the House of Commons, Martin Coyne provided informal anecdotal advice to Terry Lewis MP.

Animal attack claims show that dogs account for many animal attacks. In recent years in the UK, there has been a lot of publicity about attacks on people by Rottweiler and Pit Bull dogs. Other breeds, such as German Shepherds, have also been known to be equally ferocious.

If you had a dog deliberately set upon you, Ralli can help you bring a claim under the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme.
If you are out and about and a dog bites you, you cannot automatically claim for compensation against the dog owner.
To be able to claim, you will have to show that the dog was dangerous in law. This means showing that the dog had a history of bad behaviour and had a tendency to bite people.
Even if the dog is not dangerous in law, we may still be able to prove that the dog had a history of biting people and the owner should have controlled it properly.
Occasionally, road traffic accidents are caused by dogs running onto the road. In this case, Ralli will help you claim for injuries to you as well as damage to your vehicle and property.

If you have been attacked by a dog:

Make sure you:

Report the attack to the police and obtain a crime reference number
Identify the owner of the dog

Horses and Cattle

Occasionally, road traffic accidents are caused by horses and cattle that have escaped or are straying onto the road. There is a heavy burden on owners of horses and cattle to ensure their animals are properly restrained, and do not stray away onto the highway, where they may cause accidents.

On the other hand, you or your child may have been injured whilst riding a horse; be it under tuition, or as a leisure or sporting activity. If the horse belonged to a riding school, or a private individual and you sustained an injury, you may be entitled to compensation.

If you have been injured by an animal please contact us online or call us on 0870 998 9000 for some free initial advice.