Dog Attack

The most important piece of legislation in place for the protection of the public from dangerous dogs is the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991. The Act prohibits certain types of dogs, such as Pit Bull Terriers, bred expressly for fighting, but also prohibits dogs with similar physical characteristics and behavioural traits. Indeed, the owner of any dog that injures a person whilst out of control is guilty of an aggravated offence under the Act.

Dogs can behave unpredictably towards strangers when protecting their own territory – typically a home and garden – and may therefore pose risk of injury, or even death, to postal workers, couriers, social workers or anyone else who needs to enter these areas for the purposes of their work. Of course, a dog attack can occur almost anywhere and even a minor attack on you, or a loved one, could result in out of pocket expenses for prescription charges, etc.. A major attack could leave you seriously injured, affect you psychologically or even lead to loss of earnings as a direct result.

If you are the victim of a dog attack, you should, of course, seek safety and medical attention, but afterwards you should report the incident to the police and consider pursuing a claim for personal injury compensation. Contacting the police means that the attack will be investigated and the owner of the dog may be liable for prosecution under the Dangerous Dogs Act. In addition it will also provide evidence of the attack, which can be used in court by a lawyer to pursue a personal injury claim.