Claiming Compensation For Dog Attacks
More than 200,000 people are bitten by dogs
each year – landing the NHS with a £3m bill
for the treatment of their injuries
To successfully secure compensation after a
dog attack, you usually have to show that
the dog concerned had a
history of behaving aggressively and that
the owner knew about it.
The main exception to this is if you are
attacked by a breed banned under the
Dangerous Dogs Act 1991.
The more evidence you have, the more likely it
is that personal injury lawyers will be able
to help you claim compensation.
Here’s what to do if you
are the victim of a dog attack…
Take or obtain photographic or video
evidence where possible.
Make written notes of what happened as soon as you are able to.
Ask for photographs to be taken of any injuries, both before
and after medical treatment.
Record…
- Where the incident took place
- What happened, including where did you first see the dog
& where did it come from? - Name and address of the dog owner if known.
- A description of the dog, including colour and breed
- Was anyone with the dog? Did they speak or call out to the dog?
What did they say? Did they help, intervene, or encourage the dog? - Were there any witnesses? Names or descriptions.
“Make enquiries with neighbours to find out whether the dog has attacked anyone else or been aggressive in the past,” said personal injury specialist Rebecca Montague, of Macks Solicitors.
“It can be more important to have witnesses to the history of the dog than to have witnesses to the attack itself, if the circumstances of the attack are not disputed.”
If you inform the police, write down the date and time of the report and the name of the officer you spoke to. If you are given a crime reference number, make a note of that too.
“Ask the police whether anyone has complained about the dog before or if the police have had to caution the owner about its behaviour,” says Rebecca.
“And ask them to ask the owner whether they have pet or home insurance that you may be able to claim on. The owner might not give you this information, but they’re more likely to tell the police.”
Macks Solicitors have specialist lawyers who can advise you and may be able to help you recover compensation if you are bitten by a dog.
