Child bitten by a dog receives compensation of £45,000
When our client was just seven years old, she was attacked and bitten by a Husky dog whilst on holiday with her parents at a touring caravan park. She had been playing with another little girl and had asked if she could go to her caravan to play with some toys. Her mum and dad understood that this was to be under the supervision of her friend’s parents.
They were not aware that dog was chained up between a wind-breaker and awning.
When our client saw the dog she did not like the look of it and decided not to go near it. However her friend’s parents encouraged her to approach the dog and led her towards it. When she got close the dog jumped up, knocking her to the ground and viciously bit the girl’s lower right cheek and jaw, causing serious facial injuries.
Her parents took her to hospital where she underwent a two hour operation and required 32 stitches to the wound. She sustained a deep jagged laceration from her right cheek down to the area beneath her cheek and was left with significant and permanent cosmetic scarring.
Unfortunately, she suffered teasing at school as a result of her scarring and developed a significant psychiatric condition, including post traumatic stress, separation anxiety and reduced self confidence and self esteem.
Dog bite Solicitors Slee Blackwell were asked to represent the girl in making a compensation claim. we agreed to work on a No Win, No Fee basis and arranged for medical reports to be obtained from a Child Psychiatrist and a Consultant Plastic Surgeon. A report was also obtained from a Skin Camouflage Expert.
The dog owner was fortunately insured and their insurers agreed to fund a course of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for our client to aid her recovery. The treatment meant that there was a significant improvement of her psychological symptoms.
Although formal legal responsibility for the attack was never admitted, following negotiations and advice from a specialist personal injury barrister settlement of the claim was agreed.
As our client was under 18 the settlement had to be approved by the Court at an Infant Approval Settlement Hearing. Shortly before that hearing the Government announced a change to the law which determines how compensation is calculated. This acted to our client’s advantage and enabled us to increase the compensation package to £45,00.00 which was approved by the Courts.