Bitten by a Dog: A Personal Injury Perspective

The PDSA cite that approximately 24% of the adult population in the UK own a dog, that equates to an impressive 8.9 million pet dogs.

It is almost inevitable with any animal that some will have a better temperament than others, and some owners will have better control of their pets than others. But what happens when someone is injured by a dog?

An injury can be caused by way of a dog causing mischief (e.g. a large dog that jumps up at people and pushes them over without any malicious tendencies) or by the owner failing or refusing to control their animal in a proper manner, often leading to bite injuries (especially in younger children) and a fear or uneasiness when around dogs.

Any potential claim would generally require the core elements of any negligence claim to be met, this being:

• Duty of care.
• Breach of the duty by the keeper.
• Injury and or damage and loss.

In addition to the above, there is also specific legislation by way of the Animals Act 1971 which establishes a strict liability in some cases, meaning that it may matter whether the dog has a history of attacking or biting or not.

If you, or a member of your family, have been unfortunate enough to have been bitten by a dog or attacked by a dog belonging to someone else then please enquire through our website, call us or pop into our free legal advice surgery every Thursday from 5PM – 6PM to see if you have a claim.