If you have not been injured in a violent dog attack, but you witnessed a violent dog attack, it is unlikely you will have a strong case for compensation. One could argue emotional and psychological trauma from such an incident, however without any physical injuries, it would be incredibly difficult to make a substantial claim for compensation.
To make a claim, you really do need to have been attacked by a dog yourself. Merely witnessing somebody else be attacked is not sufficient grounds to make a claim. If you have been bitten by a dog, then it is possible to make a claim for bite compensation from a dog. If this is the case, your claim will be against the owner of the dog. Because of this, there is a chance that your claim will go to court, because the owner of the dog may not have the financial means to pay your compensation demand, regardless of their liability.
You can make a claim for a wide range of injuries relating to a dog attack, including amputation or loss of a limb including fingers and toes, facial disfigurement, penetrating wounds, scarring, scalping and post-traumatic stress. The more severe your injuries are, then the more compensation you will be entitled to. For example, for the loss of a thumb and a finger on your main hand you could be owed over £10,000. However, your recovery period from your injuries and your prognosis for the future also play a part in determining a fair and proportionate settlement. Your solicitor will review all of the evidence available to them and set up a medical examination to ascertain the extent of your injuries. From this, a fair and proportionate compensation figure will be determined.
Furthermore, you won’t be paying your solicitors fees out of your own pocket under a no win, no fee agreement. These fees will either be recovered from the other side or they will be taken from your compensation amount (the law states this must be no more than 25% of the claim value). If your claim loses, then you won’t have to pay your own solicitor’s fees, but you may be billed by the other side. Whatever the case, your solicitor will explain all of this to you before you sign an agreement. If you are unsure about anything relating to the claims process, ask your solicitor. They are obligated to act in your best interests.
Lastly, your case will be made and based on either the Animals Act 1971, the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 or the Dangerous Dogs (Amendment) Act 1997. To find out more about these Acts, simply copy and paste them into Google.
