Animal Injury Claims

While bumps and bruises often happen when working with and riding horses, more serious injuries can be life-changing and prevent you from enjoying horses in the future.

A kick from a horse could leave serious bruising or broken bones. Falling from a horse, especially at speed, can have devastating consequences, including spinal damage, head injury and paralysis.

If riding a horse on a road, it’s likely that you will come across travelling vehicles. Most of the time, there is a mutual respect and common courtesy between drivers and horse riders. Drivers should slow down to pass horses on the road.

But this isn’t always the case. If you believe a driver could’ve caused your accident, you could make a claim.

While riders and those working with horses know that a certain amount of risk is involved, they also have a right to protection from preventable accidents.

If you work at a stable, livery yard, trekking centre or similar, your employer must make sure that:

• They provide you with the correct equipment and training
• Their facilities meet safety requirements
• They give you horses you're capable of handling.

If any animal has a history of aggressive or unpredictable behaviour, your employer should tell you. These precautions also apply if you’re taking riding lessons or going on a hack.

While falls sometimes happen at competitions and gymkhanas, venue owners and event organisers must make sure that the correct safety measures are in place. Common examples of negligence include:

• Faulty jumps
• Unsuitable riding surfaces
• Obstacles left in the wrong place
• Insufficient barriers between the riding area and the audience.

In certain circumstances, the owner or keeper of the horse may be strictly liable for the injuries you sustained. Our specialist lawyers will discuss your accident circumstances with you and advise you about a possible claim.

Although cows are generally docile, they can be unpredictable, and you may be  injured while working with them. We could help you make a claim if a cow injures you.

We can also help if you’ve been injured, despite not working with cows directly. Without the correct safety measures, cows can escape their enclosures, stampede, or become very distressed. They can then endanger or injure other farmworkers as well as their handlers. Your employer has a duty of care to make sure you’re as safe as possible at work, whether you work with the animals yourself or not.

If you’ve been injured by a cow while at work, our lawyers are here to help.

We’ve helped clients claim for several injuries caused by a dog bite. This includes:

• Nerve damage
• Facial scars
• Cuts and lacerations
• Infections
• Bruises and soft tissue damage
• Psychological impact.

Under the Animals Act 1971, any person who keeps animals may be found strictly liable for the harm or injury caused to other people.

This means that if a cow injures you, you can potentially make a compensation claim against the owner.

The Animals Act is often criticised for being difficult to navigate, as it often seems ambiguous or unfair. As specialists in cow injury claims, we know the ins and outs of the Animals Act very well. We’ll listen to what happened to you, and we can tell you if you have a claim.