Dog bite lawyers win claim with the help of doorbell video technology
Our specialist dog bite lawyers have successfully recovered compensation for a client after using doorbell video technology to prove that he was telling the truth about events leading up to a dog attack.
Our client, a landscape gardener, was bitten by a dog while visiting a property to carry out some maintenance work. The owner denied responsibility for the incident, saying that our client had ignored instructions to wait at the front door. The owner and his insurers said he had been the “author of his own misfortune” by choosing to go through a gate leading to the rear of the house where the dog attack took place.
The house was fitted with a ‘Ring’ doorbell, a device which records video and audio when the doorbell is used. We requested a copy of the ‘Ring’ recording. When we played it the instructions given by the dog’s owner to our client couldn’t have been any clearer:
“I’ll meet you round the back, OK?”
There were no instructions for him to wait at the front door as alleged in the defence.
When the dog owner’s insurance company was presented with this evidence they quickly conceded fault.
After negotiations an out of court settlement was reached.
Commenting on the case, solicitor James McNally who heads up our team of dog bite lawyers said:
“ While this was by no means a high value claim, I think it’s a tribute to our experience and determination as a firm that when faced with a blank denial, which would cause many other solicitors to drop a claim, we kept going and kept questioning the available evidence. Obtaining the recording made all the difference and enabled our client’s claim to be dealt with quickly and without the need for Court proceedings – or the uncertainty of a trial where a judge is asked to decide which version of events they believe.
As these products become more popular we are seeing an increase in dog bite cases where video and audio is available. A large number of our dog bite claims involve people like delivery drivers calling at properties and there is often a dispute about what actually happened. We would urge anyone bitten by a dog to check if a ‘Ring’ device or similar technology is in place so we can make an immediate request for disclosure of the footage. In the dog bite world we see these cameras as being as important as dash cam footage is proving to be in road accident cases.”
If you have been bitten by a dog and are looking for experienced and tenacious dog bite lawyers to handle your claim then call our free helpline on 0333 888 0404 or send an email to [email protected]