A dog bite or dog attack can be frightening, painful and traumatic. Injuries can range from puncture wounds and scarring to nerve damage, infection, psychological trauma and long term fear of dogs.
If you or someone you care for has been injured by a dog, you may be able to claim compensation. A claim may be brought against the dog’s owner, the person looking after the dog at the time, or another responsible party, such as an employer or business.
Havard Law Solicitors helps people who have been injured in dog attacks understand their options and pursue compensation where there are grounds to do so. We can deal with the legal process on your behalf so you can focus on recovery.
What is a dog bite claim?
A dog bite claim is a personal injury claim brought after someone has been injured by a dog.
This may involve a bite, an attack, or an incident where a dog knocks someone over and causes injury. Claims can involve physical injuries, scarring, disfigurement, psychological trauma, anxiety, phobias, lost earnings, treatment costs and other losses linked to the incident.
Dog bite claims can arise in public places, private homes, workplaces, parks, streets, business premises or while someone is carrying out their job.
The key question is usually who was responsible for the dog and whether reasonable steps should have been taken to prevent the attack or injury.
When might you need help?
You may need legal advice if you have been bitten, attacked or knocked over by a dog and suffered injury as a result.
Dog bite claims can involve adults, children, postal workers, delivery drivers, carers, tradespeople, visitors to a home, customers on business premises, or people attacked in a street, park or other public place.
A claim may also be possible where the physical injury seems relatively minor, but the psychological impact is more serious. Some people suffer anxiety, nightmares, fear of dogs, loss of confidence or symptoms of post traumatic stress after a dog attack.
Children can be particularly affected by dog attacks, both physically and emotionally. A parent or guardian can bring a claim on behalf of a child, and any settlement for a child will usually need court approval.
What can compensation cover?
Compensation is intended to reflect the effect the dog bite or dog attack has had on your life.
This may include compensation for pain, suffering and loss of amenity, which means the impact on your day to day life, confidence, hobbies, sleep, work and general wellbeing.
A claim may also include financial losses. These can include lost earnings, treatment costs, travel expenses, medication, counselling, scar revision treatment, cosmetic treatment, care provided by family members and future losses where the injury has long term effects.
Where a child has been injured, compensation may need to take account of scarring, psychological impact and any future treatment needs.
How Havard Law Solicitors can help
Havard Law Solicitors can guide you through the claim from the first enquiry through to settlement.
We can listen to what happened, give an initial view on whether a claim may be possible, investigate who may be responsible, request police or dog warden information where relevant, obtain insurance details, gather witness evidence, arrange medical evidence and deal with the other side or their insurer.
We can also help assess the full impact of the injury, including scarring, psychological harm, treatment needs, lost earnings and any future losses.
Most claims settle without going to court. If court action is needed, we will explain the process clearly and support you throughout.
Many dog bite claims can be handled on a No Win, No Fee basis. We will explain funding options clearly before you decide whether to proceed.
Case study: child injury claim following a dog bite
Havard Law Solicitors acted in a child personal injury claim following a dog bite incident.
The case involved investigating how the incident happened, identifying the correct defendant and insurer, gathering evidence, arranging expert medical evidence and progressing the claim towards settlement.
As the claim involved a child, it had to be brought through a litigation friend. This is usually a parent or guardian who acts on behalf of the child during the legal process. Child injury claims also involve additional procedural safeguards, including court approval of any settlement.
There were several issues to overcome. Early in the case, there were difficulties confirming who was legally responsible for the incident and what insurance arrangements were in place. This required repeated enquiries with the other side, brokers and the police before the claim could be properly advanced.
The circumstances of the attack also needed careful investigation. This included considering where the incident happened, whether there had been any previous warnings, whether the dog had been on site before and the basis on which the child was present at the premises.
Havard Law Solicitors gathered evidence including police material, witness information, photographs of the injuries, accident information, liability documents and medical evidence.
Independent expert evidence was also needed to assess the child’s physical injuries, scarring, psychological impact and prognosis. This was important to make sure the claim was properly valued and supported.
Through careful investigation, evidence gathering, medical assessment and settlement negotiations, the claim was progressed successfully to settlement.
Evidence that can help your dog bite claim
The evidence needed will depend on the circumstances of the attack and the injuries suffered.
Helpful evidence can include photographs of the injuries, photographs of the location, witness details, police reports, dog warden reports, medical records, details of the dog owner, insurance details, CCTV footage, messages with the dog owner, evidence of lost earnings, receipts for expenses and notes about your symptoms and recovery.
If the attack involved a child, it is also useful to keep records of any ongoing fear, anxiety, sleep problems, counselling, school impact or changes in behaviour.
Do not worry if you do not have all the evidence at the start. Havard Law Solicitors can explain what may be needed and help identify what evidence may still be available.
Speak to our dog bite claims team
If you or a family member has been injured in a dog bite or dog attack, it is sensible to get advice as early as possible. Evidence can become harder to obtain over time, especially witness details, CCTV footage, police information and insurance details.
To speak to Havard Law Solicitors, call 0151 556 1234 or email info@havardlaw.co.uk with a short summary of what happened, where the incident took place, who owned or controlled the dog, when it happened and any evidence you already have.
A member of the team can review the information and explain the next steps in clear, practical terms.
