Each year, 6,000 people are bitten by dogs in the UK and receive injuries severe enough to require hospital treatment.
A lot is made in the media of attacks in which dangerous dogs with negligent owners result in deaths but in reality these are extremely rare. A report written 5 years ago showed that the since 1998, the number of injuries sustained in dog attacks was up by 50%. Children were only injured in a fifth of these cases however it was often children who were unfortunate enough to receive the most horrific injuries.
The hidden extent of dog attacks
It is thought that well over 90% of dog bites go unreported and the NHS fears that this number is increasing every year.
Being attacked by a dog can have horrible physical and emotional consequences from bone fractures, scars and disfigurement to stress and anxiety. It is only right that victims claim compensation for the financial loss, pain and suffering they incur so that they can pay for plastic surgery and survive during time off work for example.
There are many more dog attacks in urban areas than anywhere else. The West Midlands has seen the number of dog attacks go up by four fifths in the last 5 years and there were twice as many attacks in London last year as there were in 2008. The NHS believes that these figure are the tip of the iceberg as the overwhelming majority of fog bites go unreported.
Various mastiffs and pitbull terriers are now illegal in the UK thanks to the Dangerous Dogs Act but these are not the only dogs which can cause serious damage and even death.
Dog Bite Compensation Claims – what you need to do first
Taking the following steps can make the claims process much easier:
• Get the details of the owner and the dog
• Seek medical treatment urgently!
• Ask for the details of any witnesses
• Contact the police and get a crime reference number if applicable
• Find out if anyone else has been bitten by the dog
• Keep financial records of your losses e.g. receipts for medical expenses and travel, payslips from before and after the accident and invoices
21 year olds can claim if the dog bit them when they were 18 or younger at the time but for everyone else, a strict 3 year time limit from the time of the bite applies.
Expert advice on how to claim compensation following a dog bite? Call us now
Our compensation claim solicitors can help you to win every penny you deserve following a dog attack.
- For FREE initial advice, a FREE first appointment, and specialist advice on how to make a compensation claim under a no win no fee agreement, call us now on 0800 1404544, or
- Fill out the contact form below.
