Dog bites are the most common type of animal injury in the UK and the numbers continue to rise.
In July 2023 it was reported that there has been an 80% leap in those needing surgery for dog bites; over the last year more than 30,000 have had to have treatment in the last year with nearly 3,500 needing to have reconstructive operations. Admissions to hospitals also rose 5.9% compared with 2022 with 9,336 people being admitted; this is a 50% rise in ten years.
27% of the UK adult population have a dog; as of the end of last year, 2022, the estimated number of dogs kept as pets in the UK is 12.5 million.
If you are injured because of a dog bite or other type of attack by a dog, you may well be able to make a claim for compensation against the owner. Most owners will have either specific pet insurance or alternatively may be covered by their household insurance policy for any compensation that a victim successfully makes a claim for, in the event of their suffering personal injury caused by a dog bite.
If there is no insurance in force to cover this eventuality, then it may be possible to make a claim for compensation under the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority, or to make a claim against the dog owner even though there is no insurance in place. With a CICA claim you have two years from the date of the incident to submit an application to the CICA.
If you have been bitten by a dog and wish to consider making a claim but are unsure as to whether you have a claim that can be pursued and the means by which you should do so, please contact one of our specialist personal injury lawyers at Truth Legal. It is worth pointing out that, as in all cases involving making a claim for compensation following an animal attack which causes personal injury, you only have three years within which to start your claim (though there can be some exceptions).
If you’d like to know more about claiming with us, read our blog:
