has anyone had a legal claim made against their dog?

[whysnicknameinvalid]

Am really worried and wondered if anyone has been in a similar position?
My dog ran into someone and knocked them over, it wasn't an attack ,just an unfortunate accident ,but the person fractured their foot and had some bruising and is pursuing a claim. Our pet insurance say they won't cover . I have contacted household but don't know if they'll cover us.
Has anyone had anything similar happen?

Reading this has made me worried I should switch my insurance from Animal Friends. Eek. Good luck fighting them OP.

Quick update- I went back to Animal friends with a well worded letter explaining my interpretation of reasonable steps abs citing the similar case that the ombudsmen found in favour of, and they've replied again saying they stand by their decision not to cover us.

will they still pursue the case if they know your insurers wont cover it?
can you appeal to the ombudsman?
good luck
i am going to change our insurers on the back of this thread!

i may need to change too!

so which pet insurance companies treat their customers a bit more decently?

Oh, they really are dreadful. It makes insurance pointless if companies refuse to pay out on unreasonable grounds - so effectively they're just taking people's money for nothing. It makes my blood boil.

Ombudsman it is then.

So sorry they are putting you through this.

Chandon I wouldn't trust anyone other than PetPlan these days. There's a reason most vets refuse to be paid directly by AF. I've had other insurance over the years, but have gone back to PP now, as they are a lot less likely to mess you around. They're a bit more expensive, but worth it for the peace of mind.

Thanks moosemama

I have a young lurcher who has taken out two people already (one of them me).

She is still learning about judging speed and corners

Ah, Chandon - you've been lurchered!

My older boy has never knocked anyone over (hope I haven't just jinxed myself now), but my younger lad managed to lurcher all three dcs and my dh before he was one year old. (Ds2 has a much loved "I've been Lurchered" tshirt, as his was the most spectacular.)

Fortunately no-one was badly injured, but I know of quite a few cases where the impact from a sighthound has resulted in broken limbs, shoulders, hips and even a pelvis in one case. He's much better at controlling himself these days (and has learned to listen if you shout "STEADY!" at him at full volume as he approaches). I am still slightly paranoid about where I let my two run free though.

I don't know if they'll still pursue if our insurers won't cover it. I really hope not,but of course don't know the man in question to get an idea of whether hes just thought ' I'll claim as the insurance will foot the bill" or if he won't care who pays and will sue us personally . I have no idea how that works , but it scares me!

Sorry to hear that OP. What exactly is the injured person claiming? What a worry for you. I suggest you contact FOS.

Regarding PetPlan (Allianz) they also will try to get around paying out. When you take your pet to the vet, be very careful what your vet writes in your notes, as PetPlan and any insurer will pore over those notes to see if you didn't follow advice or if there is any hint of a pre-existing problem.

I agree, pretty much all insurers will try to get out of paying to some degree. However, having had other insurance over the years, I've found PetPlan to be more likely to pay up than any of the others. I've had dogs for just shy of 25 years now and never had a claim refused by PP, including two dogs with expensive cancer treatment.

Does anyone know how The Dog's Trust's 3rd party liability cover works? I'm considering joining, so I get that too - for belt and braces, just in case I ever end up with insurance refusing to pay out on a 3rd party claim. Is there any point or would they be just as likely to try to avoid paying?

Moosemama, love the verb "lurchered"

She sent me flying!

A friend if mine had her knee broken by her lurcher!

Not sure how to teach her to not get so close to humans when she is pelting around at full speed...

Saying that, watching her run is one of my great joys in life

I started with mine on a longline, shouting 'steady' in a firm tone and putting my hands out in front of me whenever he came within a certain radius.

Eventually he started pre-empting me and turning off as he approached and now I can use 'steady' at a further distance when he's free-running and he kind of makes a mental note where I am and avoids me.

Of course it doesn't work for other people, hence having to be really careful where I let him off.

I love watching my boys run too. It's beautiful.

I have just had similar happen. My dog was playing with other dogs and ran into woman, breaking her ankle in two places. Unfortunately I didn't have 3rd party liability insurance as she was a rescue. Yes, they give you 4 weeks free insurance but only for issues relating to her health and wellbeing. This woman is trying to sue me too, which I would have happily paid out if she was insured for this type of accident but she's not. I do feel guilty and responsible to some degree but accidents do happen in life, especially in an area where lots of dogs play. I personally cannot pay anything as we are a low income family....will just need to see where this goes!!