Man bitten by a farm dog wins compensation
If you have been bitten by a farm dog you may be entitled to claim compensation on a no win, no fee basis. Find out by contacting our free legal helpline on 0333 888 0435 or sending an email to [email protected]
People sometimes think that farm dogs are not subject to the same laws as domestic pet dogs, but that is not the case, as this real life case-study shows.
Mr B was running on a public trail known as the West Devon Way on Christmas Eve 2020 when they came to a farm and riding yard. The public right of way passed very close to the yard. As he and his wife jogged past a pack of dogs came rushing out of the yard and surrounded them, barking and snapping. Despite yelling for help the owner did not appear and one of the dogs bit Mr B on the side of his leg.
Mr B sought medical advice from NHS 111. As it was Christmas Eve and in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic he was unable to get an appointment to see his GP. He did however go to his local minor injuries unit for treatment where the bite was dressed and he was given a tetanus injection.
Mr B subsequently emailed the farm to let them know what had happened. He received an apology from the farmer who owned the dog which had bitten him.
Mr B approached us about claiming compensation and we agreed to deal with his claim on a No Win No Fee basis.
We sent a Letter of Claim to the farmer detailing what had happened and why we considered him to be legally responsible for Mr B’s injuries even if that particular dog did not have a history of biting people. The farmer passed the letter to his insurers who very quickly accepted fault for what had happened.
Fortunately, the bite had healed well. However Mr B remained nervous around dogs when out and about.
We arranged for him to be assessed by an independent doctor who prepared a report. The doctor thought it likely that the anxiety would improve as time passed, but expected that Mr B would always be a little more wary than usual about dogs when he was out walking or running.
After a period of negotiation with the insurance company we negotiated an out of court settlement for Mr B which he was extremely pleased with. He said, “Making a claim with Slee Blackwell was extremely straightforward. Elizabeth kept me completely up to date with what was happening and answered all my questions. She made the whole thing stress free and I am delighted with the outcome.”
If you have been bitten by a farm dog you may be entitled to make a no win, no fee compensation claim. Contact our free helpline to find out