No Win, No FeeBeing attacked by a dog is likely to be a traumatic event for anyone. Dog bites can lead to permanent injuries and scars and they can make you much more anxious or scared when you’re out and about. You may not realise it but if you are bitten by a dog through no fault of your own, you might be entitled to compensation for your injuries. Our article on dog bite claims will explain how to begin a claim and what you could claim compensation for.
To enquire about a dog bite claim straight away, please call our claims line on 0800 652 1345 today. Alternatively, please carry on reading to learn more about how to claim compensation for a dog bite.
When Can You Claim Compensation After a Dog Bite?
You may be able to claim compensation for a dog bite if the incident was caused by the negligence of the dog’s owner or another responsible party. Common scenarios include:
- Failure to Control the Dog: Where the owner failed to leash or restrain their dog in a public place, leading to an unprovoked attack.
- Known Dangerous Behaviour: If the dog had a history of aggression and the owner failed to take reasonable precautions to prevent harm.
- Trespassing Dogs: A dog entered your property and caused injury due to the owner’s failure to control or secure it properly.
- Workplace Incidents: You were bitten while carrying out your job, such as delivering parcels or post or working as a tradesperson, due to the owner not ensuring your safety.
Essentially, anyone injured by a dog bite due to someone else’s negligence may be entitled to compensation.
Am I Entitled to Compensation for a Dog Bite?
Dog owners have a legal duty of care to try and stop their pets (or working dogs) from injuring others. This duty means that, if someone else is harmed by their dog, the owner could face legal action from the injured party. As such, a personal injury solicitor could help you to claim compensation for dog bites if you can show that:
- You were attacked by someone else’s dog (this could be an individual or an organisation); and
- The attack was unprovoked; and
- You sustained dog bite injuries as a result of the incident.
If your claim meets these criteria, one of our solicitors may agree to try and secure dog bite compensation on your behalf.
What Types of Dog Bite Injuries Can I Claim For?
Let’s explore the types of dog bite injuries that could lead to a compensation claim. It’s worth noting that minor scratches or superficial marks may not qualify for a claim. However, more serious injuries commonly associated with dog bites that might justify compensation include:
- Scarring.
- Amputated fingers.
- Lacerations.
- Facial injuries.
- Puncture wounds.
- Nerve or muscle damage.
- Psychiatric harm.
- Soft tissue injuries.
If you’ve suffered any type of dog bite, please contact us here to see if your suffering could be compensated.
What Evidence Do I Need for a Dog Bite Compensation Claim?
Any insurer who receives your compensation claim is likely to reject it until they are given clear proof that their client’s dog was responsible for your injuries. They may also try to pay less compensation if you can’t prove the extent of your injuries. For these reasons, you and your solicitor should try to provide as much proof for your dog bite claim as possible including:
- Details of the Dog’s Owner: Obtain their name, address, and telephone number.
- Police Reference Number: If you reported the incident to the police, include the reference number they provided.
- Witness Information: Gather details of anyone who saw the dog attack. If the incident is denied, your solicitor may ask witnesses to provide statements.
- Photographic Proof: Take pictures of the dog (if safe to do so) and your injuries. Use a date-stamp feature on your camera or phone to document your injuries over time as you recover.
- Medical Records: Obtain records from the minor injuries unit, GP, or hospital that treated your dog bite injuries. These can often be requested later if you decide to proceed with a claim.
- Proof of Financial Losses: Keep receipts, bank statements, or invoices for any expenses resulting from the incident, such as medical bills or missed work.
As well as providing proof for your claim, your solicitor will ask you for a statement of what happened and how you’ve suffered. As such, it may be a good idea to keep a diary of events and to record any dates that your injuries stopped you from working or carrying out your usual activities.
Will I Need a Medical Assessment for My Dog Bite Claim?
The severity of your injuries from being bitten by a dog is one of the most important factors used to determine how much compensation you’ll be paid if your claim is successful. As such, as part of the claims process, you’ll need to visit an independent medical expert.
They’ll discuss your injuries with you after examining you and try to understand how you’ve been affected. They may also read through any medical records available to them. Once the appointment has finished, they’ll explain your prognosis in a report that will be available to both parties in your claim.
What Is the Time Limit to Make a Dog Bite Claim?
Dog bite claims have a 3-year time limit in the same way as other personal injury claims. For most people, this will normally start from the date the dog bite occurred.
Importantly, the 3-year time limit is not relevant in cases where a child was bitten by a dog. In this scenario, a responsible adult can claim at any point before the child’s 18th birthday. See our FAQs below.
