By Stephen Taylor. Last Updated 27th February 2024. Use our dog bite compensation calculator to get an estimate of how much you could receive in a settlement. A compensation calculator can provide an estimated valuation that considers several details of your claim.
Being attacked by a dog can cause various physical injuries, ranging from cuts and bruises to serious soft tissue injuries and permanent nerve damage. Additionally, the incident could result in psychological injuries, such as stress, anxiety and depression. You could also be caused multiple injuries. If these dog bite injuries were caused by third-party negligence, you could be entitled to make a personal injury claim for compensation.
However, if someone has incited a dog to attack you intentionally, this would fall under the criminal injury area of law. The process of claiming for criminal injuries sustained in a crime of violence differs from personal injury.
Read on to learn more. Alternatively, speak to one of our advisors to discuss your dog bite injury claim. They are available 24/7 and offer free specialist advice without obligating you to further your claim with us.
You can:
- Call us on 0800 408 7826
- Contact us via our online form
- Use the live chat feature at the bottom of the page
Choose A Section
- Use Our Dog Bite Compensation Calculator
- What Else Does Personal Injury Compensation Cover?
- How Can A Dog Bite Compensation Calculator Help Me?
- When Could I Claim For A Dog Bite?
- Dog Bite Compensation Claims – What Evidence Do I Need?
- Make A Claim With No Win No Fee Personal Injury Solicitors
- Learn More About Our Dog Bite Compensation Calculator
Use Our Dog Bite Compensation Calculator
Our dog bite compensation calculator can estimate the amount you could be entitled to when claiming for an injury caused by negligence. There are two potential heads that could be awarded in a successful personal injury claim, general damages and special damages.
Firstly, general damages compensate you for the physical and emotional pain and suffering caused by the injuries you sustained. They also consider the impact these injuries will have on your quality of life. We have used the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG), published in April 2022, to create the table below. Legal professionals, such as personal injury solicitors, use this text to assist them in valuing general damages, as the compensation brackets are calculated from previously awarded amounts.
However, please consider these figures as a guide. They are not a guarantee of what you will receive, as each claim has its own unique details. Also note that the first entry in the table is not based on the JCG.
| Type Of Injury | Severity Of Injury | Details | Compensation Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Multiple Serious Injuries Plus Special Damages | Serious | If you have suffered multiple serious injuries due to a dog bite, then the payout for your claim may cover all of these as well as relevant special damages, such as loss of earnings. | Up to £250,000+ |
| Arm Injury | Severe | The person will be left little better off than if the arm had been completely lost. | £96,160 to £130,930 |
| Arm Injury | Less Severe | The person will have made or will be expected to make a substantial degree of recovery, although there were significant disabilities. | £19,200 to £39,170 |
| Amputation of Arm | Below-Elbow Amputation (b) (iii) | The complete loss of one arm below the elbow. | £96,160 to £109,650 |
| Severe Leg Injury | Very Serious (b) (ii) | The person will have been caused permanent problems with mobility and, therefore, require mobility aids for the rest of their life. | £54,830 to £87,890 |
| Injury Affecting Sight | Total Loss Of One Eye | Factors including age, psychiatric consequences and the cosmetic effect will affect the final payout. | £54,830 to £65,710 |
| Psychiatric Damage Generally | Moderately Severe | The person will have significant problems coping with work, education and life as well as other issues. | £19,070 to £54,830 |
| Psychiatric Damage Generally | Moderate | The person will have had some problems coping with work, education and life but there will be a significant improvement and the prognosis will be good. | £5,860 to £19,070 |
| Chest Injury | (d) | The person will have a relatively simple injury that causes some permanent damage to tissue. This can include a single penetrating wound. | £12,590 to £17,960 |
| Hand Injury | Serious Injury to the Thumb | Examples may include nerve damage to the thumb, a severe fracture or injuries that involve amputation of the tip of the thumb. | £12,590 to £16,760 |
You could also claim for certain financial losses caused by your injuries under special damages. We will provide more detail on this in a later section of the guide.
It is difficult to provide an average payout for a dog bite in the UK. However, if you would like to ask how much compensation you could be entitled to, contact a member of our team. They can provide a free evaluation of your claim. Alternatively, you could use our compensation calculator to get an estimate.
