Farmers could now be held liable for actions of their animals in wide range of situations
A woman injured by cows as she walked through a field in Cumbria six years ago has won a landmark ruling at the Crown Court in Preston. The woman, Mrs. McKaskie, who was left seriously injured by the 2003 incident, has launched a claim for damages against the owner of the animals in question, Cumbrian farmer Mr. Cameron. The case is the latest in a series of stories in the media recently involving members of the public seriously injured by farm animals.
Early in June former government minister David Blunkett was left with a black eye and a cracked rib after an encounter with a cow whilst out walking his dog. Far more serious was the tragic death of a vet from Warrington who was trampled to death by a herd of cows on the 21st June this year. In both cases experts believe that the presence of dogs agitated the cattle that then attacked in order to protect their young.
18 fatalities involving cattle over the last 8 years
Such attacks are fortunately very rare, although over the last 8 years there have been 18 fatal accidents involving cattle according to Health and Safety Executive figures. For walkers who might come across a field of cows, the advice is to move calmly away from any animals avoiding making any sudden movements or noises.
In Mrs McKaskie’s case, the judge at Preston Crown Court ruled in her favour when deciding whether the farmer could be held liable for her injuries because he had not properly considered the risks posed to walkers by his animals. The judgement may lead to changes in the way cows are kept on farms where the land is crossed by public footpaths. Representatives from the National Farmers’ Union said that they were concerned about the implications of the suggestion that cows should not be grazed in fields that have footpaths running through them.
Making an injury claim for accidents involving livestock
If you have been injured in an accident involving livestock such as cows, sheep, pigs etc. and you believe your accident was the fault of the animals’ owner or another person, then call Camps Solicitors today to find out if you have grounds to make a No-Win No-Fee personal injury compensation claim.
Call 0800 092 8586
Speak to one of our claims advisors about your claim.
As a smallholder with cattle, sheep and horses, which are grazed at times on a field that has a public footpath running through it, where would I stand if I put a sign at either end of the path that pointed out that there were animals in the field with young that may protect them if they feel threatened? Would this amount to an admission of liability? The public footpath has only been used by strangers twice, in the last 5 years, would that make a difference, in so much as my consideration as to the dangers faced by members of the public?
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