Nationally acclaimed dog bite solicitor, James McNally, recovers £250,000 compensation for the psychological effect of a dog attack on a postal worker.
James’s client was employed by Parcelforce in job he loved and was doing well in. One day as he was handing over a parcel to a customer on their doorstep a dog came running out of the house and bit him just above his eye. It was thought that the dog was being protective of a baby being held by the dog owner at the time.
The bite itself wasn’t a particularly serious one, though it did leave a permanent, albeit relatively minor, scar. However it was the psychological effect of the dog attack which had the biggest impact on the postal worker.
Not only did he start suffering flashbacks and panic attacks, but he found himself too frightened of another attack to carry on with his deliveries. He became increasingly withdrawn and rarely left the house and his relationship with his partner and children began to suffer as a result.
It was such a difficult time for him that he was not able to cope with the thought of a possible legal claim for several years, when he contacted Slee Blackwell Solicitors. James provided a free case assessment and agreed to deal with the claim on a no win, no fee basis.
The dog owner’s insurers defended the claim right up to just a few weeks before the case was due to go to trial, when they told us that they wanted to try and settle the claim.
The psychiatric experts agreed that while the postal worker would be able to work once he had received professional counselling, he was unlikely to return to work for Parcelforce. This significantly affected the value of the claim as the Parcelforce pension plan was extremely generous and was unlikely to be matched by another employer. With the assistance of a report from a pensions expert James concluded the postal worker dog bite compensation claim, settling out of court for a sum of £250,000.
Says James:
“At times this claim was extremely frustrating because of the approach taken by the dog owner’s insurers and solicitors. This was a claim where an early admission of liability would have made all the difference. Their decision to deny responsibility for the dog attack meant that our client not only had to cope with all the worry of a possible trial, but he was also denied the funding to treat the psychological impact it had made on him.
Much of this took place during lockdown when NHS resources were really stretched and waiting lists were growing longer every month. The delays in arranging treatment could have been avoided if the insurance company had agreed to fund it.
James’ client also suffered the indignity of the dog owner’s lawyers trawling through his social media, and that of his partner, to try and discredit them; which they failed to do.
I have no doubt that having us as his solicitors, experienced in not just personal injury law but particularly dog bite claims, made things easier for him. We were able to reassure him that we had confidence in the claim and that we were doing all we could to gather the evidence needed to prove his case. While the other side tried to attack him when he was at his most vulnerable, he knew that we were on his side, fighting for him all the way.
He was delighted with the final settlement. £250,000 was a life changing sum of money for him. It has given him and his family financial security and meant that they can pay for the private treatment he needs in order to get back on his feet and start work again, while not having to worry about the mortgage and other bills.
It was our expertise in dog bite law that enabled us to win the case, but it was also the very personal approach we take as a firm in listening to the client and investigating all aspects of a claim that meant a case involving relatively minor physical injury (which many firms would have dismissed as being worth a few thousand pounds) resulted in such a large compensation award.”
If you need guidance on recovering compensation for the psychological effect of a dog attack then contact us for a free case assessment and details of our no win, no fee funding scheme. Call our national helpline on 0333 888 0404 or email us at [email protected].
