Money Moral Dilemma: Should I claim compensation from the woman whose dog knocked me off my bicycle?

WorcesterParkWoman

Yes. Where’s the debate here?

keithyno.1

The question you ask is, "Is it right to ask for something after what I've gone through?"

And the answer in my eyes is, yes, totally. You have gone through an awful lot of pain and suffering through no fault of your own, and incurred damages running into the hundreds of pounds. It's only right that you should seek compensation from the individual i.e. dog owner who has caused this.

It's of no concern to you the circumstances of this lady who owns the dog and whether or not she has pet insurance covering third party liability etc. Her lack of control of the dog was the cause of the accident, end of, and she will have to cough up compensation should you pursue it. 

I say this as a dog owner myself - you can't blame the animal, you can only blame the owner. The onus was on her to have her dog under control on a public road, she failed and so she's liable, morally and financially, for the dog's actions.

chestnutree

Yes! Any responsible dog owner will have pet insurance and any pet insurance I’ve compared for my own pets has included public liability insurance. 

If she has insurance and you claim then it will be the insurance company who pays out and you’ll be compensated for what you’re due. 

keithyno.1

SStitanic said:

If you were cycling on the road yes. If you were cycling on the pavement no. 

The original poster of this MMD said, "it ran into the road, hitting my wheel." So I think it's safe to assume that they were cycling along the road at the time of the accident, rather than on the pavement.

MECFS_2

Yes you should claim compensation the woman was negligent for not controlling her animal. People give their dogs human names and therefore think they have human characteristics. They do not! They are animals who revert to type. The most obvious examples being dangerous dogs who have killed. "Billy was dancing with his owner last week". Billy has no human characteristics and needs to be trained and treated like an animal.

Erica51

Her dog was out of control in a public place which is an offence and proved to be dangerous: for you and the dog.  If she has any sense the dog will be insured for its own treatment and to compensate you.  Public liability insurance should be included in her household insurance.  The accident was in no way your fault and she should ensure you are not out of pocket.  Draw up a list of the financial disadvantage you have suffered and present it to her.  It is difficult to put a price on paid and distress but make sure she knows you have suffered that too.  If she refuses to pay take her to the small claims court.  Anyone who has a dog, car, bicycle should keep it under control to avoid harming others.

Erica51

marcia_ said:

Nasqueron said:

marcia_ said:

 Yes she was to blame but who says she has liability cover for her dog. In all likelihood she hasn't and any claim will be fruitless and bankrupt you both 

This is a bit of hyperbole, not a chance they will be bankrupt, many people have public liability via house or pet insurance etc

 And many more dont. I dont i have pets with no insurance and home contents insurance without legal cover. 

marcia_ said:

Nasqueron said:

marcia_ said:

 Yes she was to blame but who says she has liability cover for her dog. In all likelihood she hasn't and any claim will be fruitless and bankrupt you both 

This is a bit of hyperbole, not a chance they will be bankrupt, many people have public liability via house or pet insurance etc

 And many more dont. I dont i have pets with no insurance and home contents insurance without legal cover. 

Perhaps you should!

miapops

As a dog owner myself, I think extendable leads are not safe, and you cannot have full control of a dog if using one. Also, any responsible dog owner should have public liability insurance. You are liable for any damage or accidents that your dog causes, and should have means to cover it. Also, having been hit by a car myself when cycling last year, the injuries, physically and mentally, along with damage done to a bike are something you really should be seeking to claim for. If you have legal cover on your home insurance they should be able to advise you and appoint a solicitor,  so you don’t have to go via a no win no fee service.

powerspowers

I think you should claim back damages from the dog owner. 

Retractable leads are a menace, people have no control over their dogs. I once came down a cycle route, there was woman on one side chatting, dog on the other sniffing something. Only my partners laser eyesight picked up the retractable lead and he shouted before I tried to play jump rope with it. 

eao

Extending leads should be banned and were banned in some areas of England some years ago so you are fully justified in suing.  How can the comment, "If a human runs into a cyclist he is not liable" be true.  Are we not all responsible for our actions!