A student who was bitten by a friend’s dog has received compensation
If you have been bitten by a friend’s dog and are looking for experienced solicitors to recover compensation on a no win, no fee basis then contact our free helpline for a case assessment. Call freephone 0333 888 0435 or email [email protected]
Our client, Miss E, was sitting on the sofa at her friend’s house watching television. The family dog, a West Highland Terrier, was lying with his head on Miss E’s lap and the other half of his body on the sofa. Miss E said the dog had been lying in this position for approximately ten minutes and was either asleep or dozing. She needed to use the bathroom and gently put her arms around the dog’s body and gave him a gentle nudge to move him off her lap. However, without any warning, the dog turned and bit Miss E’s upper lip.
The owner of the dog denied responsibility for what had occurred from the outset. In addition the owner’s categorically denied the Miss E’s version of events, saying that she had shouted “Bah!” at the dog before it bit her. We nevertheless agreed to take the case on and work on a no win, no fee basis.
We did a little bit of detective work and obtained hospital records that had been written within a hour of the bite happening. These notes confirmed Miss E’s version of events and confirmed quite clearly that she had been bitten while trying to move a dog off her lap.
We also obtained a report from a canine behavioural expert in respect of the dog’s behaviour both prior to the incident taking place and his behaviour when the incident occurred.
Armed with this evidence we made an offer to settle the claim out of court. The offer was rejected by the dog’s owner so the only way forward was for us to issue and serve court proceedings.
When witness statements were exchanged it became apparent that the dog owner’s main witness hadn’t actually seen the dog bite Miss E and wasn’t able to say if the “Bah!” sound he heard came before, or after she was bitten! In a final attempt to avoid legal liability the owners of the dog made an application to the Court for their own expert report, but they had left it too late and the request was denied by the court.
Shortly after this an out of court settlement was reached, with Miss E receiving compensation for her injuries and her legal costs.
If you have been bitten by a friend’s dog then give us a call or send us an email and our lawyers will quickly assess your case and explain how they can help you recover the compensation you deserve.