Horse riding accident claims affect thousands of people in the United Kingdom each year. A horse is a large animal that is fun to ride, and they make a great pet but the problem with riding horses is that you can fall, and be injured by the fall, or the horse can step on you when you fall and injure you.
A horse weighs close to a ton or more and when one of these animals steps on you then you can be injured badly. If you have been injured while riding a horse and you believe that the injury was not the result of a pure accident, then you might want to look into filing a horse riding accident claim.
Horse riding related claims
Sometimes it is difficult to determine if horse riding accidents were inevitable and unavoidable, or if there was an underlying cause that could have been prevented. Some examples of horse riding accidents that could have been prevented include, but are not limited to:
- Riders who get hurt because their tack, the saddle, bridle, reins, etc, was defective.
- Riders who fell because the girth was not fastened properly by another person who saddled the horse for them
- Riding arenas that have unsuitable riding surfaces causing the riders to be in jeopardy
- People who rent out horses, or who provide horses for other people to ride, allowing a horse with a bad temperament to be ridden
- Accidents that were the direct result of poor leadership of a hack. In a hack the experienced riders should be on the front and rear of the group so they can lead the group of inexperienced riders past obstacles that might be dangerous
Injuries you might sustain while horse riding
There are about one million people in the United Kingdom that enjoy horseback riding as a sport, or just a leisurely form of entertainment. Each year thousands of those individuals are injured. Those injuries may be as minor as a scrape or a bruise. They can also be as severe as a broken neck, a spinal cord injury, debilitating brain injuries, and death.
Horses have been known to reach speeds as great as forty miles per hour when they are running. If the rider falls from the horse when they are travelling at these speeds they can easily be hurt severely.
What to do if you are injured while horseback riding
If you are injured while you are riding a horse you need to stay where you are. Do not try to get up and get back on the horse until you can be certain that your back, your neck, or your spine was not injured. If you are with someone and they fall from a horse make them as comfortable as possible without lifting their head. Call the emergency services so the person can be evaluated by a medical professional. If the horse runs away do not chase after it. Stay where you are and wait for help to arrive.
If the emergency services team thinks you need to seek further medical treatment be sure that you follow their advice. Go to the hospital and allow a doctor to check you for broken bones, deep contusions, fractures, sprains, bleeding you cannot see, and concussions.
Get the name and number of anyone that witnessed the accident. If you let the horse from a stable get the name and contact information of the stable, and get the name of the person who saddled the horse for you. You want to be completely prepared in the event that you need to seek compensation for an injury.
Hiring a Solicitor
It is best if you seek the advice of a solicitor as soon as possible. A solicitor usually offers a free consultation and as such they can recommend what course of action they believe would be best for you.
You want a solicitor that has experience dealing with horse riding accident claims. This type of personal injury case can be difficult to prove and you want a solicitor that knows how to prove what they say.
If you wait awhile after the injury, and start to have physical problems that could be related to the incident, you have three years from the date of the accident to file a horse riding accident claim.