A dog attack can lead to multiple serious injuries and additional medical complications. This guide examines how to make a dog bite compensation claim following being attacked by an out-of-control dog.
You will see information on the laws concerning dangerous dogs and how to claim if an owner’s negligence results in you being injured by their dog. We have also provided an explanation of how personal injury compensation is calculated.
Our panel of experienced solicitors have considerable expertise in dealing with personal injury claims. We discuss the benefits available to you when you decide to make a dog bite claim with a No Win No Fee solicitor.
Our advisors are available to answer your questions, explain the dog bite compensation claims process and assess your eligibility to claim. Talk to our team today using the contact information provided here;
- Call us on 0800 408 7825
- Contact us online
Browse Our Guide
- Can You Make A Dog Bite Compensation Claim?
- How To Make A Dog Bite Compensation Claim
- What Is The Time Limit When Making A Claim For A Dog Bite?
- How Much Compensation For A Dog Bite?
- Claim For Dog Bite Injuries On A No Win No Fee Basis
- More Resources About Dog Bite Injury Claims
Can You Make A Dog Bite Compensation Claim?
Section 3 of The Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 states that a dog owner or persons responsible for the dog (such as a dog walker) should ensure the dog is not dangerously out of control. If a failure to keep control of a dog results in another being injured, that individual has committed an offence.
You may be able to claim through the owner’s insurance policy if you can show that your injury was caused by an out-of-control dog or the dog has bitten before. You could still claim if there is no insurance, although we will discuss this later.
Common Causes Of Dog Bites
There are a few different factors that could cause dog attacks to occur. These circumstances can include but are not limited to:
- A lack of training
- A dog being off the lead or having an unsuitable lead.
- No muzzle on the dog when the owner knows it has a bad temperament.
- Deliberate antagonisation of the dog by the owner.
- Fights with other dogs
- The dog is a banned breed under The Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, and the owner has taken no preventative measures.
Talk to our advisors today to learn more about the eligibility criteria for a dog bite compensation claim.
How To Make A Dog Bite Compensation Claim
In order to make a dog bite compensation claim, you will need to provide evidence showing the person in charge of the dog at the time was negligent for example, the dog was out of control, or a muzzle was missing evening though the dog had bitten before. You will also need to provide evidence of the injury you suffered. Some examples of evidence that you could collect to support your dog bite claim can include:
- Medical records from the treatment for the bite. A dog bite of any severity needs immediate medical attention because of the potential for infection. The records from this treatment, such as copies of your blood test results or x-rays if a broken bone is suspected, can then be used as evidence.
- A police report of the incident if they attended the scene.
- Information from the owner. Make sure you have their contact details.
- You can also submit photographs of your injuries and the dog in question.
- CCTV of the attack may be available.
What Injuries Could Be Sustained In A Dog Attack?
Any dog bite can cause injuries, although larger and more powerful breeds have the potential to cause more serious harm. Some possible injuries include:
- Cuts and lacerations.
- Soft tissue injuries.
- Scarring
- Loss of appendages, a broken wrist or other injuries to the hands and arms.
- Infections and other complications.
If our advisors decide you are eligible to claim, one of the highly experienced solicitors from our panel could help you acquire evidence. Talk to the team today for your free assessment or to learn more about the personal injury claims process using the contact information given below.
What Is The Time Limit When Making A Claim For A Dog Bite?
The typical personal injury claims time limit is 3 years from the accident date, as per the Limitation Act 1980. In certain cases, this limit can be extended:
- Minors: if the injured person is under 18 at the time of the bite, they are unable to claim for themselves until they reach adulthood, at which point the 3-year limit is counted from their 18th birthday. Before they turn 18 years old, a responsible adult can apply to the court to be a litigation friend to make a claim on their behalf.
- Those of reduced mental capacity: If the injured person lacks the mental capacity to claim for themselves, the time limit is paused indefinitely. Under these circumstances, the court could appoint a litigation friend to pursue the claim on the injured person’s behalf. If the claimant regains enough mental capacity to make their own claim and one has not been started, the 3-year time limit will begin.
