Injuries caused by animals
We have experience in acting for people who have been injured by an animal including wild animals, cows, dogs and horses. This area of the law is covered by the Animals Act 1971 and includes clams for injuries where animals may have attacked or bitten humans.
This is a complex area of the law and depends on the animal, circumstances and the injury caused to determine whether a claim can be successful.
Contact us and seek specialist advice from one of our personal injury lawyers. You can either fill out our online enquiry form, request a call back or call us direct on 0800 915 4650.
For a claim to succeed it must be shown that the animal in question was known to have "dangerous" characteristics and that the owner failed to take adequate precautions to prevent their animal causing injury.
Dog attacks
The Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 forbids people to own or have in their possession four types of dog:
- the Pit Bull Terrier
- the Japanese tosa
- the Dogo Argentino
- the Fila Brasileiro
It is also an offence for a dog to be dangerously out of control in a public place. If the out of control dog injures any person, it is classed as an aggravated offence under this act.
A person found guilty of an offence may face imprisonment or a fine, and the courts may disqualify the offender from having custody of a dog for any period.
Road Accidents Involving Animals
The owners and keepers of animals also have a duty to ensure that they maintain adequate levels of security for their animals. This includes taking all reasonable measures to prevent their animals from straying onto roads.
Unfortunately, animals do stray onto the roads and cause accidents. If it can be shown that the owner or keeper of an animal involved in an accident failed to uphold the safety of road users, then a claim for that persons injuries may be made.
However, this area of law is complicated and as with any animal injury claim is always dependant on the circumstances of the case.
Our Road Traffic Accident team are specialists in this area and will be happy to offer you free advice regarding your accident.
If you are involved in a collision with an animal, the Road Traffic Acts require that you report such collisions to the Police in certain circumstances. If you hit a dog, horse or other farm animal you must report this. If you hit a cat or a wild animal you are not required to inform the Police, however you must ensure that the animal is not injured or suffering.
