If you’re bitten by a dog you should contact the police as soon as possible to report the incident. You should also seek medical help, keeping any receipts for prescriptions, travel costs to medical appointments or for any private care you might have.

We advise you to take photos of your injury immediately after the incident and document any scarring that follows. These photos can be used as evidence to back up your claim.

You should try to get the name and address of the dog’s owner as they have a duty of care to keep their dog under control. You should also collect the details of any witnesses who saw the incident as their statements can be used as evidence.

To make a dog accident claim, all you have to do is contact our dog bite lawyers. We offer a free initial consultation to talk about what happened and if you may be eligible for compensation.

When you contact us, you’ll speak to one of our friendly team members, who will talk to you about your injury. This initial consultation is free and from there, we’ll advise you on the best way to take your claim forward.

Contacting Those Responsible For Your Injuries

We’ll then get in touch with those responsible for your accident at an early stage to see if they accept the blame for what happened. If they accept responsibility, we’ll try to secure some of your compensation up-front, which can fund private medical care and expenses while your claim is ongoing. These payments, known as interim payments, will be taken out of your final compensation award.

Gathering Evidence

Our experts will look into your case in detail, gathering evidence from various sources such as witnesses, CCTV and independent medical professionals.

We’ll employ medical professionals to find out how your injuries impacted your health and recommend the care you’ll need in the future in order to make the best recovery possible.

Final Settlement & Compensation Awarded

We’ll always try and negotiate claims out of court, keeping the claim process as short as we can. However, if your opponent doesn’t accept responsibility or doesn’t agree with the amount of compensation we feel you need, we’ll start court proceedings.

Even when trial dates have been set, claims are still often settled before reaching court. If your claim needs to be decided at court, we’ll be there to help you every step of the way, talking you through what will happen so you feel as comfortable as possible.

Read more about what happens if your case goes to court

Every personal injury case is different, so there’s no set amount of compensation you’ll receive. The amount of compensation you’ll get will depend on your circumstances, the severity of your injuries and the long term impact.

To work out how much compensation you’re entitled to, we’ll take into account factors such as:

• Expenses – including travel expenses to medical appointments, medical equipment and things that help with practical day-to-day living.
• Loss of earnings – to cover any time you’ve had off work and time off you may need in the future. This figure can also cover matters such as not returning to the same role or not being able to return to work.
• Pain and suffering – caused by your injury or illness.
• Rehabilitation – to help provide the necessary rehabilitation for your recovery and well-being.
• Adaptations – we can help you adapt your home and vehicle after an injury to help with living independently. Find out more about the kind of changes that can be made to a property.
• Care – to provide for any care and support you may need.

If you’d like to make a compensation claim, contact us to set up a free initial consultation on 0800 056 4110.

You normally have to make a personal injury claim within three years of the incident so you should contact us as soon as possible. By getting in touch with us shortly after your accident, it can make collecting evidence a little easier as it can be easier to find witnesses whose statements can support your case.

There are some exceptions to the three year time limit, including:

• Claims on behalf of children – these can be made at any point before their 18th birthday. When the child reaches 18, they can make their own claim at any stage up until they turn 21.
• Mental capacity – there are no time limits to make a claim on behalf of someone who doesn’t have the ability to handle their own case.
• Fatal claims – to make a claim on behalf of your loved one, you’ll have three years from the date they died to make a claim. If a post-mortem found that the death was caused by an accident or illness, you have three years from the point where you discovered these findings.

If you would like to make a personal injury claim, we urge you to contact us as soon as possible so we can start work on your case. Call us today on 0800 056 4110 for a free initial consultation to discuss your situation.

Many of our cases are funded with a No Win No Fee agreement. This means that there’s no financial risk* to you when making a compensation claim.

At the start of your case we’ll discuss funding options with you, advising you which we think is most suitable. If you have legal expenses insurance (LEI) or are covered by a trade union policy, these may be better options to fund your claim. Legal expenses insurance is included in many household insurance policies, so it’s always worth checking whether you’re already covered.

If we think you’re best supported by a No Win No Fee agreement, we’ll explain the process clearly. This involves setting up an insurance policy that will protect you, at no cost to you. You’ll only have to pay anything when your claim is successful – your opponent will pay most of our fees.

Please visit our No Win No Fee page for more information on how it works.

As one of the largest personal injury teams in the UK, we have years of experience in dog accident claims. You can rely on us to help you make a compensation claim. We’ll make sure you receive the medical and emotional support you need, while also helping you get compensation to pay for expenses such as trips to medical appointments. We have secured our clients more than £1 billion in compensation over the last two years.

We’re also proud to have won the Claimant Solicitor of the Year prize at the Rehabilitation First Awards on seven different occasions. This award recognises our key focus on rehabilitation, making sure that our clients can access the care and support they need.

View our dog bite claims experts.