Can You Claim For Dog Bites If The Owner Has No Insurance?
If the dog has been used as a weapon in a violent attack, a claim could be made through the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA), an executive agency of the UK government established to give the victims of violent crimes a means of claiming compensation.
To find out more about making a criminal injury claim, or to learn more about which time limit applies in your particular circumstances, call our advisors today.
How Much Compensation For A Dog Bite?
A personal injury settlement following a successful dog bite compensation claim can be made up of two different heads of loss:
- General damages: compensation for the physical and psychological harm.
- Special Damages, compensation for monetary losses.
Calculating a possible compensation figure is something a solicitor could assist you with. The legal team responsible for this task can use your medical documents, with the Judicial College Guidelines, to work out a potential value.
The JCG is a detailed publication containing compensation guidelines for various injuries, some of which you can see here. Please note that the top entry was not taken from the JCG
Compensation Table
This information has been included to act as guidance only.
| Type of Injury | Severity | Guideline Compensation Value |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple Very Severe Injuries With Significant Special Damages | Very Severe | Up to £500,000 + |
| Leg Injuries | Severe (b)(i) | £117,460 to £165,860 |
| Severe (b)(iv) | £33,880 to £47,840 | |
| Hand Injuries | Total or Effective Loss of Both Hands (a) | £171,680 to £245,900 |
| Total or Effective Loss of One Hand (c) | £117,360 to £133,810 | |
| Severe Finger Fractures (f) | Up to £44,840 | |
| Facial Disfigurement | Very Severe Scarring (a) | £36,340 to £118,790 |
| General Psychological Harm | Moderately Severe (b) | £23,270 to £66,920 |
| Moderate (c) | £7,150 to £23,270 |
|
| Scarring To Other Parts Of The Body | Single Disfiguring Scar | £9,560 to £27,740 |
Special Damages
You may also receive special damages payments as part of your compensation payout. The physical damage caused by the dog bite could result in serious and life-changing injuries that affect your ability to work, drive, or care for yourself.
It is very often the case that special damages payments, due to the fact they are awarded for both current and future losses, will be of higher value than compensation for general damages. Examples include:
- Loss of earnings
- Medical costs
- Childcare
- Travel expenses
- Care needs
This section is intended to serve as guidance only. Since every personal injury claim is different, we can’t make any guarantees here. To get a more detailed estimate of the value of your potential claim or to learn more about the dog bite claims process, contact our advisors today.
Claim For Dog Bite Injuries On A No Win No Fee Basis
If our advisory team deems your potential dog bite compensation claim as valid, one of the specialist personal injury solicitors from our panel could take on your case. Our panel can offer legal services on a No Win No Fee basis with a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA).
Claiming with a CFA gives you some very desirable benefits. In most cases, there’ll be no fees for the solicitor to begin work on your case or fees for that work during the claim. There will also be no fee for this work if the claim is unsuccessful.
You will receive a personal injury compensation award should your claim succeed. A percentage of this will go to the solicitor as their success fee. Success fees are legally capped by The Conditional Fee Agreements Order 2013.
Our advisors are available to answer your questions, explain the claims process and assess your eligibility to claim. Talk to our team today using the contact information provided here;
- Call us on 0800 408 7825.
- Contact us online
More Resources About Dog Bite Injury Claims
You can browse some of the other injury claim guides on our website:
- Read our dog bite compensation case study guide here.
- Find out if you could be eligible to claim for an accident in a public park if you suffered injuries.
- Read our guidance on what to do if a third party is not admitting liability following your accident.
We have also provided these external resources for your reference:
- Get advice on animal bites from the NHS.
- Read the Government guidance on controlling your dog in public.
- Find out about claiming Statutory Sick Pay on the Government website.
Thank you for reading this guide to making a dog bite compensation claim. For further guidance to find out if you could be eligible to claim, talk to our advisors using the contact details given above.