Please Note:

This accident at work site has been devised to provide mere guidance on various personal injury topics. It is always recommended to seek professional legal advice from an experienced solicitor.

When there is an incident involving a dog bite and a child, you will almost certainly hear about it in the news. A number of dogs do receive bad press and some are of course banned here in the UK. The law in place with the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 has banned the Dogo Argentino, the Fila Brasileiro, the Japanese Tosa and the Pit Bull Terrier (cross breeds of each four are included). I have never quite understood why these breeds were cherry picked! The Pit Bull has always had the worst record for fatalities, but I have wondered why the Rottweiler gets a free ticket since it has the second highest record. In fact, just studying the fatalities in 2011 it was Pit Bull-type in first spot and Rottweiler in second. One of the Rottweiler victims last February was 66 years old and so it is not just a case of young children being at risk.

I just get the idea myself that there is a much greater variety of dog breeds that could be considered as dangerous as one another; I don’t understand why any breeds get special treatment and end up being banned whether that be in the UK or in another country with similar laws in place. This work accident compensation claim example is of course focusing on a postman that is at significant risk to any such breed! Most dogs are highly protective of their owners and their property and many postmen risk such dog bite attacks on a daily basis. To be specific, it is believed that there are around 6000+ dog attacks on postmen/women each year. The actual number of UK dog bites stands close to the 200,000 mark each year. Of course, fatalities are rare, as are severe injuries! It does seem to be the dog bites that cause minor scars that are most common.

From studying a number of sources online, the average dog bite compensation amount rises up to £3000 (On body, minor scars for life). I read a story last year where a postal worker was scarred for life when attacked by a German Shepherd dog and the dog bite compensation here stood at £70,000 and so these dog bite claims do certainly mount up in specific cases. The initial steps to take when being bitten by a dog would be to seek medical attention, then report the incident to the police and the details of the dog owners must be identified. Blame will be directed at the dog owner, this type of work accident claim does not lie at the fault of the employer. Hopefully the dog owner has homeowners insurance or pet insurance. I believe if no insurance is in place then a claim can be made through the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA).