When you’re bitten or attacked by a dog, it can be terrifying and leave you with severe physical injuries and emotional trauma. Our dog bite injury lawyers are experienced in helping people make dog bite compensation claims. We make sure you can access the support and rehabilitation you need to make the best recovery possible.
Our dog bite solicitors are friendly and approachable. We’ll be here to support you every step of the way.
Dog owners and handlers have a responsibility to prevent their dog from acting dangerously and harming other people. Injuries caused by dogs aren’t limited to attacks and bites. Dog injuries can also mean a dog running into the road and causing an accident, or if you’re knocked down by a dog jumping up at you.
If you’ve been injured in an accident involving a dog, we could help you claim compensation and get access to the right support. Contact our team to start your claim.
Can I claim compensation for a dog bite?
Our team can handle many types of dog injury claim for you. We’ve helped people make claims related to:
- Tradespeople/delivery workers/care staff harmed on private property by uncontrolled dogs
- Dog bites/attacks
- Children bitten by dogs
- Road traffic accidents caused by dogs (includes cyclists and horse riders)
- Injuries caused by livestock such as cows, that were spooked by a dog.
Dogs should always be under the handler’s control, whether on or off lead. If you’ve been attacked or bitten by a dog that wasn’t yours, you could claim compensation.
Why choose Irwin Mitchell to handle your dog bite claim?
We’ve a specialist team of animal injury solicitors who understand what you’re going through. We’ve experience helping people who’ve been attacked by dogs, as well as those who’ve been injured because of an uncontrolled dog. Their expertise will be used to get you the best outcome.
Our experts will make sure you understand everything that’s happening throughout your claim. They’ll be there to answer any questions you have and make sure you make informed decisions.
While your claim is ongoing, and afterwards, you’ll have access to our Support and Rehabilitation Coordinators. They’re trained clinical experts who’ll help you get the best possible rehabilitation to make the best recovery you can.
When you need to discuss your claim with your solicitor, our UK-wide offices have confidential spaces you can comfortably chat about your claim. We can also arrange phone or video calls or arrange to meet you at an appropriate location if needed.
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Dog Bite Claims - More Information
When you reach out to us, you’ll be given a time for a free initial consultation. During this, we’ll listen to what’s happened to you and advise you on whether you can make a claim. It’s also here we’ll discuss funding options, such as no win no fee claims.
If you decide to use our services, we’ll start by gathering evidence to build your case. This evidence could be images of the dog bite, medical records, any witness statements, and any CCTV that’s available. We’ll also use an independent medical professional to assess how your dog attack injuries will impact your life.
We’ll always try and negotiate claims out of court, keeping the claim process as short as we can. However, if the owner of the dog doesn’t accept responsibility or we can’t agree on a compensation amount, your claim might need to go to court.
If they do accept responsibility, we’ll try to get you interim payments. These can help cover any costs you’ve already had and loss of earnings.
You’ve three years from the date of the incident caused by a dog to make a claim.
There are exceptions to this rule:
- Children – the three-year limit doesn’t until they turn 18, meaning they’ve until their 21st birthday to start their claim
- Mental capacity – there are no time limits for a person who lacks the mental capacity to claim on their own behalf.
We can discuss more about time limits for making a dog injury bite claim when you contact our team.
There’s no set amount of dog bite compensation you can claim. Once we know the circumstances of your accident, we can give more detail to you.
We’ll take several things into account to work out how much compensation you should get:
- How severe your dog related injuries are and how well you’ve been able recover
- The costs of your current and future medical care
- If you’ve lost (or will lose) any income through work absence or unemployment
- Any costs to adapt your home or vehicle, needed because of your injury
- Training costs for alternative employment where appropriate
- Expenses you’ve had to pay because of your injury (such as getting to and from medical appointments).
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Dog Bite Claims – Miriam's Story
Miriam was walking home from work at the Old Vic theatre in London when she was attacked by a Rottweiler.
The dog wasn’t wearing a muzzle and Miriam’s injuries were so severe that she was taken to A & E and later transferred St Georges Hospital, where she had to have stitches under general anaesthetic for the three bite wounds to her arm.
The attack has left her with permanent scarring, and she now has a fear of dogs – which can make it difficult for her to feel safe going out of the house as there are many dog walkers in her area.
We secured a four figure settlement to go towards Miriam’s loss of earnings and counselling to help her cope with the incident.
![Louise Binks]()
“Thankfully in this case the dog owner had suitable insurance to cover Miss Spencer’s injuries and she has been able to access the counselling she now needs to help her overcome the attack." - Louise Binks, Solicitor
![Dog Bite Client]()
“I’m extremely relieved that I can start to put the attack behind me thanks to the settlement and hopefully the counselling will help. I hope that my case will act as a reminder to dog owners of the need to keep control of their pets and to use a muzzle when walking in public places.” - Miriam, Client
Frequently Asked Questions
What injuries could a dog bite cause?
We’ve helped clients claim for several injuries caused by a dog bite. This includes:
- Nerve damage
- Facial scars
- Cuts and lacerations
- Infections
- Bruises and soft tissue damage
- Psychological impact.
What should I do if I’ve been hurt by a dog?
If you’re bitten by a dog, you should contact the police as soon as possible to report the incident. You should also seek medical help, keeping any receipts for prescriptions, travel costs to medical appointments or for any private care you might have.
We advise you to take photos of your injury immediately after the incident and document any scarring that follows. These photos can be used as evidence to back up your claim.
You should try to get the name and address of the dog’s owner as they have a duty of care to keep their dog under control. You should also collect the details of any witnesses who saw the incident as their statements can be used as evidence.
Related Information - Dog Bite Claims
All Scottish cases will be handled by the Scottish law firm with which we are associated, Irwin Mitchell Scotland LLP. The law relating to funding is different in Scotland and you will receive separate advice about what that means as well as a separate funding agreement.
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