Mrs C was employed by the council and was asked to inspect a wall near to the Defendant’s property which had been struck by a drunk driver.
As she was walking on the road near to the entrance gates of the Defendants’ property they opened their front door to put out the bins. This allowed their dog out of the house and it ran up to Mrs C who was still outside the gates.
The dog barked before biting Mrs C’s leg. Mrs C attended A&E where she was prescribed antibiotics and she had a tetanus injection. The wound was cleaned and dressed and she was told to elevate it. Slee Blackwell were instructed and sent a letter of claim to the dog owners.
Rather than pass the matter onto their insurers they replied personally. They denied liability, disputed Mrs C’s version of events but made an offer of £250.00 in settlement of the Claimant’s claim. The offer was rejected.
As it became clear that the dog owners seemed reluctant to involve their insurers Slee Blackwell began to take steps to gather evidence in support of Mrs C’s claim so that court proceedings could be issued if required. Medical evidence was obtained from a Consultant Plastic Surgeon and this report was sent to the dog owners along with details of Mrs C’s losses and expenses and an offer to settle.
Shortly afterwards a response was received from representatives of the dog owners insurers confirming that they were now investigating. Following negotiations an agreement was reached and Mrs C received her compensation which was well in excess of the original £250 offer!