£20,000 compensation for a dog bite victim who was told by her solicitors that she had no claim
If you would like a second opinion on your dog bite claim then contact us for a free review.
Mrs A was visiting her parents who had recently adopted a Weimararner for a local rescue centre. She was 6 months pregnant at the time. As Mrs A stroked the dog it suddenly lunged forwards and bit her face and lip causing a serious injury. Because of her pregnancy she had to wait until she had given birth before she could undergo scar revision surgery and treatment.
Mrs A initially instructed local solicitors. They sent a letter of claim on her behalf and received a denial of liability. They asked a barrister to advise and his response was that the claim was unlikely to succeed. The solicitors asked Mrs A for £5,000 on account to continue with her claim.
Mrs A contacted us for a second opinion. We reviewed the file and felt that her previous solicitors and barrister had misunderstood the law. We had no hesitation in offering to work on a No Win No Fee basis.
Almost three years had passed while the previous solicitors dealt with the claim and so we moved quickly and instructed a plastic surgeon and psychologist to prepare reports on Mrs A. A report was also obtained from a cosmetic camouflage expert who provided a list and breakdown of the costs of recommended make-up and skin camouflage that she felt would benefit Mrs A in hiding the remaining scarring.
While the previous solicitor had concentrated efforts in pursuing a claim against the rescue centre we felt that the claim should be redirected towards the dog owners, Mrs A’s parents who were insured.
Agreement couldn’t be reached with the insurers so court proceedings were issued.
We obtained a report from a canine behaviourist who considered that the type of bite Mrs A had suffered was a “level 3” bite and was the result of the dog giving her a “severe warning”. The expert did not accept that this was the first time a dog aged 5 years old would have reacted in this way and also felt that the dog would not have reacted to someone in the manner unless it had suffered a significant traumatic experience or was medically unwell. The dog’s bed was its refuge and approaching the dog while in its bed had led to the bite. That the dog’s owners were not present to influence and control the dog’s behaviour was also significant.
Following disclosure of the report from the canine behaviourist negotiations began and we settled her claim for £20,000.
If you are unhappy with your current solicitors and would like your case reviewed or would like to change solicitors then call our free legal helpline for guidance and we can discuss what has happened and how we can help. We can act on a No Win, No Fee basis.
Remember we are specialists in dog injury claims and are highly experienced in dealing with all aspects of a dog bite compensation claim. We have access to the best dog bite experts and barristers. We represent claimants nationwide and have a near perfect success rate.
For a second opinion on your dog bite claim call freephone 0333 888 0435 or send an email to us at [email protected]