What Else Does Personal Injury Compensation Cover?
As previously mentioned, you can claim special damages for monetary losses caused by your injuries. A serious dog bite on your arm could result in severe muscle and nerve damage that causes loss of function. This could result in you being unable to work, for which you could claim compensation for loss of earnings. Other financial losses you could claim under special damages include:
- Travel expenses
- Special equipment
- Medical expenses, such as counselling for dog phobias and anxiety.
- Care costs
Our dog bite compensation calculator can offer insight into certain losses awarded under special damages. It is important to keep evidence of any financial losses, for example, travel tickets, receipts and invoices.
Read on to learn more about the evidence required when making a claim.
How Can A Dog Bite Compensation Calculator Help Me?
Our dog bite compensation calculator is a free tool that requires you to input the details of your case to provide an assessment. It will ask for details regarding the physical and psychological injuries caused by the accident. Additionally, it will require information about the cause of the injury, whose fault you believe it was, and when it happened.
As well as getting an estimate of how much your claim is worth, you should also consider the time limits in place for seeking compensation. For personal injury claims, the Limitation Act 1980 states that you generally have three years to begin your claim from the date of the accident or from the date that you realised that you sustained your injuries because of third-party negligence.
There are a few exceptions to these time limits. If you would like to learn more, contact our advisors. Also, get in touch if you have any queries about using our dog bite compensation calculator for your specific case.
When Could I Claim For A Dog Bite?
Under Section 3 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 and Part 7 of the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, those in control of dogs, such as trainers, and dog owners are responsible for their actions and must remain in control of the dog. For example, this could include that a dog is muzzled when appropriate and necessary as well as ensuring the dog is on a leash.
A dog could potentially attack and bite you in a variety of places. It could happen in public areas, such as a park or shop, or it could happen on private property, such as when you visit someone else’s house. A dog bite could also potentially occur at work if you have a certain type of job, such as veterinary work or if your workplace keeps guard dogs on the premises.
You may be eligible to claim compensation for a dog bite if the person responsible for the dog failed to keep them under control and this caused your injury.
For more advice on your eligibility to claim for a dog bite, or whether you can use a dog bite compensation calculator, contact our advisors for free today.
Dog Bite Compensation Claims – What Evidence Do I Need?
After a dog bite, you should immediately seek medical attention for the injury. This is both important for ensuring you receive the correct treatment and diagnosis and can provide useful medical evidence when you claim. Following this, it is imperative to collect evidence of the negligence that caused the injury as soon as possible. This evidence could include:
- CCTV footage
- Photographic evidence
- Medical reports
- Witness contact details
Finally, we also recommended seeking legal advice before making a dog bite claim. If you’ve been bitten by a dog and sustained an injury due to third-party negligence, please get in touch with a member of our team for free legal advice. They can also talk you through how to use our dog bite compensation calculator.
Make A Claim With No Win No Fee Personal Injury Solicitors
Using a No Win No Fee personal injury solicitor to represent your claim under a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA) could be beneficial. You could receive expert legal advice regarding the dog bite claims process and building your claim while not paying any upfront or ongoing fees for your solicitor’s services. Additionally, if your claim is unsuccessful, you will not have to pay for your solicitor’s services.
If your claim is successful, your solicitor will be paid for their services by taking a small success fee from the compensation. This is calculated as a legally capped percentage.
Please contact us to find out whether a solicitor from our panel could represent your dog bite compensation claim on this basis.
Get Help Using Our Dog Bite Compensation Calculator
Contact us today if you want to speak to one of our advisors about how to use our dog bite compensation calculator.
To get in touch, please do one of the following:
- Call us on 0800 408 7826
- Contact us via our online form
- Use the live chat feature at the bottom of the page
Learn More About Our Dog Bite Compensation Calculator
More pages from our site:
- Hand Injury Compensation Calculator
- Eye Injury Claim Calculator
- Workplace Injury Compensation Calculator
External links to explore:
Thank you for reading this guide to using our dog bite compensation calculator. If you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to contact our team on the number above.