Animal injury claims cover a wide range of circumstances wherein an individual has been injured directly by an animal or indirectly as a result of an animal’s actions.
In the UK, dog attacks and dog bites are the two most common types of animal injury claims that are made. Other animal injury claims involve road traffic accidents caused by animals on the road and injuries caused by animals at a zoo. Regardless of where or how the animal injury occurred, you may be entitled to file a compensation claim for your injuries.
According to the Animals Act, which was introduced in the year 1971, animal owners and handlers are legally required to make sure that the animal in their care does not hurt or injure anybody. In case of an injury, the animal owner or the person who was in charge of the animal at the time of the accident is held liable. This Act imposes strict penalties on the owners of animals that cause any kind of damage or injury to others.
Why You Should File an Animal Injury Claim
Owning an animal comes with many responsibilities and ensuring that other people are not hurt or injured because of the animal is one of them. If that animal attacks or injures another person without any provocation, then the owner is liable to pay compensation for the injuries sustained.
If you have been injured by an animal, you may be entitled to seek compensation for the following:
- The cost of treatment for physical injuries sustained
- Having to take time off from work and the resultant loss of income
- All expenses associated with the necessary medical treatment including travel expenses
- Damage to your vehicle or other property
Please give us a call or send us an email should you need help or require more information regarding an animal injury claim.
What You Should Do Immediately After An Animal Attack
Seeking immediate medical attention after an animal attack is of paramount importance for two reasons. In some cases, animal bites can be fatal and at the time of the incident, it can be impossible to know whether it is or isn’t fatal. The best thing you can do is to get the wounds cleaned out and treated as quickly as possible to prevent any potential complications. Secondly, even if the animal has received its vaccinations on schedule, a medical report acts as irrefutable proof that you were injured by an animal. This will give considerable weight to your claim for compensation.
After you are medically cleared, the next thing you need to do is to file a report at the closest police station. Depending on the circumstances, the police will take steps to ensure that nobody else is at risk of being attacked by that animal.
Two more things you can do to help support your case are:
- Get photographs of the injury and if possible of the animal involved.
- Get the contact details of as many people who were at the scene at that time and who witnessed the attack.
Getting A Personal Injury Solicitor To Represent You Is Important
Filing an animal injury compensation claim may seem pretty straightforward. The animal did injure you and therefore you are entitled to compensation for your pain and financial losses. However, it’s not all that simple. The animal’s owner is likely to dispute your claim, which means you have to be aware of all the legalities involved in order to be successful.
Instead of taking such a huge risk, it is far better to hire a personal injury solicitor who is experienced in animal injury claims to fight your case. These solicitors are familiar with all of the legal clauses that are relevant to your case and they know how to use it to present a strong case that will help you get the compensation you deserve.
The best part about hiring a personal injury solicitor to help you file your animal injury claim is that you will not have to pay any upfront fee. Our solicitors work under a Conditional Fee Arrangement. Under this arrangement, you are not required to pay any upfront or ongoing fees while the case is in progress. You will only have to pay an agreed-upon amount if your claim is successful and after the compensation amount has been deposited into your account.
There is no fixed settlement amount that is awarded for an animal injury. The final amount that you can expect to receive will depend on the extent of the injury and the after-effects, your actual medical expenses and the actual and potential loss of earnings.
