Man bitten by a dog while cycling wins compensation
Mr N from Camberley in Surrey was enjoying a leisurely lockdown cycle at Lightwater Park when he came across two dog walkers and their four dogs. As he cycled past the group a Lurcher suddenly bit him on his leg. Fortunately he managed to maintain his balance and did not to fall off his bike. However, he was shaken up by the incident and later began to suffer anxiety and fear around dogs.
Because the dog attack occurred at the height of lockdown he didn’t feel comfortable going along to his GP surgery and instead obtained medical advice from his local pharmacy. The attack had a major impact on his life and in particular his free time with his daughter was affected because she too became scared of dogs.
Mr N decided to take legal advice and contacted our free legal helpline. We told him that he would be entitled to claim compensation and agreed to take on his injury claim, working on a no win, no fee basis. This meant that he would not have to worry about paying legal costs upfront and if he lost the claim he wouldn’t be out of pocket.
Our specialist dog bite team dealt with the case and secured an early admission of legal responsibility from the dog owner’s insurance company. The insurers agreed to compensate Mr N and to privately pay for him to receive the medical treatment he needed. We are pleased to say that the treatment was a success and Mr N has been able to return to cycling without feeling fearful around dogs.