If you begin the claims process too late, you may miss out on any compensation you’re entitled to. As such, we would suggest that you contact us sooner rather than later if you do decide to claim.
How Much Compensation for Dog Bites Can I Claim?
You should not think of dog bite compensation as a form of penalty or fine that is imposed on the dog owner. The idea of any personal injury claim is to help the claimant recover from their injuries (general damages) and to cover any financial costs they sustained (special damages).
If you make a successful dog bite injury claim, it could include compensation to cover:
- The physical pain you endured during the attack and because of your injuries.
- Any mental trauma resulting from the incident.
- Any impact your injuries have had on your hobbies, social life or family activities (loss of amenity).
- The cost of replacing items such as clothes that were damaged when you were bitten by the dog.
- Care costs if you needed to be supported by others while you were recovering from dog bites.
- Medical expenses. In some cases, this might include private plastic surgery costs.
- Travel costs linked to your treatment such as fuel and parking fees for hospital appointments.
- The cost of changes to your home (or vehicle) to help improve your quality of life if your injuries have resulted in a permanent disability.
As you’ll notice, there is a lot to consider when making a dog bite claim so it’s important to take time for this process. To try and secure the maximum amount of compensation for a dog bite, your solicitor will spend time discussing your case with you to fully understand how you’ve been affected.
Can I Claim for Loss of Earnings Due to a Dog Attack?
Taking time off work to recover from a dog attack or to receive medical treatment could result in a reduction in earnings. These losses could be claimed back if you win a dog bite claim.
Also, if you suffer a dog bite that affects your ability to work in the future, you could be compensated for future loss of earnings. This might be the case if nerve damage in your hand caused by a dog bite prevents you from continuing as an electrician for instance.
Will I Need a Solicitor to Claim Dog Bite Compensation?
Proving how you’ve suffered and that a dog owner was responsible for you being bitten can be quite a complicated process. Although you can lodge a dog bite compensation claim yourself, the process can be made easier if you take on specialist representation from a personal injury solicitor on our panel.
Our solicitors realise that any form of financial risk associated with a dog bite claim can be off-putting. So, any dog bite claims that they take on are handled on a No Win, No Fee basis.
As a result:
- You won’t be asked to pay any upfront solicitor’s fees.
- If you are not compensated, you don’t have to pay your solicitor.
- You’ll only pay your solicitor’s success fee if compensation is awarded.
So that you have everything in black and white, you and your solicitor will both sign a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA) before work begins on your case. This contract will confirm exactly what work your solicitor will do and when you’ll need to pay them. As mentioned above, a success fee will only apply if your case is won. This is a percentage of any settlement amount that’s paid. See our page on success fees.
To see if one of our solicitors could represent you on a No Win, No Fee basis, please contact us today.
Dog Bite Claims Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Claim Compensation for a Child Bitten by a Dog?
Witnessing or finding out that your child has been bitten by a dog will be particularly upsetting. After their injuries have been treated, you may decide to claim compensation on their behalf. To do so, you will need to become their litigation friend.
This process is something that our solicitors can help you to set up. Once approved by a court, you’ll represent your child and deal with solicitors for them. If the claim is successful, any compensation offer will be reviewed by the court and held in a trust account until the child turns 18 years old. As their litigation friend, you can request funds to be released on their behalf so long as you explain to the court what they will be used for.
How Does Contributory Negligence Affect Dog Bite Compensation Claims?
Contributory negligence occurs when the victim’s actions contribute to the incident or exacerbate their injuries. In dog bite claims, if it’s determined that you provoked the dog or acted recklessly, you might not be able to claim compensation at all.
However, even if you were found to have been partially at fault for the incident but not wholly, you may still be entitled to some compensation depending on the specific circumstances of your case.
What Happens If I Was Attacked by a Dog on Private Property?
According to the Occupiers Liability Act 1984, property owners or occupiers have a duty to make their properties safe for anyone using them. As such, if you’re bitten by a dog on private property and the owner could’ve taken actions to prevent you from being injured, you might have grounds to start a claim.
Start a Dog Bite Compensation Claim Today
Thank you for reading our article on dog bite claims. We hope it has been helpful. If you have now decided to take action and begin a claim, the easiest way to start the process is to call us on 0800 652 1345.
If your claim is accepted after it’s been reviewed, your solicitor will:
- Deal with the defendant or their insurer on your behalf.
- Collect and collate evidence to support the claim.
- Try to counter any objections raised by the defendant.
- Attempt to secure the highest amount of compensation possible.
- Work on a No Win, No Fee basis.
If you’d like to know anything else about dog bite claims, please use live chat or request a claims consultation here.
