From pets to working dogs, there are lots of tame, playful, well-trained dogs out there. All it takes is one negative experience with an ill-trained or out of control dog to make a lasting impact on someone’s life. In this blog, we share expert guidance from a dog bite injury lawyer within our personal injury team.
This information is for those who have been the victim of a dog attack. If you as an owner have been accused of a dangerous dog offence, you will need to speak with our criminal defence team.
What to do if a dog attacks or bites you
The first thing to do if a dog attacks or bites you is to seek medical attention. You may need an injection or emergency treatment to prevent infection. Don’t worry that once something is fixed or healed you won’t be able to make a claim; your medical records can be used as supporting evidence of any damage caused and treatment given.
Where possible, you should try to get details of the dog’s owner, such as a name, address and contact number.
It is also advised that you report a dog bite or attack to the police. If a dog has attacked one person, it is more likely that it will attack another. Having this on the police’s radar means they can work to identify the owner and prevent future attacks from happening. On reporting to the police, you will get a crime reference number that you can share with your solicitor should you need to make a claim.
Finding a dog bite injury lawyer
If you have sustained injuries resulting from a dog bite or attack, you can reach out to a respected dog bite injury lawyer to find out whether you have a claim.
Using a no win, no fee solicitor means that you will only have to pay for solicitors fees upon successfully winning your claim. All, or part, of those fees are likely to be recoverable from the insurers of the responsible dog if your claim succeeds. Our personal injury team operates on a no win no fee basis, so they will only take on your case if they are confident that they will win.
Claiming for a dog bite or attack
It is important to note that dog bites can have varying levels of severity and impact on people’s lives. This can range from physical injuries and scarring to psychological trauma or financial losses if the injured party cannot work due to their injury.
Because of this, there is no set amount for how much an injured party may receive if successful, as there are lots of factors to be considered when making the case for a claim.
To attempt to make a dog bite injury claim, the incident must have:
- Happened in the last 3 years
- Been somebody else’s fault
- Caused you injury
It is also helpful if you can get information on the dog owner, such as their name and contact details, as well as whether they have pet insurance or home insurance. Additionally, if the police were contacted at the time of the incident the details can be shared with your dog bite injury lawyer at this point.
If there is evidence of the dog causing injuries in the past or acting in a dangerous way previously, this would also be helpful.
How our team can help
If you have been injured by a dog bite or a dog attack, one of our solicitors can come to visit you at home or in the hospital if required.
As well as compensation for your injury, we will work hard to ensure that any rehabilitation required to overcome injuries is covered, as well as any emotional support too. Considerations for additional care can be discussed with your solicitor as necessary, and you can trust in our team of personal injury specialists to work for the best possible outcome for you.
We will do our best to resolve your claim out of court to ensure it is managed most efficiently. If, however, your dog bite injury claim needs to go to court, we will be there every step of the way.
Please do not hesitate to contact our personal injury specialists if you have any questions at all about making a claim for a dog bite or attack. Call us on 0161 969 3131 or fill in our contact form and one of the team will be in touch.