Animal Attack Claims.
Animal attacks can happen in a variety of situations. Injuries can be caused by domestic pets, horses, cattle but by far the most common source of an animal injury claim is a dog bite. Animal attacks work in the same way as other accident compensation claims in that if you suffer an injury that was not your fault then you may have a case for compensation. Any pain or suffering that you have endured as a direct result of the attack along with any medical expenses or loss of earnings will be taken into account when calculating the compensation amount.
It is quite easy to own a dog and unfortunately some people keep animals without giving them the appropriate training or the experience of socialising with other dogs. These sorts of dogs who have been mistreated in such a way are potentially very dangerous animals as they cannot be controlled and their behaviour could be unpredictable and volatile. Other dog owners decide to equip their pet with inappropriate training in a bid to make the animal dangerous and threatening. This is even more frightening behaviour than those who neglect to train their dogs at all. Some people use dogs as a sort of status symbol and the dog is effectively used as a weapon to protect the owner and threaten others.
These sorts of dogs can be very dangerous to be around as attacks can happen when least expected. An attack can occur when a family is out for a walk and they encounter a loose or dangerous dog. In a situation like this, the natural reaction would be to protect your family or to protect the dog from an attack from another animal, but this could result that you end up being the victim of the attack. In a case like this if you have become injured then it is your right to make a claim for compensation.
It is true that dogs are by far the most likely domestic attacker, but any animal is capable of an attack if they are feeling threatened. It is a natural reaction for an animal to protect themselves if they are being put in a situation of risk, but it is when animals attack for no reason that an owner may be found responsible for the behaviour of their pet. It is the responsibility of a pet owner to properly train an animal and to keep them properly confined if needed. They should also warn others if their pet has any tendency to aggressive behaviour. For example, if a dog has been trained to be a guard dog then it is likely to be protective of its owner and aggressive towards strangers. In this case any stranger needs to be notified of this potentially dangerous situation by the owner. A domestic animal should be appropriately trained so that they would never attack a human unless that human was physically abusing them and this is an obligation that a pet owner takes on when they obtain an animal.
Some breeds of dogs are inherently more aggressive than others. This needs to be taken into account when choosing a dog breed. Also, many dogs can be naturally very territorial and it is the responsibility of the owner to make sure that they do not come into contact with other people in order to avoid any potentially dangerous situations.
It is important to remember that a compensation award is not automatic following an animal accident. In general the owner will not be held liable for the accident unless the dog has previously shown a tendency to attack or aggressive behaviour.If this is the case then the claim will be stronger. When dealing with a domestic dog attack claim, personal injury lawyers have to follow the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 which will increase the liability of the owner/keeper if a dog is dangerously out of control in a public place.
If you think you have a case to make an animal attack injury claim then contact Accident Consult for impartial, professional advice on how to pursue your claim.
Tags: accident compensation claims, animal attacks, dog bite, dog owners, dogs, horses, loss of earnings, medical expenses, nbsp, sorts, status symbol |
