Over £14,000 in compensation for a lady attacked by out of control dog

Truth Legal was able to assist a lady to recover personal injury compensation after she suffered significant facial injuries in a dog attack. The attack was sudden and completely unexpected and left her with scarring and psychological symptoms.

With Truth Legal’s help, she recovered over £14,000 to compensate her for her injuries and the costs of future treatment.

A sudden and terrifying dog attack

Patricia* was walking along a street near to her home, on her way to collect her son from school. As she passed by one house, its front door opened and a large dog – a German Shepherd – ran out, barking aggressively. Before she knew it, the dog escaped the garden, ran out onto the footpath and attacked her, biting her face. She managed to push the dog away with difficulty, before the dog’s owner came out and got the animal under control. A neighbour also came out to attend to Patricia, who was bleeding badly; she had a nasty cut on her lip as a result of the attack.

Patricia had been past the house many times before, but the dog had only recently arrived at the property. It had often barked at passers-by, but Patricia had never expected the dog to get loose and bite her.

After the attack, the police were contacted and an ambulance was called for Patricia, who was taken to hospital.

Over 20 stitches

At the hospital, Patricia’s wound to her upper lip was cleaned and treated. It needed over 20 stitches to close the cut. As it healed, the wound left Patricia with a visible scar, a loss of movement to her mouth and numbness in the affected area. The attack had also chipped one of her upper teeth.

The ordeal had been terrifying for Patricia and she developed a number of psychological symptoms in the aftermath. She found that she was extremely anxious around dogs, and even the sound of a dog barking nearby was enough to make her recall the attack. Her physical symptoms and scarring also affected her mood and her enjoyment of life.

She contacted Truth Legal to discuss claiming personal injury compensation for the dog attack.

Truth Legal is instructed

Patricia was connected with Catherine Reynolds, the Head of Personal Injury at Truth Legal. Catherine investigated the attack’s circumstances and contacted the dog owner’s insurance company to make them aware of the claim.

Catherine put forward Patricia’s personal injury claim on the basis of the Animals Act 1971. Essentially, the claim’s foundation was that the dog owner had been aware of the dog’s aggressive characteristics and they had been negligent in failing to control the dog or to otherwise protect people from the danger this represented.

Initially, the insurers denied liability, stating that the dog had no history of aggressive behaviour, though this was contrary to reports from people who lived nearby. However, when it emerged that the dog owner had been charged with, and pleaded guilty to, criminal offences under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 due to the attack, the insurers admitted their responsibility to compensate Patricia.

To document Patricia’s injuries, Catherine arranged for a plastic surgeon’s report. Then, on Patricia’s instructions, Catherine put an offer to settle the claim to the dog owner’s insurers. This included consideration of the injuries Patricia had suffered, the way in which her life had been affected, and the anticipated costs of future treatment to help camouflage the facial scarring.

The offer was accepted and Patricia received just over £14,000 in compensation.

In addition, as a result of the criminal case against them, the dog’s owner was sentenced to a 2-year Community Order with supervision, and was also ordered to pay Patricia compensation in the sum of £2,000. This brought the total sum of compensation which Patricia received to just under £17,000.

Through Catherine’s diligence and perseverance, Patricia was able to recover the compensation she deserved.

Have you been injured in a dog attack?

If you have been injured as a result of a dog attack, you may be able to recover compensation for the injuries and other negative effects that you have suffered. Contact Truth Legal today for a free, no-obligation consultation.

*All names have been changed to maintain the confidentiality of our client